About Us
Spectrum is a strategy firm with a passion for solving strategic challenges with organizations to strengthen nonprofit sustainability.
A Shared Passion
We have the privilege of working with exceptional people driven to create vibrant communities.


Our Story
It started with
Steve Zimmerman
He founded Spectrum in 2007 with the strong belief that nonprofit organizations are the force for change in many communities. To sustain such crucial impact, Steve helped write the book on sustainability, joining other leaders in recognizing the inseparability of a nonprofit's mission from its finances.
Since then, we've grown our team and our expertise to more effectively tackle strategic challenges confronting nonprofit leaders. But our mission has remained the same: to strengthen yours.
Meet The TeamMeet the team
It’s a big decision to hire a consultant. Letting people into your organization to examine what you do and how you do it can be daunting. It requires a lot of trust. Get to know the Spectrum team.




Our pillars
Educate
We use our knowledge and tools to break down the intricacies of nonprofit management and finance to engage your whole team around strategic challenges. By listening to your goals and priorities, and earning your trust throughout our process, we build lasting relationships that lead to greater success in implementation.
Evolve
Sustainability is an orientation, not a destination. It’s the choices that you make day in and day out that will allow your organization to have impact in a financially viable way. We respect where your organization has been but also help you see what it can become.
Balance
Nonprofits today can’t afford to think about strategy once every five years. They need flexible strategic models that are meant to adapt to the inevitable bumps in the road. We’re strategic problem-solvers, helping you balance internal demands and external pressures.
Empower
There’s no one solution to sustainability, so we work together to find an answer for you. We equip your organization with the ability to involve everyone, from the program assistant to the board chair, ensuring that you have the knowledge and skills to own your strategy.
Our Books
The Sustainability Mindset:
Using the Matrix Map to Make Strategic Decisions
Nonprofit sustainability lies at the intersection of exceptional impact and financial viability. The matrix map is a powerful tool for strategic decision making which puts this intersection in the hands of nonprofit leaders.
Recipient 2015 Terry McAdam Book Award for Nonprofit Management by The Alliance for Nonprofit Management and the Cause Planet 2015 Choice Award.


Nonprofit Sustainability:
Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability
This how-to book offers nonprofit executives and board members a simple yet powerful framework for analyzing and adjusting their business models for greater organizational sustainability. It introduces the Matrix Map, a practical tool for determining the current impact and financial performance of core programs and fundraising activities.