About Us

A flexible approach

We know from experience that every organization has specific needs — from training and consulting to technical support and finished materials — and that it’s important to provide those services where and how you need them: in your offices, off-site, or remotely via computer, phone, or e-mail.

So, whether it’s a strategic plan that helps your organization plot its course and stay on track, a grant application that increases your resources, or training that helps you get the most from your staff or board, our mission is to help you focus on what’s really important — your programs, goals, and community.

Our Team

Paul Mastrodonato, founder

Paul has spent the last 30 years working for and with nonprofit organizations of all sizes, including eight years as the executive director of a workforce development agency for lower-income and unemployed men and women.

Through that experience, he recognized the many and varied services that nonprofit organizations need, but don’t always have the resources to undertake. As a result, in 1999 Paul established Nonprofit Works, a New York-based consulting firm that specializes in training nonprofits and municipalities in fund development, strategic planning, board training, and communications. He regularly trains organizations and professional associations in related topics, and is known for a presentation style that is practical, interactive, relaxed, and fun.

Paul has served as Vice President of Professional Development for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and as Chairperson of AFP’s National Philanthropy Day. He currently serves on the boards and committees of several nonprofit organizations, and holds a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on organizational management from State University of New York at Brockport.

John Wilner, communications

John has worked for more than 30 years for a variety of non-profit organizations (and a few for-profit ones) as a researcher, reporter, editor, publications director, and communications consultant. With a background in public policy, journalism, and editorial production, he has spent decades helping non-profits develop and deliver messages to a wide range of audiences, including their constituents, the news media, and the general public.

Among his employers / clients have been Boardnet, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Charitableway, CompassPoint, the Earth Island Institute, Global Exchange, Habitat for Humanity, Health Initiatives for Youth, the Health Trust, Hearst Newspapers, the Population Leadership Program, the Public Health Institute, the San Francisco Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, the Strategic Press Information Network, the Sustainable News Center, United Press International, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, WNET / Current, and World Broadcast News. He currently serves as an adviser at the Social Enterprise Greenhouse in Providence, RI, and a coach in its Nonprofit Innovation Lab.

Maureen Yee, fund development and program planning

Maureen has 25 years of experience in all aspects of philanthropy, most recently as a major gifts officer for Saratoga Hospital. Prior to that, she was the director of development for Whitney Young Health, where she was responsible for both fund development and marketing and communications.

From 2005 to 2012, Maureen served as the St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation’s director of grants, where she managed an annual grant portfolio of more than $2 million. She previously administered the Community Foundation for the Capital Region’s $2.5 million annual grant budget, and provided staff support to the Bender Family Foundation. In 2001, she established the Community Foundation’s Grantmakers Alliance of Northeastern New York, where she worked with more than 25 foundations, corporations, and United Way chapters to increase effective philanthropy.

Maureen got her start in fund development as the director of grants and prospect research for the Northeast Health Foundation. She is a founder and past president of the Grant Professionals Association’s Hudson-Mohawk Chapter, a past board member of Women in Development of Northeastern New York, and a past member of the Gift Planning Group of Northeastern New York.

Our Clients

We work with a broad range of organizations in a wide variety of fields, including social services, government, education, arts, and economic development. Below is a sample list of current and past clients, and the services we’ve provided. We also have testimonials from individuals and organizations who’ve attended our training and workshops.

• American Red Cross Blood Services (New York-Penn Region) — Designed, developed, and maintain regional website.
• AmeriCorps / VISTA — Provide customized grant-writing training to members and staff.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region — Assist with overall grants program: planning and strategy, research and identification, developing relationships with and applying to grantmakers; consulting for youth mentoring and education programs
• Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester — Provide board training, organizational development, strategic planning, and nonprofit advisement
• Early Care & Learning Council — Provide board training, organizational development, strategic planning, and nonprofit advisement
• Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) — Grants advisement, research, writing, and program planning
• Jewish Senior Life Foundation — Provide organizational development, grant writing, and contract management services for grant funding through the New York State Consolidated Funding Application program
• Livingston Arts — Planned and facilitated strategic planning sessions with a focus on organizational expansion and fund development
• New York Wine & Culinary Center (NY Kitchen) — Provide fund-development planning, research, and proposal development services
• Oswego, NY, county government — Provided comprehensive grant writing training for county legislators, administrators, program directors, and front-line staff
• Pennsylvania Sea Grant — Conducted training on strategic planning (logic models) and fund development (grant writing) for environmental education programs
• Population Health Collaborative — Conducted a communications audit and training in messaging and audience identification and targeting
• Providence Noise Project — Develop communications platforms and strategy, and provide content and media relations services
• Rochester Area Community Foundation Initiatives / Quad A for Kids — Government grant writing and contract management services for Quad A’s youth-centered out-of-school-time programs serving students in the Rochester City School District
• Rochester City School District — Designed and built comprehensive grants management database to track and manage departmental grant activity and reports.
• Rochester Police Department — Designed and built comprehensive online grants management database to track and manage departmental grant activity and reports
• Rochester Regional Library Council — Provide customized group grant writing training to members
• Senior Hope — Conducted communications assessment, initial social media and website development, and consulting
• Southern Adirondack Child Care Network — Facilitate strategic planning and board development processes, assist with agency marketing and communications plan including development of collateral materials
• Southern Tier West Regional Development and Planning Board — Provide professional development workshops in grant writing and research, strategic planning, and board training
• The Wesley Foundation — Assist multi-facility senior residence and healthcare agency with overall grants program: planning and strategy, research and identification, developing relationships with and applying to public and private grantmakers
• WIC Association of New York State — Board training, strategic planning, nonprofit management and advisement