Resources

In my search for the right nonprofit for board service, Marta Ferro guided me in identifying my passion, alerted me to amazing nonprofits in the space in which I wanted to serve, pitched me to the board chair with all of the grace and intelligence for which she is known, and ultimately set me on a glide path to a seat on the board where I most wanted to serve.  Marta and Starfish are shamans of the philanthropic world – connected, respected, and genuine forces of good.  I would not be where I am without them.

Marta connected me with one of the most challenging and fulfilling experiences of my life when she recruited me to be part of the board at the Center for Biological Diversity. In 2010, the organization was looking for a Board Treasurer with nonprofit experience as well as accounting qualifications.  Marta is aware of my commitment to the animal rights/animal advocacy movements and thought that my interests, plus my accounting qualifications, might make me a good fit for the CBD.  I interviewed with the organization that spring, was invited on to their Board, and have been working with them ever since.

Marta changed my life for the better by understanding my philanthropic goals and introducing me to an organization that was the ideal fit for me.  I wanted to get involved with improving public education in the inner city and didn’t know how to go about it.  Marta introduced me to KIPP LA Prep, a charter school in East Los Angeles.  She helped me get involved and eventually join the board.  Shortly after joining the board, we expanded our goals to impact public education in Los Angeles and formed a regional KIPP Los Angeles board where I was one of four founding members.  Our board and team has raised millions of dollars in private donations and now we have 11 schools serving over 4,000 students, including the best performing public elementary school in Los Angeles.  I am proud to say that we are widely recognized as being the top performing charter organization.  While I cannot take credit for the amazing achievements made by KIPP, Marta can certainly take credit for helping me find a meaningful way to give back which has had a positive impact on my life.

We hired Starfish Impact to create an intensive board self-evaluation process with our organization including creating a customized, in-depth evaluation survey along with a one-on-one interview protocol, all while coaching the board chair and leadership on managing an ongoing program.  We wanted to create an intentional, inclusive experience for our board, allowing members to have a voice through multiple channels.  The results were extremely helpful in codifying this type of exercise, our board culture, strengthening our board’s leadership and ensuring we meet our organization’s goals.