About us

We launched Canary Consulting Group with the unshakeable belief that nonprofits should have access to the same type of expertise as their for-profit peers.

Though we’ve spent time at Fortune 500 companies and as entrepreneurs, we’re driven by mission.

Nonprofits are our home. And your success is our ‘why’.

Our clients

Our clients are diverse.

Our experience spans a wide variety of nonprofit areas of focus, including:

  • Food insecurity

  • Adult mental health and disability services

  • Children and family services

  • Women’s services

  • Refugee and immigrant services

  • Housing, homelessness, and residential treatment services

  • Substance use disorder prevention and treatment

  • Economic development

  • Animal welfare

  • Arts and culture

Our clients come in all shapes and sizes.

We believe all nonprofits - regardless of their tenure or size - deserve access to the tools and expertise they need to flourish. In fact, we love working with:

  • Nonprofit startups, led by visionaries with a dream

  • Small nonprofits, often relying on working boards and volunteers

  • Emerging nonprofits in growth mode, hoping for scalable solutions

  • Established nonprofits looking, looking for fresh perspective

  • HOME, Inc.
  • The Iowa Center for Economic Success
  • Dorothy's House
  • Animal Rescue League of Iowa
  • Johnston Partnership
  • Amadora Legacy Project
  • Blank Park Zoo
  • Foster SQUAD
  • Taste of the Junction
  • Good Samaritan Food Pantry
  • Raise the Bar Initiative
  • Central Iowa Community Services
  • The Coalition for Children & Family Services
  • Des Moines Y CAMP
  • Easterseals Iowa
  • Matthew 25 House
  • Community Support Advocates
  • Iowa Ornithologists' Union
  • Mainframe Studios
  • WayPoint Resources
  • Hope to Shine
  • Five Fires Foundation
  • S.A.F.E. Center of Iowa
  • Iowa DD Council
  • Iowa Association of Community Providers

Board and committee experience

  • Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines For Impact Leaders Steering Committee (Current)

  • Iowa Center for Economic Success (Current)

  • Historic East Village Neighborhood Association

  • Heart of Des Moines Leadership Team

  • Cornerstone Community Credit Union

  • Waukee Area Christian Services (now WayPoint Resources)

Professional affiliations

We’re proud members of Heart of Des Moines, a coalition of consultants who collaborate to serve nonprofits in our community.

Canary Consulting Group’s own Trace Hoekstra is an active member of the Grant Professionals Association of Central Iowa.

In our client’s words …

“For years, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa created its own strategic plans, but partnering with Canary Consulting Group brought a deeper focus to our vision, mission, and values.

Andy and Jodi’s expertise united our team and sharpened our direction, ensuring lasting impact. Their methodical, refreshing approach to strategic planning is invaluable, and we highly recommend them to nonprofits committed to meaningful improvement.”

Tom Colvin
Chief Executive Officer