This interview series with our #Nonprofit Service Provider Classifieds advertisers aims to unveil the stories and motivations behind those who specialise in uplifting and guiding the nonprofit community.

In this interview, we talk with Cedric de Beer, founder of Stepwise Consulting.

Tell me about yourself and your company/consulting services.

I’ve spent most of my career in the nonprofit sector, starting out as a political activist before moving into more formal roles in various nonprofits. My early work focused on fields like environmental development, health policy, and housing finance, where I helped build and lead substantial organisations. One of the things I’m most proud of is that the organisations I ran not only survived after I left but actually thrived. That’s something I focus on—creating sustainable, effective organisations that aren’t reliant on one person or a founder to keep going.

In terms of my consulting services, I draw heavily on that experience. I provide organisational development and leadership support, helping nonprofits evaluate their strategies, structures, and leadership capacities. My role is to ensure that they have the right framework in place to achieve their mission. This means helping them find the right people, empowering those people to do their best work, and building strong, cohesive teams. I believe that when you have a clear strategy and a solid team, the organisation becomes more resilient, especially during transitions or challenging times.

My role is to ensure that they have the right framework in place to achieve their mission.

One thing I emphasise is sustainability—organisations should be able to continue thriving even after leadership changes. A lot of nonprofits struggle when founders or key leaders move on, so I focus on building leadership that can carry the organisation forward long-term.

What inspired you to focus your career on the nonprofit sector?

There are two main parts to that. First, coming from my political background, I have a strong commitment to the idea that both government and the private sector need to be monitored and influenced by an active civil society. I believe civil society and the nonprofit sector play a critical role in holding those entities accountable. Without that oversight, neither the government nor the private sector tends to act in the public's best interest.

Second, the world is facing a "polycrisis"—poverty, inequality, climate change—and many of the best solutions come from the nonprofit sector. It’s not driven by profit or power, but by a commitment to social good. That’s where innovative solutions emerge, and that’s why I’m passionate about this work.

One thing I emphasise is sustainability—organisations should be able to continue thriving even after leadership changes.

What do you find most rewarding about working with nonprofits?

I find it incredibly rewarding to work in a space where innovation is valued, where the risks we take can actually lead to meaningful social change. The nonprofit sector allows for experimentation, especially in tackling the big challenges of our time. It’s fulfilling to see the direct impact of that work, knowing it's not driven by profit but by the desire to create positive change.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced in this sector? How have you overcome them?

One major challenge from my time running a housing finance organisation was realising that the private sector wasn’t willing to take the same risks we were. We had to step in and lend the funds ourselves. Once we proved the concept, the banks and financial institutions were more willing to join us. That’s a classic example of how the nonprofit sector can push innovation forward, even when the private sector is reluctant.

Another challenge I face now, as a service provider, is helping organisations with strategy or governance, only to find that they don’t have the capacity to fully engage. The people are often committed, but they’re stretched too thin. The solution is to tailor the work and adjust the pace, which isn’t always easy but is necessary for meaningful change.

How do you help nonprofit clients accomplish their missions more effectively?

My approach depends on the brief and what I discover when I start. I avoid a one-size-fits-all solution and focus on understanding the organisation’s goals, structure, and leadership. Often, it’s about ensuring their strategy and structure align with their mission. For example, I’ve helped organisations with mismatched staff and board sizes to streamline their governance.

Leadership development is a key part of my work. I offer coaching, including "flash coaching," to help leaders quickly address challenges. It's about fostering the right leadership culture and ensuring the team is equipped to implement necessary changes. My goal is to help align their people, processes, and systems to support long-term success.

How do you see the nonprofit sector evolving in the next 5-10 years? How are you preparing for those changes?

I find this a tough question, but here’s what I’d like to see: First, I’d like to see funders giving up some control. It sounds counterintuitive, but the people on the ground, in the communities, often know best where the funds should go. Second, funders should stop focusing solely on projects and start funding organisations as a whole. And third, I’d like to challenge this idea that organisations need to be self-sustaining through market logic. It pushes them to move upmarket, which often means leaving behind the communities they were meant to serve.

As for how I’m preparing, I’ve been actively advocating for these changes through my consulting work and writing. I’ve published articles challenging traditional funding models and continue to push for a more flexible, trust-based approach in my conversations with funders and clients. By staying engaged in these discussions and offering strategic advice, I aim to help organisations adapt to a shifting landscape.

Can you share an example of a nonprofit client you're especially proud to have worked with and why?

Without naming names, I’ve worked with two networks recently—one in agroecology and another in health. These were informal networks, meaning they didn’t have a formal legal structure, but the organisations within them wanted to collaborate, make decisions together, and implement projects collectively. The challenge was figuring out how to do this without a rigid structure in place.

One of the concepts I introduced to help these networks was "sufficient consensus." This idea comes from the constitutional negotiations in South Africa. It’s about finding enough common ground among all the parties involved to move forward, even if not everyone is fully in agreement on every detail. The goal is to have a level of agreement that allows the group to act collectively, while still giving individual organisations the freedom to maintain their own work and identity.

In both networks, I helped them reach this “sufficient consensus,” which allowed them to implement projects together without needing a formal, centralised structure. I’m proud of that contribution because it enabled the networks to function effectively while maintaining their flexibility and autonomy.

Leadership development is a key part of my work. . . My goal is to help align their people, processes, and systems to support long-term success.

What do you wish more people understood about working with nonprofits?

I wish more people recognised the expertise in the nonprofit sector. Sometimes there’s a tendency, especially from funders or people in the private sector, to think they know better. While they can bring useful insights, they shouldn’t assume they hold all the answers. There’s a lot of valuable knowledge within nonprofits that needs to be respected.

The nonprofit space is a challenging one to work in, whether you are nonprofit staff or a service provider. What do you do to take care of yourself?

I’ve had diabetes for 20 years, so that forces me to eat healthily and exercise regularly. I also spend time with family and friends, and I enjoy cooking. Those things keep me balanced.

What do you think sets your company or your services apart in the nonprofit services sector? In other words, why should nonprofits work with you?

I bring deep experience from having run organisations myself, including turning around distressed organisations. That gives me a strong understanding of how things work in practice, not just in theory. I also believe I’m good at solving complex problems and bringing together different technical capacities to make things work smoothly. I draw on years of experience, and I think that sets me apart from others who may provide more specialised services like legal or fundraising support.

• Find out more about Stepwise Consulting in our #Classifieds.