Ascent Solutions Launches Advisory Council for Nonprofits

Nonprofit Guidance & Expertise to Achieve the Mission

Ascent Solutions is excited to announce the creation of the Ascent Advisory Council for Nonprofits! The esteemed council is composed of nonprofit executives with decades of leadership and operational expertise within the sector. The council serves as a guiding force for change, in an industry that is at an inflection point for making a greater impact within the communities they serve.

Drivers for the Inflection Point within the Sector

The nonprofit revenue model has changed significantly over the last decade. Donors and investors no longer write checks for causes and hope all goes well, they want to be more hands on and see data that shows the impact of their investments. Further, while giving went up during the pandemic, it has trended downward over the last few years, putting additional pressure on nonprofits to achieve their missions with less working capital and more oversight.

Herein lies the opportunity for nonprofit leaders — to rethink and reshape — business models that are in a dramatic state of flux. The “tried and true” approach used for decades is facing a challenging new landscape. The Ascent advisory council helps fill gaps within an organizational toolkit by providing strategic guidance and insights for:

• Leaders and Program Staff
• Donors, Investors, and Regulators
• Operations, Technology, and Financials

Advisory Council Goals (Our Mission to You)

The Ascent advisory council’s primary goal is to ensure more nonprofit organizations achieve their missions. There are many new levers leaders can utilize, from rethinking hiring, financial, and operational models, to adopting new technologies that help stakeholders “do more with less”. The council will provide monthly content on the Ascent Solutions blog, which will serve as a tool for new ways of thinking about how to overcome obstacles.

Lastly, the Ascent Advisory Council for Nonprofits are not paid consultants by Ascent Solutions, they provide pro bono content on our blog to ensure more nonprofits are successful. Organizations are encouraged to engage with council members directly on paid consulting services at their own discretion.

Meet the Ascent Advisory Council for Nonprofits

Without further ado, let’s meet the Ascent Advisory Council for Nonprofits! The team is a collection of sector leaders with deep management, fundraising, and operational expertise.

Council Members

• Sarah Watson is an innovative leader with over a decade of hands-on operational experience at nonprofits in the United Kingdom. Sarah is currently the interim Finance Director at Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity following a number of years with Make-A-Wish Foundation UK as their Director of Finance & Technology. Her expertise brings together finance, people, technology, data & analytics, digital products and governance. Alongside her executive roles, Sarah has served as the Independent Finance Trustee for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), as Trustee for Medical Aid Films, and a mentor for the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. She also supports Dreams Come True as a volunteer. Learn more about Sarah.
• Jason Bailey is a technology executive with decades of experience leading US-based nonprofit and for profit organizations. As Chief Technology Officer of Bosma Enterprises, Jason provides vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology initiatives that align with the mission of Bosma — finding ways technology can improve the lives of blind or visually impaired employees. Learn more about Jason.
• Bruce Skyer has been a leader in the nonprofit sector for twenty years. He has served as CEO, COO, CFO, and Board member for nonprofits ranging in size from under $1 million to over $50 million. The common element in Bruce’s work is his success in strengthening an organization’s operations, finances, and administrative practices in order to more effectively serve their clients and fulfill their mission. Learn more about Bruce.

Achieve Nonprofit Success on Salesforce

To support this effort, Ascent Solutions has launched new nonprofit resources that are available on our website. Make sure to visit our Nonprofit Sector page, Advisory Council for Nonprofits page, and our blog for content from the council. Our first article will be published on Tuesday August 20th from Bruce Skyer.