KC Henry, Principal

KC Henry, principal of Transitions Unlimited and an accomplished private-sector and nonprofit executive, has more than 25 years of extensive experience in nonprofit management. KC’s commitment and expertise has also extended into her ongoing volunteer service on a wide variety of nonprofit boards. KC, through Transitions Unlimited, offers sensitive and competent consulting and a full service approach to organizational growth and sustainability.

KC’s strong skill base in organizational development and project management enables her to guide clients from concept to delivery through a broad spectrum of transitions and projects. Her success with clients is based heavily on:

Janet H. Bergman, Associate

Janet brings ten years of nonprofit and for profit writing, editing and design experience to the Transitions Unlimited team.

She works with each client to identify and develop end goals and find the most efficient and cost-effective way to reach those goals. She is thoroughly dedicated to producing a clean, creative and polished final product, whether working for you as project consultant or project manager.

Janet's specialty areas:

• Writing/editing: Funding proposals, letters, media releases, web content
• Design: Marketing materials, announcements, newsletters (mail or electronic), report
• Feasibility studies & audits: Marketing or environmental audit, internal/external scans, special research reports
• Donor Cultivation: Research and report private funding sources that match specific mission, project or needs
• Grant process management: Researching & communicating with potential donors, grant writing, follow-up & reporting

Associates

Transitions Unlimited works with a variety of experts and independent contractors on a project basis, enabling us to expand services as needed to meet client needs. The following services are a sampling of those covered by Transitions Unlimited’s professional affiliations:

• Grant writing
• Developing literature and marketing text
• Developing literature design and presentation
• Website development
• Development of financial reporting, budgeting and process
• Feasibility studies
• Implementation of annual fund drives and capital campaigns
• Administrative management – such as database development

Sampling of Clients Served:

Client Perspectives

TRAININGS and WORKSHOPS

"KC's workshop was invaluable. First, sitting in a room with 30 people pursuing a similar dream was awesome. Second, meeting successful people and hearing their stories in presentations fueled my desire to succeed. I still look back on my notes from those two days for guidance and ideas." - C. Schmidt, educational workshop

“KC is exceptionally easy to work with in developing programming and adapting workshops to the specific needs of not only our center, but to participants from every background and program size as well. Her warm, open approach sets participants at ease from the get-go. She has volumes of information that she presents in easily absorbed fashion. She continues to generously share with our participants even after the workshops are over! The attendees of our workshops truly appreciate her personal approach, knowledge, and professionalism.” - T. Morris

“[Our workshop] was very stimulating and professionally energetic. I want to especially make note of your ability to move quickly through the agenda, but also not be afraid to spend additional time with the majority when more expertise was desired. Your being able to adjust and redirect the class with anecdotes is a real talent and the mark of an excellent facilitator. I understand how you have the earned your reputation and respect in this industry!! I give the overall mark for the workshop an Excellent!” - R. Wassman

“I want to thank you for the fabulous talk you gave over the weekend on fundraising. You can’t imagine the impact you’ve had.” - J. Phillips, educational workshop

“We enjoyed your visit so much and I have already had such positive feedback from everyone involved. Your wonderful positive energy has caused all kinds of good results!” - N. Herring, board planning retreat

“You can't believe how many times I draw on the information that I have learned from you.” - D. Dehoff, educational workshop

“Thanks for the information you presented during the administrative workshop. I keep thinking about all that I learned. Even as time goes on I get more ideas and feel still more energized about the future. Thank you!” - C Ziembei, educational workshop

“KC Henry does an exceptional job from start to finish in keeping a good workshop moving along in a fun and stimulating fashion” - T Cline, educational workshop

"I have had the pleasure of working with KC Henry through the DDC Clinic for Special Needs Children. She has developed the tremendous and unique skills necessary to jump-start new nonprofit organizations. KC has assisted in the planning process and set-up of this clinic as well as with multiple other organizations. She has also participated in overall management and has helped build a team of capable people to support future growth. KC is experienced in fund raising, marketing, and coordinating special events. I have learned so much from working with KC Henry!" - E. Motylinski

STRATEGIC PLANNING and FACILITATION

“I want to thank you for being an excellent facilitator! It was an intensive planning meeting but all of us feel it was productive. I have heard other board members say how impressed they were with how you led the session and how hard everyone worked. You helped us get off square one and we are ready to move ahead. Thank you for all you have done to help us take these big steps.” - A Zick

"KC presented a logical, thoughtful, progressive process for developing our strategic plan. This process allowed our organization to think critically about our long-term objectives from a client-centered point of view with input from all aspects of our community: clients, partner agencies, community foundations, similar service organizations, and others including our employees and board members. KC asked insightful questions throughout the process which facilitated a better discussion among the groups and resulted ultimately in a strong, well-conceived plan to move us forward." - C Hunder

"Often faced with a growing client base, reduced government funding, and a jumble of intermittent crises, non-profit leadership may find it difficult to crystallize their ideas. Transitions Unlimited helped us to reach clarity on our future direction, with consistent questioning, follow-up, and flexibility.

K.C. Henry helped us to hear and weave in the voices of our clients and staff and several community partners as we distilled the major challenges and opportunities ahead. Board and staff alike were pleased with the presentation and quick implementation of the new strategic plan." - Karen Malone Wright, Board Chair, AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland

"KC has the ability to break down complex problems into manageable solutions and make everyone involved in a project feel empowered to address the task at hand. KC ensures that people with varying levels of planning experience are equally comfortable, confident, and find ownership in their part of the planning process." - E. Galloway

EXECUTIVE and PROJECT MANAGEMENT

“KC Henry is a true leader in her field. She is professional, knowledgeable, and thorough. I have learned a great deal from her through the skills she has shared with me and our staff and I have also witnessed countless others that have benefited from her input. It's a real pleasure to work with someone who understands nonprofit business as completely as she does and also has the contacts to make things happen. I highly recommend that any nonprofit that wishes to move forward with vision should enlist KC's help to get there!" - L. Stuart

"I just want you to know how important you continue to be for the success of our organization. I wasn’t on the board when they hired you, but they surely made the right choice. You are a real professional. Thanks for all you do." - G. Safron

"I had the privilege of working with KC Henry on a 2-year state-funded grant for Geauga County. KC was the project coordinator, and as such, had to manage every phase of the planning process: quarterly reporting to the state, managing volunteers, conducting board meetings, creating work groups, working with the media, and coordinating with county agencies. This was an extensive project which took a great deal of organizational know-how. KC coordinated all phases of the project seamlessly. From one phase of the project to the next, all aspects were completed on time, thoroughly, and professionally. KC facilitated our many meetings very professionally, keeping to the preplanned agendas and ensuring everyone stayed on task. I would look forward to working with KC on any future project. She attends to the details, but doesn't get bogged down in them!" - J. Randall

“Where do I begin to describe what KC Henry has meant to Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center? In my opinion no one has had more of a positive impact on this wonderful program than KC---not our visionary founder, not the staff and Trustees who work tirelessly to help fulfill our mission, and not our generous benefactors who have supported Fieldstone Farm for years. The following is a short list of accomplishments that Fieldstone Farm has enjoyed under KC's management and leadership:

• Expanded from teaching just a few students each week to close to our goal for the year 2000 of serving 1000 students annually. This figure ranks our program as one of the three largest in America.
• Managed ten consecutive years of balance budgets that grew from a few thousand dollars to a half million dollars this year.
• Expanded our programs from offering just riding therapy to including carriage driving, vocational training, summer camp, drill team, EquiClub and more. The list seems endless.
• Helped to design and build our 45 acre campus and state-of-the-art facility.
• Managed a successful $4,000,000 capitol campaign that included a $1.5 million endowment to provide financial strength to the program.
• Developed and built our staff from KC being our first employee to a professional staff of 31 full and part-time employees.
• Enlarged our volunteer core from a mere handful to over 500 dedicated participants.
• Through our staff development program she has provided career growth opportunities for all employees while building the very capable team that will take Fieldstone Farm into the future.

Her compassion and commitment to our students and this program is evident in every decision she makes. Her tireless work ethic and her uncompromising commitment to student safety and growth are well known to Fieldstone Farm families staff and trustees alike.

If I have left any doubt in your mind of my admiration for this extraordinary person, let me conclude by saying that KC exemplifies a favorite quote of mine. George Elliot said, “Why are we here if not to make life a little better for others?” Fieldstone Farm is a much better place because KC was here.”

Joe Mahovlic - Board president, Capital Campaign Chairman, 2000