Our New Name - Nonprofit CFOs!
Over the past four years, I've built a consulting practice that I love, that lets me work with great nonprofits and colleagues, and to positively impact more nonprofits than I've ever done before.
But the name "Sean Hale Consulting" hasn’t felt right for a while. It doesn’t speak to the who, the what, or the impact we want to have on the world. So, we needed a new name (and logo)!
Who does the work?
The name Sean Hale Consulting doesn’t seem quite accurate anymore when we’ve grown well beyond a one-person show.
We’ve become a team of about a dozen financial management professionals. Each of them brings knowledge and experience to the table that I don’t have. So, it benefits everyone to have them in the mix because that means better results in less time for all the nonprofits we get to serve. That includes valuable expertise such as:
Six CPAs
Several professionals with experience as the CFO of organizations with budgets ranging from $1 million to over $20 million.
Two professionals with Quickbooks Pro certifications
Three with lived experience as immigrants and one with lived experience as a refugee
Lived experience as natives from five continents (we only need to add Europe and Antarctica to cover them all)
These days, most of my client interactions happen during our check-ins. While I certainly hope those check ins provide value (through brainstorming, impromptu problem solving, and the like), they represent a very small fraction of the total work.
So, we needed a name that doesn’t give the impression that it’s all about me.
What do we do?
The old name gives only a vague notion of what we do: consulting.
Consulting can mean just about any sort of service these days.
I wanted us to have a name that paints a clear picture.
Of course, we can’t paint a perfect picture. Can you imagine? We would have a name about a mile long, like this:
Experienced, Resourceful Financial Professionals with Big Hearts who Provide Services Including Fractional CFO, Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement Calculations, Interim Financial Management, Special Projects, and More for Small and Mid-Sized Nonprofits.
No way.
It has to be succinct. Otherwise, nobody will remember it and it won’t fit on a business card.
But still, it must paint a clear picture.
The Impact We Want to Have on the World
I also wanted us to have a name that speaks to the impact we want to have on the world.
We work exclusively with small and mid-sized nonprofits because when they have robust financial management, they can change the world.
We get to serve a variety of great missions. Last year that included:
Nine nonprofits working with youths
Four working on domestic violence and sexual assault
Three working on environmental causes
Three working on health
And more!
We even have a new logo to help highlight at least one of our values: heart. That’s because the work we do represents more than just crunching numbers or getting a paycheck. It’s even bigger than setting great organizations up to multiply their impact.
Heart speaks to how we aspire to interact with the people we serve. Some financial professionals come off as cold, heartless robots. We want the opposite effect.
We aim to treat everyone with dignity, respect, and in a way that honors the missions they’ve dedicated their lives to serving. Sometimes that means we bring a little extra patience or kindness. It definitely means that we meet our clients where they are, speak to them in plain English, and help them engage in the numbers without fear or shame.
A Name We Feel Proud Of
I also wanted the team and clients to have a name they can feel proud of when they talk to their friends, families, and coworkers. My parents gave me a great name, and as far as I know people feel fine saying “Sean Hale,” but it’s just not the same as an organizational name that says, “I do cool work that’s making the world the better place.”
Do you know what I mean?
Our New Name: Nonprofit CFOs
All of that led us our new name: Nonprofit CFOs.
No one name can check all the boxes, but this one comes pretty close.
Who does the work? CFOs (plus other financial management professionals).
What do we do? The stuff that CFOs do plus the other financial management services we’ve provided in the past.
A name we can feel proud of? I’m proud of it. I feel two inches taller just saying it. I certainly hope you like it too!
What impact do we want to have? We want to:
Leave the world a better place, so we work with nonprofits creating positive change in their communities and beyond.
Leave nonprofits stronger than how we found them. Whether we assist through a challenge with interim staffing or help them get from good to great with a Fractional CFO, we want our legacy to be a stronger nonprofit sector.
Do we still provide other services besides Fractional CFO?
Yes! Absolutely!
You can count on us to continue providing interim financial management support, Indirect Cost Rate calculations, special projects, and more.
Thank you to Everyone!
Of course, this name and rebranding process didn’t just pop into existence by itself. Friends, colleagues, team members, and clients contributed valuable feedback during the process. Their input helped us narrow down the options to something that we expect will really resonate with people.
What do you think?