How Catalyst for Educational Change Used Real-Time Resource and Margin Management to Increase Closure Rates by 8%

How a Mission-Driven Consultancy Scaled Its Systems for Growth

Founded in 1987, Catalyst for Educational Change (CEC) is a Chicago-based nonprofit consulting agency that partners with schools and districts across the United States to create equitable, student-centered systems.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Shelley Taylor, CEC has redefined what it means to run a mission-driven professional services firm. Faced with the sunsetting of a multi-million dollar grant, Shelley stabilized, restructured, and rebuilt the organization - introducing stronger governance, scalable programs such as PSA Software, and sustainable funding models to ensure long-term growth.

“We help schools and districts create the conditions where both adults and students can thrive.”

CEC’s ambition was clear: deliver large-scale educational change, powered by reliable data and real-time insight. But their internal systems weren’t keeping pace.

What Happens When a Scaling Consulting Firm Outgrows Its Tools?

CEC’s operational challenges were all too familiar for professional services firms: outdated systems, clunky reporting, and limited visibility across projects.

Timesheets and invoicing were done in WorkflowMax. Their customer relationship management (CRM) platform never quite fit, and every “fix” required custom fields and workarounds just to get to mid-level insights.

“We were forced to move CRMs, but the one we had was never the right fit. Every other platform needed so many workarounds to produce basic reports - it just didn’t feel designed for a firm like ours.”
— Shelley Taylor, Executive Director

CEC needed a professional services reporting software solution that could unify project, financial, and staffing data - without heavy customization or complex integrations.

How the Projectworks Professional Services Automation Platform Helped Keep Financials and Staffing in Balance

CEC worked with an advisor to launch Projectworks at their consultancy. They started small, rolling out a few features so the team could adjust. Six months later, they expanded functionality.

After the first year, a usage audit helped fine-tune workflows and surface efficiencies.

“That worked out a few bugs for us and we jumped into more of the features available. Now, I can't even imagine how we lived without Projectworks!”

Shelley and her team quickly saw how Projectworks was built for consulting work - flexible enough to handle complex projects with multiple roles, rates, and timelines.

“It’s finally a product that works for consulting teams,” Shelley said. “The ability to see profit margins by project and adjust costs directly at the project level has been invaluable for keeping both our financials and staffing in balance.”

With real-time reporting for consulting firms and integrated forecasting tools, CEC gained total visibility into utilization, profitability, and performance.

Sophisticated Project Reporting Helps Scale CEC and Their Educational Impact

For CEC, Projectworks became more than software - it’s how they supercharge and measure their impact on schools across North America. The team is using using the resourcing, utilization, and financial management aspects of Projectworks to close their projects at a higher rate and with higher profit margins.

• Increased visibility and trust: Project, finance, and client conversations now live in one place.
• 8% increase in project close rate: CEC increased their project close rate by 8% in the 2024/25 year. They are on track to increase by another 2% this year, helping their nonprofit compete in an intense consulting market.
• Sustainable growth: Headcount has increased by 50%.
• Data-rich insights: Real-time project performance dashboards drive smarter, faster decisions.
• Empowered governance: Shelley can surface board-ready financial data that builds confidence and accountability.
• Deeper financial control: With project profitability reporting tools, CEC’s leadership can see performance at a glance and align resources with their mission goals. A deep Xero integration means financial data flows smoothly between platforms.

“We are so data-rich we can not just ‘guess’ but really know how things are running.”

Consolidating Your Project Tools in One Platform Enables Meaningful Insight

Before Projectworks, reporting was a chore. Now, CEC’s consultants and finance team share one source of truth with live utilization and profitability reports.

Time tracking, capacity planning, and forecasting have all improved - and so has cross-team collaboration.

“Our teams can now talk from the project level to the finance level to the client level, all within one sign-on.”

Shelley also praised the Projectworks Customer Success team: “They’re exceptional - highly responsive, even across time zones, and genuinely committed to finding solutions. They stay with you until your issue is resolved.”

Implementing a PSA Platform Saves Time, Supports Strategic Business Decisions, and Neutralizes Risk

Since joining Projectworks, CEC has seen ripple effects across every layer of its operations:

• More projects won: An 8% increase in projects close rate in one year - a win rate that only continues to improve.
• Hours reclaimed: Time once spent reconciling spreadsheets now goes toward strategy and delivery.
• Unified data: One platform connects project delivery, finance, and leadership.
• Confident reporting: PSA reporting and analytics now give CEC’s board real-time financial visibility, improving confidence in every decision.
• Scalable growth: What began as a necessary systems change has become the foundation for CEC’s long-term sustainability, with a 50% growth in headcount.
• Smarter forecasting: Project billing and forecasting software now powers clear, actionable data on margins and utilization.

Projectworks has helped turn data into dialogue and transparency into trust - allowing a mission-driven organization to operate with the clarity of a top-tier consulting firm.

“Projectworks is the first platform that has really fit the complex needs of a consulting firm. The insights you get will allow your teams to collaborate and efficiently manage your client work and staffing needs.”

Catalyst for Educational Change continues to empower schools and districts to create equitable, collaborative systems where all learners thrive. To learn more about their mission and programs, visit http://cecweb.org.