Amplifying Purpose-Minded Organizations
Hi, I’m Julie Klima. I work alongside nonprofit leaders to amplify impact, increase effectiveness, and turn big ideas into action. Every organization is unique and so is every engagement. That’s why I offer tailored, hands-on management and leadership consulting to help you navigate change, strengthen your operations and governance, and seize opportunities for sustainable growth.
Nonprofit is a tax status, not a business model. Yet it remains one of the most complex models to run: built on voluntary contributions, powered by both paid staff and volunteers, and accountable to the communities it serves. Whether you’re in transition, facing a capacity gap, or charting your next big move, you need a partner who can help you get things done.
All projects begin with discovery to align your team, surface key insights, and co-create a path forward. With 20+ years of experience at the intersection of nonprofit leadership, customer-experience and strategy, I bring a people-centered, results-driven approach grounded in real-world understanding and a deep commitment to community impact.
Training & Engagement Experiences
Right Instinct, Wrong Capacity: Core Capacity Assessment and Interpretation
When something isn't working, it's hard to get to the root cause, and many nonprofits misdiagnose. A retention problem gets treated as a hiring problem. A board that's checked out gets treated as a communication problem. A funding cliff gets treated as a fundraising problem. The instinct to act is right; the target is often wrong.
This assessment and facilitated session uses the Core Capacity Assessment Tool (CCAT®), developed by TCC Group and used by thousands of nonprofits nationally, to give your leadership and board a shared, data-driven read on where your organization's capacity actually sits across the dimensions that actually predict organizational health. But a report rarely changes anything on its own. As a certified CCAT facilitator, I guide nonprofit executives and board leaders through a working session that turns the data into a roadmap. If your organization's leaders sense a persistent strain but haven't pinned down its source, or are ready to move from assumption to a shared, evidence-based plan, a Core Capacity Assessment may be for you.
Functional Leadership Design: Structure Before Individuals
Most org charts start with who's already in the room. This workshop series invites leaders to step back and start with what the organization actually needs. Whether you're facing a staff transition, thinking about succession planning, or you sense something isn't working but can't yet name what, this process helps executives define the functions an organization needs before deciding who fills them. Beginning with the CEO and extending to department heads, participants map core functions, surface gaps and redundancies, and identify what can be delegated, outsourced, or supported by technology — before any conversation turns to specific people. This workshop is a strong fit for leadership teams ready to align their around a clearer, function-first structure built to outlast any one person's tenure.
Board Basics: What it Means to Serve and Lead
This workshop is a great fit for companies looking to offer meaningful employee engagement and professional development opportunities. It demystifies the role of nonprofit boards and the responsibilities of board members. Board service helps employees grow as leaders, expand their networks, and give back to the community in a strategic way. Participants will explore what boards actually do, what’s expected of individual members, and how to determine whether a board opportunity is the right fit for their interests, values, and availability. Whether an associate is considering their first step into board service or wants a stronger foundation for board work they’re already engaged in, this workshop will equip them with the knowledge and questions they need to lead with clarity and confidence.
How I Can Help
Assess. Align. Amplify.
Understand the people in the room. Each person brings unique their roles, perspectives, priorities, and concerns. Through interviews, surveys, or pre-session discussions, I surface key themes, uncover points of alignment and tension, and build a foundation of trust and transparency. This upfront investment brings clarity to what’s really at stake, helps participants feel seen and prepared, and sets the stage for productive, focused next steps.
Shared Insight Sessions
Move your team or board from discussion to alignment and action. With training and hands-on experience in participatory decision-making, I create intentional spaces where diverse voices can be heard, differences can be navigated productively, and shared insight can emerge. Whether you’re clarifying strategy, exploring big decisions, or seeking increased engagement, I can help you surface what matters most and co-create a path forward.
Operational Clarity & Strategy Mapping
Translate complexity into clear, doable next steps. I partner with organizations to bridge big ideas and day-to-day realities to drive meaningful progress by assessing core capacities, identifying strengths and bright spots, and uncovering opportunities for growth and alignment in their core operations. Through thoughtful questions and fresh perspectives, I help leaders take a clear-eyed look at where the organization stands today—and what it will take to move forward. With a lens on sustainability and strategic clarity, I guide teams to reflect, realign, and build capacity for what’s next.
“Working with Julie on our strategic plan was a rewarding and highly valuable experience. The process was well-organized, with thorough pre-session work, surveys, and focus groups that helped her team gather valuable insights. This thoughtful preparation laid the foundation for an incredibly productive one-day session where we crafted our strategic plan. Julie’s communication and facilitation were key to the success of the process. She encouraged us to think critically while also keeping our goals realistic and achievable. Her ability to guide the board through discussions and ensure everyone stayed aligned with the process was invaluable. Thanks to Julie’s leadership, the strategic plan we developed is already helping us stay focused and drive our mission forward. We are on track with meeting our goals and look forward to expanding our support of humane educators in their communities. I can’t recommend Julie highly enough!”
What Clients Are Saying
“Julie’s depth and range of experience really set this work apart. She’s run a nonprofit, worked in corporate America, and been part of a university environment, so she understands leadership and structure from multiple angles. That breadth shows up in how quickly she grasps complexity and moves it toward clarity. I’ve participated in plenty of workshops and worked with consultants over the years, and I don’t say this lightly. Julie knows her stuff. She delivers real clarity and tangible results, not just another conversation or a stack of follow up homework.”
“The results far exceeded my expectations for what we could accomplish in five months and we are emerging from the process stronger, more organized, and clear headed in our direction.”
“Julie was a great thought partner for our team. She asked insightful questions, offered fresh perspectives, and thoughtfully challenged us to see opportunities we hadn’t considered. She helped us navigate complex decisions with greater clarity and confidence. Through skillful facilitation, Julie created a space where we could tackle potentially contentious topics in a productive, respectful way, ultimately strengthening our team’s alignment and trust.”
Julie brings more than two decades of experience helping nonprofit organizations and their leaders amplify their impact. With a career spanning strategic planning, operational transformation, and change leadership across sectors - from environmental advocacy to social services - she is a trusted partner to mission-driven organizations navigating complexity and growth.
Known for her thoughtful, people-centered approach, Julie excels at translating big-picture vision into practical, scalable solutions. Her cross-sector experience grounds her work in real-world insight, adaptability, and a deep commitment to community impact.
Driven by a passion for excellence, equity, and innovation, Julie has led countless planning and change initiatives that help organizations clarify their vision, align resources, and build the capacity to thrive. Through collaborative facilitation and strategic guidance, she equips nonprofit leaders with the tools to face challenges, seize opportunities, and create sustainable, meaningful change.
Prior to founding Purpose Amp, Julie served as the managing director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership at UMKC. She has also held a variety of roles in nonprofit and private sector organizations in Washington, DC and Kansas City, including Arabella Advisors, Environmental Defense Fund, Exponent Philanthropy, Gift of Life, Network for Good, Useagility, WildAid, and Wildlife Alliance. Julie is a member of Leadership Kansas 2025, a graduate of the Kansas City Chamber Centurions Leadership Program, serves on the board of Support KC, and leads the Lessons in Leadership interview series for Central Exchange, where she also serves as a member of the nominating committee. She loves spending time with her husband (Jeff) and their dog (Roxie), digging in their garden, and getting her golf fix as a mentor for Driving Pursuits and a co-founder of Gals Who Golf.
Julie earned a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from The George Washington University and a BBA in Marketing from the University of Oklahoma.
Meet Julie Klima
“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature… My life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can.”
– George Bernard Shaw
