Agencies in need of consulting get boost

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The Executive Service Corps of New Hampshire, a volunteer project that matches experienced executives and business consultants with nonprofit agencies, has received a $5,000 grant from the Ann DeNicola Trust to underwrite affordable consulting services for nonprofits in Greater Nashua.

That’s good news for area nonprofit agencies, which frequently benefit from implementing private-sector business practices, or improving those they are using.

“We have high-impact people doing this,” said Michael Daily, executive director of ESC of New Hampshire.

Daily said the organization is made up of retired executives, but also includes some who are still working. The business leaders donate their time to the ESC, which in turn provides the services to area nonprofits at greatly reduced costs. A social service agency with annual revenue of $750,000, for example, might be charged $2,000 in consulting fees for strategic planning, a service that might require several weeks of work.

At least one Nashua organization has already benefited from these services.

Bill Ross, president of the Nashua Historical Society, said ESC helped the group with infrastructure and organizational issues.

Ross said his organization was matched with a retired executive who had previously served as president of a Massachusetts historical society and met monthly for almost a year with the city group.

“He and his colleague were well-received,” said Ross, adding that since meeting its goals, the historical society is ready to begin a second phase of improvements based on further consulting.

“We found it really was important to have someone who had a corporate background and a museum background,” Ross said.

Daily, the ESC executive director, said his group was organized four years ago as Executive Service Corps of Northern New England, part of the ESC of New England, based in Boston. In January, it was reconfigured as ESC of New Hampshire.

Currently, there are 22 members in the New Hampshire group providing volunteer services in the state and in southern Maine. Services include board development, financial management, strategic planning, and public relations.

During its four years of operation in the state, the group has assisted about 30 nonprofit agencies.

Daily said the organization was started in the 1970s in Indiana and came to Boston in 1982.

“We have a huge resource of retired (executives) we’re putting to work,” he said.

In addition to the $5,000 grant announced last week, the ESC of New Hampshire has received a $20,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, a $4,940 grant from the Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation, and a $25,000 grant from an anonymous foundation.

For more information about the Executive Service Corps of New Hampshire’s consulting services or volunteer opportunities, go to www.escne.org or call Michael Daily at 362-9300.