Resources for Nonprofits

Advancement Advisors

An independent women-owned consulting firm, Advancement Advisors focuses on building fundraising capacity and sustainability in nonprofit organizations. With a broad range of experience, our consultants provide customized services to assist you in meeting your fundraising objectives, including:

  • Fundraising Audits – Measure the capacity of your fundraising program, taking into consideration the budget size and staff resources of your nonprofit. An audit helps your organization address challenges head-on to set the course for future fundraising success.
  • Feasibility Studies – Evaluate the likelihood of campaign success, identify best strategies, and spark interest with donors and potential volunteers.
  • Fundraising Plan Development – Develop a comprehensive fundraising plan to bring focus to your programs, identify priorities and prevent pitfalls.
  • Campaign Planning and Implementation – An organized and strategic approach to campaign preparation and a step-by-step process for moving effectively through all phases of campaign fundraising.
  • Training – Professional training on a variety of fundraising topics.
  • Coaching – Working with CEOs, executive directors, board members and fundraising staff, coaching to build confidence, reduce anxiety, grow as a leader and raise more money!
  • Board Development – Comprehensive board training on fundraising.
  • Speaking – With customized topics, attendees leave inspired and armed with practical fundraising strategies to put to work immediately.

Maureen Mahoney Hill, CFRE, Principal
maureen@advancementadvisorsgroup.com
412-780-4708
https://advancementadvisorsgroup.com/ 

Bonner Consulting

Bonner Consulting is a Pittsburgh based nonprofit consulting firm whose clients include regional nonprofits, foundations, associations, and public/government entities.

Consulting: 

  • PLANNING & STRATEGY: Guiding the creation of Strategic, Sustainability, Implementation, and Project plans.
  • ASSESSMENTS: Conducting Organizational, Perception, and Needs Assessments.

Coaching, Training, & Capacity Building:

  • DEVELOPING LEADERS: Identifying and developing nonprofit leaders and managers. Guiding smooth leadership transitions.
  • STRENGTHENING YOUR TEAM: Working with nonprofit teams to strengthen cohesion, improve engagement, and create healthier organizations.
  • BUILDING YOUR BOARD: Assessing, Developing, and engaging your Boards.
  • CHANGE, CULTURE & INNOVATION: Using our understanding of nonprofits and team dynamics, and deep understanding of the challenges of cultural and individual change, to help nonprofits build agile and sustainable organizations

Facilitation:

  • FACILITATING COMPLEX CONVERSATIONS: Guiding groups through their agendas, ensuring active participation, and working through challenging topics.
  • EXPLORING COLLABORATIONS & ALLIANCES: Facilitating exploration and providing an objective process to create agreements for coalitions, alliances, and partnerships.

Leslie Bonner
Leslie@bonner-consulting.com
412-427-7033
https://www.bonner-consulting.com

Colleen Paulson

Colleen Paulson is a Career Consultant and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) based in Pittsburgh. Colleen has worked in leadership roles for 2 Fortune 50 companies (Procter & Gamble and FedEx) and has served a wide range of corporate clients including The Motley Fool and Investopedia. She has written and reviewed thousands of resumes during her work as a resume writer and MBA Admissions Consultant for Carnegie Mellon University. She has also served as Board Connection Director for the mid-market networking organization CEO Connection, connecting C-Suite leaders with potential board opportunities.

Services offered include:

  • Executive resumes: Your executive resume will be in-line with current industry best practices for format and readability.
  • LinkedIn profile upgrades: Our goal will be to create a LinkedIn profile that attracts attention – we want leadership roles and board positions to find you through a strong LinkedIn profile.
  • Executive bios: Your 1-page executive bio will be tailored for the board roles that you are targeting. I have various formats that I use based on your background and preferences.
  • Cover letters: Your cover letter will be concise and to the point – highlighting your strongest career wins!

Colleen Paulson, MBA, CPRW
colleen@colleenpaulsonmba.com
724-759-1130
https://www.colleenpaulsonmba.com/

Kate Sphar Consulting

Kate Sphar Consulting works with organizations of all disciplines, including human services, arts and culture, community development, education, and environment, as well as with foundations and philanthropies. Areas of specialty include business and strategic planning, organizational business modeling, capitalization and financial planning, mergers and alliances, and building collaborative models.

Principal Kate Sphar is a consultant and financial strategist with over 25 years of experience in nonprofit consulting, nonprofit management, and foundation grantmaking. Kate’s work focuses on helping organizations develop strong, resilient, and sustainable businesses models. She has designed and taught courses and workshops in social enterprise, business planning, financial health and management and nonprofit collaborations for numerous institutions in Pittsburgh and beyond.

Kate also has a deep understanding of philanthropy and regional capacity building from her recent tenure as Assistant Director for the McCune Foundation, a limited-life foundation in Pittsburgh. She played a critical role in developing McCune’s sunset grantmaking strategy and was a program officer to over 100 nonprofit partners in arts and culture, human services, education, environment, and community development.

Services offered:

  • Capitalization & Strategic Financial Planning: Working with organizations to assess their current financial health and develop plans for their business model and balance sheet with the aim of becoming more financially sustainable and resilient.
  • Organizational Business Modeling: Using strategically designed and customized financial tools to help organizations identify strengths and areas in need of further development to achieve their financial goals.
  • Feasibility Studies & Business Planning: Helping organizations understand the impact of new programs, services and initiatives through developing a thorough understanding of market demand, resource requirements and financial impact.
  • Strategic Planning: Guiding leadership staff and board members through each step of creating and implementing plans that help them match money with mission.
  • Mergers and Collaborative Models: Assessing opportunities for collaboration and restructuring through partnerships, alliances, or mergers to build capacity and share services.

Kate Sphar
kate@spharconsulting.com
412-443-0411
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-sphar-2595661/