Our Services
Supporting philanthropy to make abundant, lasting change.
Persimmon Consulting provides bespoke, human-first philanthropic services to individuals, foundations, socially responsible businesses, and public funders. Always with a racial justice, human-first lens, we support work across a broad range of issues in both rural and urban areas — including Community Wealth Building; Local Food Systems & Climate Justice; Pre K-12 Education; Reproductive Justice & Bodily Autonomy; and Pro-Democracy Work.
Who We Work With
It starts with values alignment and curiosity.
Are you committed to “racial justice” being more than just a buzzword? Are you excited about exploring giving beyond “the 5%” standard? Are you curious about the power of multi-year general operating grants… and the power of seeding genuine, non-hierarchical relationships?
Persimmon is deeply passionate about partnering with funders to identify, rightsize, and implement strategies that tangibly improve people’s lives and the health of our shared planet.
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We walk side by side with individuals and families on their unique philanthropic redistribution journeys — helping them continuously align money with movements for justice.
As part of these relationships, we manage grant portfolios, conduct due diligence, present grantmaking opportunities, build trust and communicate directly with grantees, collect research for streamlined learning, and provide reporting to track impact over time. Persimmon Consulting can serve as your representative to grantees, fellow funders, and at conferences — whether you choose to give anonymously or publicly.
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We’re here to add capacity and momentum to your team — whether it’s holding things down during parental leave, serving as a consistent grant reviewer, or helping build out and operationalize values from start to finish.
Persimmon’s sweet spot lies in bringing passion, authenticity, and seasoned expertise to the design of grantmaking programs for systemic change. We love working in partnership with staff and stakeholders, and can bring in additional collaborators as needed.
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We support public funders in implementing grantmaking strategies grounded in both the art and science of research — including community conversations, literature reviews, and quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Because the people closest to the problems are often those closest to the solutions, deep listening and relationship-building are central to our data gathering approach. Our public funder partners range from place-based to multi-state to national, and we help develop highly contextualized strategies that align with the full breadth of their work — and are built to last.
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We support socially and environmentally responsible businesses in identifying meaningful ways to share resources with their communities, aligned with each company’s triple bottom line.
To strengthen brand identity and help engage and retain mission-aligned employees, we explore creative opportunities for lasting impact. This includes embedding company values not only in grantmaking programs, but also throughout cooperative business practices, supply chains, employee wages, and beyond.
Philanthropic Strategy Design
Your holistic, custom plan for transformative grantmaking — today and tomorrow
We advise on philanthropic strategies rooted in a deep understanding of each client’s priorities, history, and role within the broader ecosystem. Supported by Persimmon’s nonprofit expertise and emotionally intelligent research practices, we help partners confidently identify where the strategic application of grant dollars can have bold, lasting impact.
Grants Portfolio Support
Your system and strategy for presenting, selecting, and following through on grantmaking opportunities with efficiency, integrity, and care
We handle the detailed work of managing and reviewing grant applications, conducting due diligence, supporting decision-making, leading communications with grantees and fellow funders, and providing reporting to track impact over time. When you need added capacity, we roll up our sleeves.
But it’s more than just “admin”: we help streamline infrastructure and processes — understanding what’s legally required and where there’s room for creativity, clarity, and simplification.
Research Project Management
Your solution for understanding complex issues and opportunity landscapes with confidence
To drive meaningful change, we believe that deep knowledge, trust-building with communities, and a commitment to integrity are essential. Our research approach weaves together outside analysis, community voices, data, and multi-layered expertise — including from unlikely leaders — to surface areas of potential, inform impactful strategy, and co-design courageous funding programs.
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