Today we’d like to introduce you to Denise Lawrence.
Denise, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started my career as a newspaper reporter for The Washington Times in 1986. While this was a great opportunity, the pay was awful and I couldn’t live on that income alone. I covered crime, including the prison system. I was working on an article about the causes and circumstances that lead to crime and interviewed a woman who ran a drug and mental health treatment program. She needed a grant writer and she thought it would be an easy transition for me. It was, and I started grant writing as a consultant in January 1987 for that nonprofit.
My consulting work evolved into other areas of fundraising and then strategic planning for 15 years before deciding to leave reporting and editing to focus full time as a non-profit development professional. I started Charity Consultants in 2008 after watching so many nonprofits close their doors from the recession and economic downturn. I decided to focus my consulting company on helping nonprofits become profitable and sustainable. I help them to create revenue streams in addition to donations so they can create reserve funds and cash flow to withstand downturns in the economy. Here we are 10 years later, fighting the good fight.
Today, I’m focused on delivering our Executive Nonprofit Coaching program as a more personal way for my consulting firm to continue our Mantra that Nonprofits Must Be Profitable. If I can help change the leadership of organizations, I can help change the organizations and ultimately better meet the needs of our communities.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, the road has been very rocky. First, I chose to target nonprofits that are struggling to survive and be successful. While this meets my need to be a servant leader, it isn’t the most profitable business model. I’ve had to make tough decisions about who I can help so I can scale my business to be profitable.
As I now seriously prepare for retirement over the next ten years, I have to ensure I’m charging fees based on my worth and 31 years of experience. This was not always the case and I often gave away my services because I was drawn to the good causes and amazing people who passionately ran those organizations. It really did a disservice to my team and their ability to grow.
Today, I’ve learned that I can charge consulting fees that support the amount of work involved and the expertise my firm provides and help passionate people become better nonprofit leaders.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Charity Consultants, Inc. – what should we know?
We help nonprofits build profitable and sustainable business models through diverse revenue streams that include traditional fundraising and non-traditional income. So many consulting firms serving nonprofits focus only on traditional fundraising. We bring both sides of the spectrum to the work we do.
My company offers services that directly work with the executives of nonprofits to help them become better leaders. A major emphasis is on nonprofit executive coaching – online group coaching and one-on-one coaching is being offered.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Continue to focus on finding the right clients – those who aspire to be better leaders and recognize and commit to investing in their success. The nonprofit ideal that suggests nonprofits are and should be poor is a challenge I am committed to re-directing.
Nonprofits should have the resources needed to be impactful in the communities they serve, ability to pay its employee’s salaries that are commensurate with their experience, and pay their bills.
Pricing:
- Nonprofit Executive Group Coaching is only $1,095
Contact Info:
- Address: 100 Hurricane Shoals Road Suite H
Lawrenceville, GA 30046 - Website: www.charityconsultantsinc.com
- Phone: 678-368-1392
- Email: denise@charityconsultantsinc.com
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
