A panel of award winning nonprofit leaders and experienced consultants, combined with an audience full of consultants and organization staff, made “The Consultant’s Role in Nonprofit Excellence” a tremendous success. Organized in conjunction with NPCC (Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York), this was the first event in our year-long series exploring the role of cunsultants in the nonprofit sector.
Held at Baruch College, the lively conversation examined a range of topics including:
How can nonprofits and consultants work together towards excellence?
What role should consultants play in improving operations and management practices?
What are the keys to a good organization/consultant relationship?
Panelists were:
[su_accordion] [su_spoiler title=”Richard Souto, Chief Operating Officer, Harlem RBI (2008 and 2012 Winner of The New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards)”]Richard Souto is the Chief Operating Officer of Harlem RBI, and oversees Harlem RBI’s operations and infrastructure departments. Richard was previously Executive Director of New Heights Youth, a nonprofit organization that offers year-round educational and sports programs to young people in New York City. Prior to New Heights, Richard spent five years as the Associate Executive Director of Groundwork, Inc., a community-based nonprofit providing youth and family services in East New York, Brooklyn. Richard has also worked in corporate development in multiple industries, including healthcare, manufacturing and information technology. Richard has been involved with several nonprofit organizations as a volunteer and board member and has been an Adjunct Professor at the Milano Graduate School for Management and Urban Policy of the New School University and frequent speaker on various aspects of nonprofit management. Richard has a B.S. from Boston University, an MBA from Baruch College of the City of New York, and completed the Columbia University Institute for Non Profit Management Executive Level Program.[/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title=”Amanda Kraus, Executive Director & Founder, Row New York (2014 Winner of The New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards)”]Amanda Kraus is the Executive Director and Founder of Row New York. She has extensive experience working with diverse groups of young people both through sports and academics in schools and educational non-profits.She is a recipient of numerous awards including: 2012 Community Leadership Award winner by President Obama’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition (2012), US Rowing’s Anita DeFrantz Award (2011), US Rowing’s John J. Carlin Service Award (2008), and NYU Partnership Award for serving girls and women with disabilities.
Amanda has an MA in Education from Harvard and a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she was captain of the women’s crew team, a member of the DII National Championship boat, and a member of the Commonwealth Honors College.
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[su_spoiler title=”Frank Abdale, Founder & Chief Consultant, Abdale Consulting, and Co-Chair of the Association of Nonprofit Specialists“]Frank Abdale has twenty years of experience as an executive and consultant with nonprofit organizations and philanthropic institutions. He is the founder and chief consultant of Abdale Consulting, whose mission is to help dynamic leaders realize their vision. He and his team work in many disciplines – strategic planning, business planning, executive coaching, resource development, board development, advocacy, communications, conference planning, meeting design and facilitation – because every vision requires a unique strategy for success. Some current and recent clients include Support Center | Partnership in Philanthropy, MAC AIDS Fund, National Liberty Museum, Bill’s Kitchen Puerto Rico, SAGE, United Way New York City, Partnership for a Healthier New York City, Take Care New York, The Art Students League and Goddard Riverside Community Center.
As Executive Director of the Association of Nutrition Services Agencies, Frank transformed a small association into a nationally recognized force. He expanded and diversified the agency’s funding base, built an effective national and grassroots advocacy program, wrote legislation introduced in the House and Senate and launched an international AIDS nutrition program in South Africa and Namibia. His publications include “Practical Abundance: A Comprehensive Guide to Fundraising and Development for Nonprofits” which he used as the text for “Fundraising Concepts and Practices” a course he taught at NYU’s School of Continuing Education and Professional Studies. Frank is a Senior Associate Consultant at the Support Center | Partnership in Philanthropy and a BoardSource Certified Governance Trainer. He is Co-Chair of Association of Nonprofit Specialists, where he developed the “Nonprofit Consultants Institute” and Vice-President of the board of Long Island Crisis Center/Pride for Youth.
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Moderator:
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[su_spoiler title=”Stephanie Thomas, Founder, Stetwin Consulting, and Member of the Nonprofit Excellence Awards Selection Committee“]Stephanie Thomas has over twenty years of professional fundraising experience. Her firm, Stetwin Consulting, specializes in fundraising and event strategy for non-profit organizations. In 2014, the events coordinated by the firm generated an aggregate of over $15 million. Before opening Stetwin, Stephanie served as President of Susan Ulin Associates from 2008 until 2013. She served the company in a variety of other roles prior to 2008, including her first position as intern in 1995.
Prior to Susan Ulin Associates, Stephanie served as Coordinator, Institutional Giving for the American Red Cross in Greater New York and as Prospect Researcher for the United Negro College Fund’s Campaign 2000. She received her master’s degree in nonprofit management from New School University and her bachelor’s degree from New York University. She is the Immediate Past President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, New York City board and current Chair of the Nominating Committee. She served as a member of the 2013 and 2014 Nonprofit Excellence Awards Selection Committee and is a former board member of Women in Development, New York.
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Join us on June 19th for the next event in “The Consultant’s Role in…” series:
The Consultant’s Role in Supporting Foundation Outcomes
