“A strong nonprofit leader drives a sense of mission down through the organization, upward into the board and outward in the community.”*
It has been some time since the first Nonprofit Management certificates and degrees were conferred upon those who aspired to lead organizations that serve the common good. Most of these programs focused on teaching management skills such as general operations, human resources and fund raising. Once individuals completed these programs and went to work within the sector they were often left on their own not only to manage but to lead organizations.
A great nonprofit leader has a lot on her shoulders. She is the embodiment of several C-level executives rolled into one. She has to be the Chief Visionary and Strategist, the Chief of Board Relations, the Chief Donor Relations Officer, and much more. Each day, the leader has to check off her list to ensure that donors are treated well, board members are engaged and informed, the staff is operating at a high level, and services are delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Nonprofit organizations continue to come under pressure, and aspire, to provide high quality services to constituents while facing an ever-shifting spectrum of challenges – fund raising, changes in demographics, rapidly evolving technology, competition from for-profit providers, retaining quality staff, board development, and much more.
Strategy + Action/Philanthropy works with nonprofit organizations and with foundations to strengthen their organizations’ leadership to operate more effectively in the 21st century. We do this through strategic planning, coaching, program evaluation and assessment, facilitation and project management:
“Strategy + Action/Philanthropy did heavy lifting for us. Their work as a partner and sounding board provided greater clarity in how we are best growing the Center to meet its potential.”
Sharon Brown, Director, Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education, Cleveland State University (Cleveland, OH)
“We found (Strategy + Action) to be extremely helpful to us in working with our board and staff in shaping the vision and plans for the future endeavors of the foundation.”
Steve Mittenthal, Founding Executive Director, The Ellis Center for Educational Excellence (Phoenix, AZ)
“Open Doors Academy thoroughly benefited from the work of Jeff Glebocki and Strategy + Action in completing our strategic plan. They guided us carefully through a process that helped us to identify our core needs, develop action steps for those needs, and a timeline for accomplishing each goal.”
Annemarie M. Grassi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Open Doors Academy (Cleveland, OH)
Contact us to learn more about how we can help you provide the best possible leadership to your organization.
*Paul Light, Grasping for the Ring: Defining Strong Nonprofit Leadership, 2002
