City by the Sea Consulting (CBSC) is a consulting service devoted to serving nonprofits who need support with Board organization, governance structure, organizational development, executive coaching, visioning, and interactions between the staff side and the Board side.
When budgeting funds, many nonprofits prioritize their cause, their “boots on the ground,” which can make allocation to areas like board development, seem challenging. It might feel indulgent to invest when those funds could directly serve the organization's mission.
Often, Board members are volunteers, and while they bring a passion for the organization and its mission, they have little experience in the complex responsibilities of a nonprofit board.
Ignoring the education and guidance of the board is akin to deferring maintenance in a building; it may lead to structural weaknesses, ineffective operations, and eventually a diminished capacity to fulfill the organization’s mission effectively.
CBSC, brings decades of experience of working with and growing boards, and provides the tools and support to your Board ,helping it link the health of the Board to the health of the organization.
Meet Whitney
Whitney Slade is a nonprofit leader who has extensive experience in leading nonprofits and participating on nonprofit Boards. For twenty-five years Whitney led independent schools (non-profit status), and has been on the Martin Luther King Jr., Community Center Board of Directors in Newport, RI for over ten years, including serving as Board Chair. Recently, he joined another community nonprofit Board in Newport, the Newport Middle Passage Marker Project.
In the school space, Whitney worked with a variety of Boards, established, and ones in their infancy. He understands how the Board functions is essential to the functioning of the organization. The relationship between the leader and the Board is a delicate balance and each side needs to understand their roles in order to function effectively.
While at the Martin Luther King Center in Newport, RI, he served as a committee member, committee chair, and two stints as Board Chair. During his time on the Board, Whitney worked to support the Center's reorganization, growth and expansion, and a capital campaign that established an endowment and a transformative renovation.
Mission & Values
CBSC’s mission is to provide professional and affordable services to ensure the success of social service nonprofits and help them meet their mission and serve their clients.
Traditional consulting can be expensive and thus unaffordable for young or new organizations. CBSC is designed to disrupt that rubric. Our experience allows us to engage on a personal level that hones in on the exact needs of the organization at the exact time and space that moves the organization forward. We believe in working with organizations in a flexible manner, impressing upon them the need for a strong culture and a laser focus on fulfilling their mission.
City by the Sea Consulting is a sole proprietor consulting firm established in January of 2024. Its focus is on supporting start up nonprofits in areas that are typically consigned to paid administration.
Get in Touch.
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