Great question! In fact, more often than not, the people who come to us don’t know exactly what they are looking for; but they do know that they want to take their nonprofit organization to a new height.
The fact you are here reading our website implies you have questions about some aspect of your nonprofit organization. Start there and let us help unlock your organization’s potential. You can use the quick assessment tools on our website or simply call us for a free two hour consultation.
Beyond reading the testimonials on the website, you can review our publications and case stories… or call us to talk about our services.
Dennis C. Miller Associates (DCM) is a strategic advisory firm that provides a broad range of services to the nonprofit community including all aspects of:
- Governance
- Leadership Development
- Strategic Planning
- Philanthropic Success
We begin by having a thorough discussion with you to gain a broad understanding of your organizational needs and provide a written proposal outlining our scope and approach and deliverables. In most cases, we begin our engagement with an organizational assessment to learn more about your organizations strengths, achievements as well as identify any areas of improvement that may be needed. Our study methodology is based on a series of confidential interviews with Board and staff members, as well as a detailed review of information such as: the organization’s By-laws, organization chart, Board agendas and minutes, written staff and Board job descriptions, strategic plan, fundraising plan and results for three years, Board Committee structure, nomination process, performance review process, leadership succession plans, and other relevant materials.
The collected information is used to develop a full understanding of your nonprofit organization, compare what we learn to best practices, and prepare a written report with specific recommendations to improve its ongoing success. The draft results are shared with the CEO and Board President before it is finalized for distribution to other Board and/or staff members so that action plans can be put in place.
Yes, we can focus solely on improving your organization’s fundraising potential; however, we rarely find that fundraising can be improved without also addressing the functioning of the Board and/or the strength of the organization’s strategic plans.
Successful fundraising involves the integration of a highly engaged and motivated board, a strategic vision and plan that inspires key stakeholders, and a well-coordinated development effort. Many nonprofit board members and development officers know “what” to do, but not “how” to do get it done! Implementation is what sets success apart from failure in the nonprofit business world. Our clients learn the necessary skills that enable the board and staff to gain the confidence needed to achieve the level of fundraising success.
As with any advisory firm, our rates are based on the depth and breadth of the work to be done. However, our low corporate overhead structure allows us to price our services at very competitive rates. To make the project more affordable, we often work under a multi-period retainer. The specific cost to your organization will be finalized before the engagement begins.
We often find that nonprofit organizations produce phenomenal results with limited resources… and, yet they have the potential to reach even greater heights, when all Board and Staff members share a strong commitment to the same vision and aligned goals. A well-defined strategic plan can help motivate everyone in a manner that creates much more energy than used to develop it. We will help you structure and implement a planning process that engages key players without placing unrewarded strain on the organization.
“Regardless of the reasons behind the failure to talk about succession planning, the cold truth is that no one lasts forever…” -- from “Succession Planning: The Elephant in the Room” by Hildy Gottlieb. The truth is that many nonprofit organizations find succession planning a difficult conversation to begin. Yet, countless organizations will soon face the (planned or sudden) departure of their CEO. “Daring to Lead 2006”, a publication of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and the Meyer Foundation, surveyed 1,900 nonprofit leaders and found that 75% planned to leave their position within five years!
At its core, succession planning is a process of assessing and enhancing the leadership skills and “bench strength” of an organization… thereby improving the sustainability of that organization. We can help you to develop a succession plan that:
- Provides for sound risk management in the event of a sudden departure
- Enhances the organization’s leadership development process
- Energizes (and reassures) the Board and Staff
- Lays the foundation for other strategic planning efforts.
- What makes Dennis C. Miller Associates unique among consulting groups?
Dennis C. Miller Associates is unique due to the level of expertise, experience and success our President & CEO as well as each of our associates have had in the nonprofit sector that we bring to addressing your issues. Our leadership team has over 100 years of collective professional experience in the nonprofit sector in a variety of key nonprofit roles such as: chairperson of the board, board and committee members, capital campaign chair, chief executive officer, foundation president, and director of development. Our ability to help a nonprofit organization through its successful implementation of recommendations often sets us apart from other consulting firms based on our real world practical experience.
Our mission is to help our clients become more successful in pursuing their vision and achieving their goals. We listen intently as we develop a broad understanding of the organization’s governance, strategic planning, fundraising, leadership, and operational processes before creating specific suggestions. In addition, we assist our clients implement those recommendations to aid the organization’s near-term and ongoing success.
