Ascendant Strategy Management Group
Ascendant Strategy Management Group is a Boston-based consulting firm that helps nonprofits, government agencies, associations, and foundations execute strategy via the Balanced Scorecard framework, complemented by ClearPoint Strategy, a proprietary SaaS performance management platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ascendant Strategy Management Group does
Ascendant Strategy Management Group, LLC is a privately held Boston-based consulting firm founded in 2008 that helps social and public sector organizations execute strategy through the Balanced Scorecard methodology. Its core offerings fall into two interlocking lines: professional services — consulting, training, and facilitation in Balanced Scorecard design and implementation — and ClearPoint Strategy, a cloud-based SaaS platform launched in July 2009 that automates scorecarding, dashboards, and performance reporting. ClearPoint is sold on a per-seat subscription at $50 per user per month with a 60-day free trial, and a fully translated Spanish version is available for Latin American markets. The firm's customer base spans nonprofits and foundations, federal/state/local government agencies, professional associations, K-12 school districts and charter management organizations, and research libraries.
The company monetizes through a hybrid services-plus-software model. Consulting and training engagements anchor most client relationships and are typically paired with ClearPoint deployments, while the SaaS product generates recurring subscription revenue at modest contract values suited to mission-driven buyers. Distribution is multi-channel: direct consulting sales globally, self-serve SaaS via ClearPointStrategy.com, regional channel partnerships with Tantum Group (Latin America) and ShiftIN Partners (Middle East), and an annual Mission-Driven Management Summit at the National Press Club in Washington DC that draws 200+ sector executives. Ascendant's positioning is anchored by an exclusive-feeling relationship with Dr. Robert S. Kaplan, co-creator of the Balanced Scorecard, and by multiple client Hall of Fame inductions (2011–2013) and a CIO Review Top 20 enterprise software recognition (2014).
The firm operates as a founder-led LLC with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or public listing. Leadership comprises Managing Partners Ted Jackson (Harvard MBA), Dylan Miyake (MIT Sloan MBA), and Laura M. Downing, each with prior tenure at Balanced Scorecard Collaborative and deep sector credibility. Operating geographies include the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Canada, with additional reach through Middle East and Latin America channel partners. While the input corpus is densest through 2014, the website copyright extends through 2021, indicating continued operation; however, no post-2014 growth, funding, or product signals are available in the source data.
Ascendant Strategy Management Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ascendant Strategy Management Group
- Legal name
- Ascendant Strategy Management Group, LLC
- Website
- https://ascendantsmg.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ascendant Strategy Management Group is a Boston-based consulting firm that helps nonprofits, government agencies, associations, and foundations execute strategy via the Balanced Scorecard framework, complemented by ClearPoint Strategy, a proprietary SaaS performance management platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ascendant Strategy Management Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performance Management & OKRs (BPACAPAF)
Keywords
Where Ascendant Strategy Management Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ascendant Strategy Management Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Strategy execution consulting engagements helping nonprofits, government agencies, associations, and foundations develop performance management systems using the Balanced Scorecard framework.
- Training Services: Balanced Scorecard and performance management training programs, including workshops and certification-style sessions for organizations implementing strategy management systems.
- Facilitation Services: Strategy facilitation services to help organizations align strategic and operational goals.
- ClearPoint Strategy Software: Cloud-based subscription software providing scorecarding, dashboarding, and performance management capabilities. Priced at $50 per user per month with a 60-day free trial available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Per seat | Monthly | ClearPoint Strategy subscription at $50/user/month |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Ascendant Strategy Management Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ascendant Strategy Management Group provides Balanced Scorecard-based strategy management consulting, training, and facilitation services for nonprofits, government agencies, associations, and foundations. It complements these professional services with ClearPoint Strategy, a proprietary cloud-based SaaS platform for scorecarding, dashboarding, and performance management.
Product overview
Ascendant Strategy Management Group offers a unified portfolio of products and services centered on the Balanced Scorecard strategy management framework for mission-driven organizations. The core product is ClearPoint Strategy, a web-based balanced scorecard and performance management SaaS solution priced at $50/user/month. This software is complemented by professional services including consulting, training, and facilitation—all designed to help nonprofits, government agencies, associations, and foundations execute strategy and accelerate mission results.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ClearPoint Strategy: Web-based Balanced Scorecard, dashboard, and performance management software solution developed by Ascendant Strategy Management Group, launched July 2009.
Products and services
- ClearPoint Strategy
- Balanced Scorecard Consulting
- Balanced Scorecard Training
- Strategy Management Facilitation
Quantifiable outcome
- Catholic Charities of Boston turned $1M+ deficit into modest surplus within years of BSC implementation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ascendant Strategy Management Group
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Ascendant Strategy Management Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Ascendant Strategy Management Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- ShiftIN PartnerscoreStrategic alliance to help governments and nonprofit organizations efficiently implement transformational strategies. ShiftIN is based in Abu Dhabi with deep experience in government and state-owned entities in the Middle East.
- Association of Research Libraries (ARL)coreAscendant and ARL partnership to develop Balanced Scorecards for research libraries. Extended from initial 4 university libraries (Johns Hopkins, McMaster, UVA, University of Washington) to include 10 additional libraries including NYU, Emory, Notre Dame, Florida State, and others.
- ACCION InternationalflagshipAscendant partnered with ACCION International, a pioneer microfinance organization, to deploy a comprehensive metrics program based on the Balanced Scorecard framework. Ascendant and ACCION jointly developed and deployed strategy maps and metrics to track progress of transformational strategy to help millions worldwide.
- Global Strategic Management Institute (GSMI)flagshipAscendant partnered with GSMI to host the Mission-Critical Performance Management Summit (later Mission-Driven Management Summit), the premier performance management event for government agencies and nonprofits. GSMI is the leading authority on performance-based management practices.
- Dr. Robert S. Kaplan, Harvard Business SchoolcoreAscendant partners with Dr. Kaplan on client engagements and methodology. Dr. Kaplan is the Baker Foundation Professor at Harvard Business School and co-creator of the Balanced Scorecard with David Norton. He has published five best-selling Harvard Business School Press books and numerous HBR articles on strategy and cost accounting.
- Tantum GroupcoreAscendant partners with Tantum on global client engagements. Tantum has worked with clients for more than two decades in sustainable development offering Strategy design and execution competency. They serve as the Latin American partner for sales and support of ClearPoint Strategy in Mexico and Spanish-speaking markets.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ascendant Strategy Management Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- OnStrategy: OnStrategy provides strategy execution software and consulting for small-to-mid-sized organizations and nonprofits. It overlaps with both Ascendant's ClearPoint software offering and its mission-driven consulting practice.
- Perdoo: Perdoo is an OKR and strategy execution platform with strong adoption in European enterprises. It represents the alternative methodology to Balanced Scorecard and competes for the same organizational strategy execution budgets.
- AchieveIt: AchieveIt is a strategy execution platform that automates the collection, reporting, and tracking of strategic plans and initiatives. While not BSC-specific, it competes with ClearPoint for the broader performance management software budget in mission-driven organizations.
Direct peers
- BSC Designer: BSC Designer is a software platform for building and managing Balanced Scorecards. It is a direct SaaS competitor to ClearPoint Strategy, targeting the same BSC methodology market with a lower-priced, self-serve alternative.
- 2GC Active Management: 2GC is a UK-based management consulting firm specializing in the Balanced Scorecard methodology, serving public and private sector clients globally. It directly competes with Ascendant in BSC implementation consulting and training services.
- Palladium Group: Palladium Group is the Balanced Scorecard consultancy founded by David Norton (co-creator of BSC). It is the closest direct competitor to Ascendant, offering BSC consulting, certification, and software (including the Strategy Management System software that historically competed directly with ClearPoint).
- Insightformation: Insightformation is a Balanced Scorecard consulting firm that provides strategy map facilitation, performance management systems, and BSC implementation services. It is a direct competitor to Ascendant's core consulting practice within the BSC methodology space.
- Balanced Scorecard Institute: The Balanced Scorecard Institute provides BSC training, certification programs (including the Balanced Scorecard Professional designation), and consulting services — directly overlapping with Ascendant's training and consulting offerings for mission-driven organizations.
Broad incumbents
- WorkBoard: WorkBoard is a leading OKR (Objectives and Key Results) platform serving enterprises. It represents the primary alternative methodology to Balanced Scorecard for strategy execution, and has been expanding into adjacent verticals that overlap with Ascendant's market.
- Lattice: Lattice is a performance management and employee engagement platform offering OKRs, performance reviews, and goal tracking. It is a broader incumbent in the performance management space, competing for the same organizational strategy execution budget but with a different methodology emphasis.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ascendant Strategy Management Group social profiles
Digital presenceAscendant Strategy Management Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ascendant Strategy Management Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Ascendant Strategy Management Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ascendant Strategy Management Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ascendant Strategy Management Group 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 Ascendant Strategy Management Group
What does Ascendant Strategy Management Group do?
Ascendant Strategy Management Group provides Balanced Scorecard-based strategy management consulting, training, and facilitation services for nonprofits, government agencies, associations, and foundations. It complements these professional services with ClearPoint Strategy, a proprietary cloud-based SaaS platform for scorecarding, dashboarding, and performance management.
Is Ascendant Strategy Management Group a public or private company?
Ascendant Strategy Management Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ascendant Strategy Management Group founded?
Ascendant Strategy Management Group was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ascendant Strategy Management Group based?
Ascendant Strategy Management Group is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ascendant Strategy Management Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training Services, facilitation Services and clearPoint Strategy Software.
Who are Ascendant Strategy Management Group's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are OnStrategy, Perdoo and AchieveIt. Direct peers are BSC Designer, 2GC Active Management, Palladium Group, Insightformation and Balanced Scorecard Institute. Broad incumbents are WorkBoard and Lattice.
Does Ascendant Strategy Management Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ascendant Strategy Management Group.
What industry is Ascendant Strategy Management Group in?
Ascendant Strategy Management Group's product category is Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAPAF, Performance Management & OKRs. Its NAICS code is 541611 and its SIC code is 8742.