We were lucky to catch up with Aileen Gabbey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Aileen, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

Although not a CPA, I’ve had some requests from nonprofits to help them set up a budget creation process that it is given time, thought, and strategy. The focus of my facilitation business is on setting up Board governance procedures that will ensure a solid foundation for all of its other work. For this particular client, we spent time together planning in advance of a Board retreat devoted to the topic of finances. Together, we walked through roles and processes including Treasurer, Finance Committee, Staff, and full Board. In addition to discussing important financial reports and cash management, we focused mainly on the creation of the annual budget. Often, nonprofits rush to prepare a budget that is seen by the full Board just once before approval. I encouraged the team to give the process room to ‘breathe’ so that it benefited from input and questions. With a calendar recommended for the process, the client used this road map to navigate creating the budget through Staff, Finance Committee, Executive Committee, and several opportunities for the Board to weigh in. Budget planning is not exciting or flashy, but, the Board felt much more comfortable with its crucial role of fiduciary responsibility. I was very happy to hear back from the Executive Director, Treasurer, and Board President after they approved their annual budget using these steps. They were genuinely excited about it! And, they continue the discipline of the process today.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Like many people, I found myself in a field – nonprofit leadership – I hadn’t expected. After my first career as a graphic designer, I felt drawn to volunteering for nonprofits to have meaning in my life other than work. I happily joined an organization as staff, eventually becoming the Executive Director of The Maryland SPCA and, upon moving South, leading Susan G. Komen Coastal Georgia. After leading these nonprofits as an ED, and others as Board Chair, I decided post-pandemic to offer facilitation to nonprofits with a focus on Board governance. I feel strongly that, if the Board is healthy, the sky is the limit with what an organization can achieve. Since starting this venture just over a year ago, I have learned a lot about entrepreneurship, and definitely still learn from my peers every day. I worried that my particular focus of Board governance wouldn’t necessarily resonate with groups. I expected being asked to write grants or plan special events. I have been pleasantly surprised that organizations are valuing building a foundation for strong Boards. To date, this work has included: Board retreats, exercises on Board fundraising, strategic planning, creating key messages, creating mission/vision, developing committee structure/functioning, building Boards through recruiting/cultivation processes, even budget planning. Volunteering is still very important to me, so I continue to volunteer in the community. This includes pro bono presentations through SCORE and the United Way of the Coastal Empire on such topics as: Building Boards; the Board Chair and Executive Director Partnership; Strategic Planning; the Board’s Role in Fundraising; and Donor Communications. It is incredibly rewarding to work with people who are so committed to helping their communities. I enjoy it every day!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Coming from a background as Executive Director of nonprofits, building and maintaining relationships was at the heart of everything I did. This included donors, volunteers, media, legislators, and all of the key constituents you would expect. I truly loved getting to know people who supported our causes. To this day, after leaving my organizations, I remain in touch and regularly check in. I never wanted anyone to think I spent time with them only for their money. I have channeled this process into working with my clients. I continue to reach out to make sure the processes are still working well and moving forward for them. I cultivate working relationships by checking in for occasional coffees or lunches. If their organization is in the news, I will send a congratulations note (and, often save any print articles to give to them). In my role as a fundraiser with my own nonprofits, I adhered to a cultivation calendar, making sure to check in on a regular basis. I enjoy this cultivation practice very much, and, I hope it continues to keep me connected to the clients I’ve been fortunate to serve.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I initially thought that I would start a facilitation business when my husband and I first moved to Savannah several years ago. As often happens, life takes a different path. I was able to devote our first months in our new town tending to our aging and beloved dog. I happened to stumble across Susan G. Komen’s search for an Executive Director. Having just lost a dear friend to breast cancer, I decided to speak with the Board, who was young but healthy. The opportunity to lead a nonprofit in my new home community was such a gift. I got to meet and work with some amazing people, and they, then, got to know me better. Without this organization, I would not have been able to build the relationships I am fortunate to have today. I certainly have clients from outside of our Coastal Georgia area, but, I do love Savannah and getting to work with the incredibly dedicated organizations here. I’m very lucky.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aileengabbey.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileen-gabbey-75869278/

Image Credits
The personal photo credit is to John Alexander.