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Your mission matters more than ever, but leading your organization shouldn't feel this overwhelming

As a senior nonprofit leader, you know how hard it is to translate your vision into sustainable impact. Between funding pressures, Board dynamics, staff turnover, and constant demand to do more with less, you find yourself struggling. 

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If I were to guess, you don't have the right support, your processes may not be useful, and your employees aren't as productive as they could be. What you need are the systems, team coordination, and strategic clarity that can match your mission's ambition. I can help you.

When your strategy and teams are misaligned, there is a significant financial cost

  • 95% of organizational leaders express concern about burnout (Center for Effective Philanthropy) and 36% of organizations ended 2024 with operating deficits (Nonprofit Finance Fund). The sector is facing its greatest sustainability crisis in decades.
     

  • When talented team members are disengaged, they can drain up to 34% of their annual salary in lost productivity (Gallup). Your $60,000 program manager who is feeling disconnected could be costing the organization $20,400 annually in lost productivity. 
     

  • 70% of organizational change initiatives fail to deliver expected benefits (McKinsey). This commonly occurs because the implementation lacks the proper team alignment and executive support needed to succeed. 

I partner with leaders to transform their overwhelm into momentum

After working together, my clients experience three fundamental shifts:

  • Strategic questions that felt overwhelming become clear roadmaps that align stakeholders and resources.

  • Silos dissolve as staff and board members develop collaborative approaches to shared goals.

  • Leaders gain the confidence and management skills needed to guide complex organizational dynamics.


​Your organization finally has the operational and relational foundation to match your mission's potential.

I apply a simple approach to organizational strategy

My experience has taught me that an effective organizational strategy should focus on integrating systems, leadership, and teams, ensuring that all three elements work together intentionally towards a clear goal.​ 

 

Much of my initial process is dedicated to creating shared understanding, action-based values, and internal alignment between these key pieces, so you can make quality decisions and implement strategies effectively.

I'm glad you're here

A partner who understands your journey

I'm Dan Fast, Founder and Principal of Ives Consulting, and I bring a unique perspective to nonprofit consulting: 20 years of experience working both inside mission-driven organizations and alongside Fortune 500 companies. Having served in nonprofit leadership roles at UJA-Federation of New York and NEXT, then as a senior consultant at CGI guiding enterprise-level transformations, I understand intimately both the challenges you face and the strategic approaches that can address them. My Master's in Industrial-Labor Relations and Management from Cornell University and Change Management Certification from Prosci provide my academic foundation, but my real expertise comes from walking in your shoes.

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Learn more about me by clicking below.

  • LinkedIn
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What Clients Say

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"Dan is such a joy to work with! He was thorough in understanding our needs, communicated effectively, and gave our internal team and partner organizations the structure and support we need to build capacity, despite limited resources. Everyone felt energized and had clear next steps to continue progress."

Alison Goldberg, Program Manager, Harold Grinspoon Foundation

My Core Services

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Strategy Development and
Hands-On Execution

Turn your organization's biggest strategic questions into actionable plans that create team alignment and drive measurable progress toward your most important goals.​​
 

​Recent client results include:

  • Developed a landscape analysis, historical review, and searchable catalog of 500 professional development programs for a national nonprofit through stakeholder interviews and field research, enabling the client to guide funders toward effective talent pipeline investments.
     

  • Designed and facilitated an asset mapping workshop for 30 grantees for the supporting foundation, building their understanding of capacity challenges, helping to identify underutilized resources, and generating new collaborations.
     

  • Revamped grantwriting strategy and led application development for three nonprofits through funder research, proposal writing, and submission, positioning them to access $500,000 in new funding opportunities from previously untapped sources.

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 Operations and Process Improvement

Convert scattered processes into cohesive systems that eliminate daily friction and help your team to deliver their best work through clear workflows and expectations.
 

Recent client results include:

  • Designed an improved onboarding system for a faith-based nonprofit through clear and customized training modules for both the new hire and manager, resulting in faster employee integration and increases in productivity and management conversation quality.
     

  • Developed a "leading effective staff meetings" framework for multiple nonprofits through structured processes and shared accountability, with evaluations showing marked improvement and meetings now driving action instead of draining energy.
     

  • Redesigned 10 job descriptions for a nonprofit by conducting stakeholder interviews, mapping responsibilities, and facilitating decision-making workshops, resulting in reduced interpersonal conflicts and improved performance reviews.

Leadership Development and Executive Advisor

Transform overwhelm into clarity through advisory services that helps senior leaders "get unstuck" and navigate complexity, strengthen team alignment, and hit their goals.

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Recent client results include:​

  • Led weekly executive director coaching for three faith-based nonprofits through structured sessions addressing time management, project prioritization, and challenging conversations, resulting in enhanced leadership confidence, improved productivity, and healthier outlook.
     

  • Guided a 40-member advisory council for a $50M operating foundation by co-leading focus groups and workshop series that engaged mental health and camp professionals, resulting in new  resources offered to 300 camps across North America.
     

  • Improved team dynamics for two senior leadership teams through workshops and coaching that established shared values and resolved responsibility gray areas, resulting in less team friction, clearer communications, and reduced Board escalations.

Recent Clients

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Coffee

Book a consultation with me

Click below to schedule a free 30 minute consultation. We'll discuss your situation and explore if working together would be a good fit.
 

Here's how we'll work together, starting with our first call:

  1. Assess your current challenge and overall organizational health.

  2. Share practical solutions and improvements that help you make real progress quickly.

  3. Design and provide tailored support and longer-term strategies that fits your needs and budget. 

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