Dumbo Octopus
Consulting

Walking alongside your cause
Helping you help others

A different kind of consultant

Providing tailored capacity building services that support your whole team. We believe that our community has the answers, we just have to fund and walk alongside them.

Equity Focused

Adopting an anti-racist, anti-oppressive approach to everything we do. Actively seeking to dismantle colonial systems. Advocating for equity within Waterloo Region.

Collaborative

Finding ways to build connections between grassroots organizations and the broader community. Seeking to foster collaboration over competition through community engagement.

Accessible

Neurodivergent friendly. Meeting clients where they are at and helping to implement our suggestions. Empowering equity-seeking leaders through knowledge translation and skill development.

Robyn and Alicia sitting in the corner bench of a coffee shopping, drinking coffee from large blue cups and laughing with eachother.

Who we are

Meet the founders for Dumbo Octopus Consulting Robyn and Alicia sitting in the corner bench of a coffee shopping, drinking coffee from large blue cups and laughing with eachother.

Dumbo Octopus Consulting is a values-driven non-profit consulting agency dedicated to empowering grassroots organizations in Waterloo Region. We offer fractional director level services that are affordable, adaptable to meet your unique needs, and grounded in decent work practices.

Co-founded by Robyn Schwarz and Alicia Langill, our team leverages our skills and compassionate approach to provide capacity-building tools and personalized learning experiences. We know what it is like to work at the grassroots in a variety of different settings and roles. Together we have over 20 years' experience, giving us a keen awareness of the strengths and challenges that come along with running a small organization.

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Our Services

Funding, Communications, Strategy, Governance and more

We offer a range of capacity building supports that allow us to meet the unique needs of each of our clients. Our team brings curiosity and care to our work, providing comprehensive and customizable solutions that align with each organization’s mission, vision, and values.

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Grant Writing
From research to document creation, helping you secure grant funding that aligns with your mission.
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Strategic Planning
Let us help you figure out how to best advance your mission by crafting measurable goals, together.
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Board Governance
From Bylaw writing to Board training and meeting facilitation, we aim to support both volunteers and staff learning how to lead.
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Advocacy
Nonpartisan advocacy towards systemic change. As active members of the community, we advocate for equitable funding practices and actively participate in community engagement initiatives.
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What our clients are saying

Kristine AllisonSenior Project Manager Engage Rural ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Working with Dumbo Octopus Consulting has been extremely invigorating. Their dedication to your success is evident in their daily work. They have a deep understanding of the non-profit sector and actively strive to raise awareness about important issues that influence public policy. It's great to see a genuine collaborative approach to ensure our collective success.
Abiha SyedGrassroots Growth Alliance⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the exceptional service you have consistently provided. Your dedication and unwavering commitment to understanding your clients have not only met but far exceeded my expectations. It's rare to find an organization that goes above and beyond in such a professional and compassionate manner. Both of you bring heart and empathy into your work and understand my situation without needing an exhaustive explanation. Your star quality lies in adding a human touch to a role typically associated with paperwork, form-filling and reports. Thank you once again and I look forward to continuing our work together.
Kate TaylorYWCA Cambridge⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Your perspective and support is unlike other grant writing experience I have encountered before. You are a community builder. It is helpful to have folks like you connecting smaller organizations.

Get in touch.

We love hearing from individuals and organizations who want to learn more about our work and explore how we can increase your capacity to do good work, better.Please allow up to 3 business days for a reply.

Dumbo OctopusConsulting