BoardStrong
BoardStrong is a nonprofit subsidiary of the New York Council of Nonprofits that helps 501(c)(3) charities build stronger boards through a Salesforce-based online matching platform (BoardStrong Connections), personalized consulting, training, and corporate board placement programs, primarily serving New York State and U.S. nonprofits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BoardStrong does
BoardStrong is a nonprofit organization and subsidiary of the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) that helps 501(c)(3) public charities strengthen board leadership, governance, and oversight through recruitment, placement, training, and consulting services. The company serves two primary user groups: nonprofit organizations seeking qualified board members and individual professionals seeking board service opportunities, with a secondary corporate partner segment that uses nonprofit board placement as an executive development channel. Its core technology product, BoardStrong Connections, is a Salesforce Experience Cloud-based online matching and education portal (nycon.my.site.com) where nonprofits post board openings and candidates create profiles to browse, apply, and opt-in to recommended matches. Personalized high-touch board matching services are currently limited to New York State.
The company's revenue model is a hybrid of professional services and contributed funding. Monetized streams include fee-for-service board consulting and training (governance assessments, facilitation, action planning, three-hour training modules, executive leadership support), a $35 Financial Reporting 101 video course, and customized corporate board placement programs. Non-monetized streams include the free BoardStrong Connections matching portal for candidates and 501(c)(3) public charities, the Good Governance Guide, a free guide to board service lead magnet, and complimentary three-hour training for CEO/Board Chair Leadership Program participants. BoardStrong supplements earned revenue with contributions from a diversified base of regional foundations and United Ways (Altman Foundation, Central New York Community Foundation, Foundation for Greater Buffalo, First Nonprofit Foundation, New York Community Trust, United Way of Greater Rochester), corporate sponsorships, and donations via its website.
Distribution combines a self-serve nationwide online portal with direct sales of consulting/training engagements (delivered via Zoom or in-person), regional advisory councils in Western New York, Central New York, and Hudson Valley that convene local funders, United Ways, chambers of commerce, and businesses, and corporate partner programs for executive board placement. Operating geographies span the United States for the matching platform, with personalized services and the highest concentration of program activity in New York State. The organization has a small core staff (1-10 employees, including CEO Megan Allen, Director Barbara Paxton, and Community Engagement Coordinator Margaret Kilts) supported by a 16-member Board of Directors chaired by David M. Rottkamp (Partner, Not-for-Profit Practice Leader at Grassi Advisors & Accountants).
BoardStrong firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BoardStrong
- Legal name
- BoardStrong, Inc.
- Website
- https://boardstrong.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BoardStrong is a nonprofit subsidiary of the New York Council of Nonprofits that helps 501(c)(3) charities build stronger boards through a Salesforce-based online matching platform (BoardStrong Connections), personalized consulting, training, and corporate board placement programs, primarily serving New York State and U.S. nonprofits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BoardStrong industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Governance Consulting
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Advancement Services & Donor Operations (CRM, Gift Processing, Stewardship) (EDALAOAD)
Keywords
Where BoardStrong is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BoardStrong business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Board Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting including governance assessment, board training, facilitation and action planning, fund development consulting, executive leadership support, and customized tools development. Sessions typically designed as three-hour modules.
- Training Programs: Interactive digital and in-person training on board duties, legal responsibilities, fiscal oversight, strategic planning, and board development. Free three-hour training offered to CEO/Board Chair Leadership Program participants.
- Personalized Board Placement: Direct placement services helping nonprofits find board members with specific skills, including assistance with onboarding and orientation process. Currently limited to New York State for personalized services.
- Financial Reporting 101 Video: Educational video course priced at $35 for individuals or organizations seeking to master nonprofit financial reporting basics.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free board candidate membership |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Financial Reporting 101 Video Course |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Board Consulting and Training Services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
BoardStrong product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BoardStrong recruits, places, and trains nonprofit board members through the BoardStrong Connections online matching platform and provides fee-based board consulting, governance assessments, and training programs for nonprofit organizations. It also runs customized corporate board placement programs and the cohort-based CEO/Board Chair Leadership Program with the Altman Foundation. Educational offerings include the Financial Reporting 101 video course and the Good Governance Guide resource library.
Product overview
BoardStrong is a comprehensive nonprofit board building solution offering both a technology platform and professional services. The core product is BoardStrong Connections, a nationwide online board matching and education platform connecting nonprofits with diverse, qualified board candidates. This platform is supplemented by high-touch professional services including board consulting, governance assessments, facilitation, and board training. Educational offerings include The Good Governance Guide (a free comprehensive online resource), a Financial Reporting 101 video course ($35), and a Free Guide to Board Service (lead magnet). BoardStrong also runs the CEO/Board Chair Leadership Program, a virtual cohort-based training initiative. For corporations, BoardStrong offers customized board placement programs, executive training, and internal program development support. BoardStrong is a subsidiary of the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) and leverages NYCON's broader suite of nonprofit consulting services including legal support, financial management, HR, fundraising, and insurance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BoardStrong Connections Online board matching and education platform that connects nonprofits with diverse, qualified board candidates across skill, ethnicity, age, and geography. Candidates can create profiles, browse and apply to board openings, and opt-in to receive recommended matches. Free for candidates and 501(c)(3) public charities.
- Board Consulting Personalized board consulting services that work with Boards of Directors to assess governance strengths and knowledge gaps, providing governance assessments, facilitation, action planning, and strategic planning support for nonprofit organizations.
- Board Training Interactive digital and in-person training sessions covering board duties and responsibilities, legal and fiduciary duties, board development, fundraising, and effective meeting management. Most sessions are designed as three-hour modules.
- BoardStrong CEO/Board Chair Leadership Program Five-session virtual cohort program for CEO/Board Chair pairs, run in partnership with the Altman Foundation, focused on building effective working partnerships through group learning, peer discussion, and individual consultations on governance topics including committee structures, board engagement, and fundraising.
- Financial Reporting 101 Video Paid educational video course priced at $35 covering the basics of nonprofit financial reporting, sold as a one-time purchase to individuals or organizations.
- Corporate Board Placement Programs Customized placement programs for corporations and professional firms, coaching executives through the process of joining nonprofit boards, along with employee training, internal program development assistance, and research on nonprofit organizations aligned with company philanthropic interests.
- Personalized Board Matching Services Direct placement services helping nonprofits find board members with specific skills, including assistance with onboarding and orientation processes. Currently limited to New York State for personalized engagements.
Quantifiable outcome
- Added 3 new board members to Erie County Youth Board
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use BoardStrong
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BoardStrong technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
BoardStrong partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record.
- New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON)BoardStrong is a subsidiary/affiliate of NYCON. As a NYCON affiliate, BoardStrong leverages the expertise of NYCON's staff and many other consulting services including legal support, community assessments, financial management, fundraising planning, HR policy, mergers, organizational development, and insurance. NYCON has 3,000 members who may benefit from BoardStrong services.
- Altman FoundationBoardStrong partnered with Altman Foundation to launch the five-session NYC Nonprofit CEO/Board Chair Leadership (BoardStrong CBL) program. The program brings together CEO/Board Chair pairs for group learning and individual consultations.
- Council Services PlusCouncil Services Plus is a BoardStrong sponsor and subsidiary of NYCON. They provide value-priced insurance for small and mid-sized nonprofits including group employee benefits, directors and officers insurance, and general liability. CSP is listed as a regional supporter in the Western New York advisory council.
- Regional Advisory CouncilsWestern New York, Central New York, and Hudson Valley advisory councils bringing together regional funders, United Ways, chambers of commerce, higher education, and businesses to collaborate on fostering board recruitment culture. Includes leaders from organizations like United Way of Buffalo & Erie County, Leadership Niagara, Central New York Community Foundation, and United Way Westchester-Putnam.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BoardStrong competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BoardSource: National nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing nonprofit governance through education, research, and consulting. The closest direct peer to BoardStrong, offering similar board recruitment, training, and governance resources at a national scale.
- Boardable: Board management software platform providing meeting tools, document storage, and member directories for nonprofit boards. Direct competitor to BoardStrong's online matching and governance tooling from a technology-led angle.
- iCompass (Diligent): Governance and board meeting management software for public sector and nonprofit boards. Now part of Diligent, offers workflow tools overlapping with BoardStrong's portal-based governance support.
- National Council of Nonprofits: National network of state and regional nonprofit associations providing advocacy, education, and capacity-building services. Sister organization to BoardStrong's parent NYCON and a comparable affiliate-based nonprofit support model.
- BoardEffect: Board governance software purpose-built for nonprofits and healthcare organizations. Comparable to BoardStrong in serving board recruitment, onboarding, and governance document management needs via a SaaS platform.
- CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Nonprofit consulting and leadership development firm offering executive coaching, board development, and fundraising training. Comparable in providing high-touch governance and capacity-building services to nonprofits.
- OnBoard: Board portal and meeting management platform used by nonprofits, credit unions, and healthcare organizations. Direct technology competitor focused on digitizing board workflows similar to BoardStrong's online portal.
Broad incumbents
- The Bridgespan Group: Nonprofit and philanthropic advisory firm offering strategy consulting, leadership development, and organizational transformation. Broader incumbent adjacent to BoardStrong's consulting and governance advisory services.
- Diligent: Large-scale governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) software platform serving boards of directors across enterprise, healthcare, and nonprofit segments. Broader incumbent than BoardStrong with overlap in board effectiveness tooling.
Emerging players
- Nonprofit Finance Fund: Nonprofit and social enterprise CDFI providing financing, consulting, and capacity-building including financial leadership and governance support. Partial overlap with BoardStrong's Financial Reporting 101 and governance capacity work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BoardStrong social profiles
Digital presenceBoardStrong financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BoardStrong leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
BoardStrong funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BoardStrong M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BoardStrong
What does BoardStrong do?
BoardStrong recruits, places, and trains nonprofit board members through the BoardStrong Connections online matching platform and provides fee-based board consulting, governance assessments, and training programs for nonprofit organizations. It also runs customized corporate board placement programs and the cohort-based CEO/Board Chair Leadership Program with the Altman Foundation. Educational offerings include the Financial Reporting 101 video course and the Good Governance Guide resource library.
Is BoardStrong a public or private company?
BoardStrong is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BoardStrong founded?
BoardStrong was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is BoardStrong based?
BoardStrong is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does BoardStrong make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Board Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training Programs, personalized Board Placement and financial Reporting 101 Video.
Who are BoardStrong's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BoardSource, Boardable, iCompass (Diligent), National Council of Nonprofits, BoardEffect, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and OnBoard. Broad incumbents are The Bridgespan Group and Diligent. Nonprofit Finance Fund is listed as an emerging player.
Does BoardStrong have an API?
No public API is recorded for BoardStrong.
What industry is BoardStrong in?
BoardStrong's product category is Nonprofit Governance Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAFAC, Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory, with a secondary code of EDALAOAD, Advancement Services & Donor Operations (CRM, Gift Processing, Stewardship). Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.