Celebrating Kienker Consulting's Five Year Anniversary!
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, just over 50% of small businesses survive their first five years. When I first heard this statistic several years ago, I became (oddly) determined to celebrate this milestone for Kienker Consulting.
Today, I am incredibly proud to announce the five year anniversary of Kienker Consulting LLC! With COVID continuing to impact in-person gatherings, I cancelled our much anticipated anniversary cake and small party to celebrate the business' achievements. However, I'm excited to invite you to have a virtual piece of cake, as it means that so many colleagues, partners, and friends from around the world are now able to celebrate with us!
In honor of the occasion, I developed a top ten list of highlights from the last five years. Enjoy!
Launching Kienker Consulting LLC in March of 2016: With the encouragement of the business' very first client, James and I dared to create our own LLC designed to serve the nonprofit community in Michigan and nationally. We honestly had no idea what it would become, but we had great hopes for its success.
Working and partnering with nonprofits and organizations nationally: Even though we started the business locally, we quickly discovered that our connections in other states led to new clients and opportunities. This continues to be the case, as the firm serves clients in multiple states and takes part in national convenings and partnerships on a regular basis.
Joining the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG): With the encouragement of fellow consultants and colleagues, I joined the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers in 2018. This was my first opportunity to meet other consultants doing similar work nationally and it opened doors to a number of professional development programs and other connections that have served me well in the years since.
Writing blog posts and resources for the field: While I wrote blog posts prior to starting my own business, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to work with the Johnson Center (GVSU), the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP), the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF), and other nationally-reaching philanthropic organizations to develop blogs and other resources for the field. I have found writing to be an essential creative and thought-provoking outlet for my work and a great way to connect with others in the sector. In the coming months, I look forward to sharing some of the new resource material that I've been developing for grantmakers and philanthropy serving organizations!
Creating the Kienker Consulting website: After several years of doing business, the creation of the Kienker Consulting website gave the firm a virtual home. It has become one of my go-to tools for sharing work with colleagues and clients, as it provides an easy way to post new resources and updates on the work being done by the firm. I highly recommend taking a look at it. :)
Midwest Grantmaker Salary Survey Report: For the past few years, I've been a part of a talented, yet tiny, team of people responsible for creating the Midwest Grantmaker Salary, Benefits, and Demographics Report and the Indiana Grantmaker Salary, Benefits, and Demographics Report. These reports provide a valuable service to the field and it is always a pleasure to partner with the Council of Michigan Foundations and the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance to produce them each year!
The Council of Michigan Foundations' COVID-19 Resource Central: Before 2020, most of my work for CMF and other clients has been almost entirely behind the scenes. The events of 2020 brought that work to the forefront, as I spent the early part of 2020 developing the FAQs that would become a central piece of CMF's COVID-19 Resource Central webpage. I'm incredibly proud of this work and its impact on the field. In the months since, I've received recognition from NNCG and other national organizations for these efforts. I look forward to the day when these resources will no longer be needed, even as the field continues to learn from the momentous experiences of the past year.
Trustee Workshop FAQ Panel: While I have participated in numerous conferences and webinars, one of my favorite sessions to plan was a panel for CMF's most recent Annual Conference focused on answering questions about board governance. Over the past several years, I had met colleagues at BoardSource and Exponent Philanthropy who also served in technical assistance roles and we were hoping for a great opportunity to collaborate. With the shift to virtual, the Annual Conference Trustee Workshop was the perfect chance to work together! All three of us had a great time learning from one another during the planning meetings, as well as sharing our insights with attendees.
ARNOVA Panel: In choosing a career in consulting, rather than academia, I never imagined myself returning to ARNOVA any time soon. However, the impact of COVID-19 on the academic environment led to the creation of an ingenious panel designed for graduating Ph.D. students and recent graduates on non-academic careers. Honestly, I wish something like this had existed when I attended ARNOVA as a grad student! I met some incredible people on the panel and we were able to share our varied professional experiences with students. Thanks to fellow alumni and colleagues at Indiana University for nominating me for this panel!
Council of Michigan Foundations/Johnson Center Payout Study Series: If we have communicated in the last several months, then you have probably heard me talking about the "Payout Study." This enormous undertaking continues the Council of Michigan Foundations' long-time effort to understand the payout rates of private foundations. This study is now conducted in partnership with the Johnson Center and has expanded to include data on the payout rates of private foundations, community foundations, and donor advised funds. It has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of this small, but mighty, project team and see the impact of this research on the field.
Here is to future years of amazing clients, incredible projects, and phenomenal partners in philanthropy!