SVP Boston April Insider 2026

Dear Partners, Grantees, and Supporters,

Recently, I have been thinking about the role of SVP Boston in the nonprofit sector and the importance of capacity building.As someone who has firsthand experience managing the day-to-day realities of an under-resourced nonprofit, I know that the need to put out the fire in front of you can make it hard to find time for the long-term strategic planning that is critical to an organization's long-term health. Nonprofits are always being asked to do more with less, and many funders' focus on having low overhead and administrative costs makes it hard to invest in infrastructure and capacity. The result is a sector that is struggling. 

• The need for capacity-building support is a priority among nonprofits in Massachusetts, second only to general operating funding, especially for small nonprofits.²

• 36% of nonprofits ended the year with an operating deficit, and more than half (52%) reported having three months or less of cash on hand, leaving limited resources to invest in staff, technology, or infrastructure improvements.²

• Facing recent federal actions, Massachusetts nonprofit leaders report increased demand for services, reduced funding, and growing operational challenges.³

  
  

Without investment in systems, leadership, and organizational strength, nonprofits cannot fully deliver on their missions. By focusing on capacity building, SVP Boston strengthens the sector's backbone and supports long-term, scalable change.

The work of SVP Boston is critical at this moment, and I am proud to be doing it with you.

As always, I welcome the opportunity to connect by phone, Zoom, or over coffee.

In gratitude,

Karin Cassel Mitterando, CEO

[1 & 3] The Boston Foundation, Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, & MassINC Polling Group. (2026). Massachusetts nonprofit sector survey (federal impacts survey).

https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/press-releases/2026/march/one-year-in-nonprofit-survey-release

[2] Nonprofit Finance Fund. (2025). State of the nonprofit sector survey 2025. https://nff.org/state-of-the-nonprofit-sector-survey/

Welcome New Board Member

Courtney Worcester

As a partner in the Boston office of Holland & Knight, and a trial attorney specializing in corporate governance matters and risk management strategies, Courtney brings her legal expertise and knowledge of governance best practices to the SVPB Board of Directors.

Welcome New Partner

Thai Ha-Ngoc

Thai is a Director of Finance at Ahold Delhaize, where he provides strategic financial leadership across the company’s supply chain.

Earlier in his career, Thai led finance and operations at Daily Table, and also worked at the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, both supporting equitable nutrition systems. Thai

holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College.

"While I’ve transitioned to the private sector, I’ve remained engaged in the nonprofit community as a board member, which has deepened my perspective on how organizations create impact. These experiences have reinforced the power of community-driven philanthropy. I’m joining SVP Boston to connect with like-minded individuals and support nonprofits making a meaningful difference in our local communities."

Lunch & Learn: April 8, 2026

Leader Assessment 101: Interviewing for Impact

Greig Schneider, Partner, Egon Zehnder

The Lunch & Learn Series is free and open to the public.

Assessing a leader (interviewing) – be it for a hiring decision, or to support development, to determine who gets a critical job, or for many other purposes – is an important skill. It is a skill that is rarely taught, yet many people assume they have mastered it. The goal of this Lunch & Learn is to provide basic “tips and tricks” to help make interviews more effective.

Lunch & Learn: May 20, 2026

Bringing the Mission to Life: The Power of Story in Nonprofit Fundraising

Amy Meneely, Principal, Full Sail Fundraising & Wendy Price, Communications Consultant and Nonprofit Volunteer

The Lunch & Learn Series is free and open to the public.

As experienced writers and storytellers, Wendy and Amy will share ways storytelling can explain the impact of your work in ways that inspire donors while giving a voice to those you serve. We will review the brain science of donor motivation, the variety of media for storytelling, and how to maintain high ethical standards with your subjects.

Look for these Lunch & Learns coming soon:

Justin Allen: Developing an 'Accelerator' Mindset to Drive Impact

Kate Bennis: Communicating with Sway: Cultivating the Skills and Techniques of Great Communication

Janet Lawn: Planning a Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign: Samaritans' Experience

Karin Mitterando: How to Build Events That Actually Scale

All previous Lunch & Learn sessions are available in the Knowledge Hub - and we have an amazing library! Topics include cybersecurity, fundraising, leveraging AI, and more!

NextGen Philanthropists Committee Announces:

The SVP Boston Catalyst Fellowship

SVP Boston's NextGen Philanthropists committee is excited to announce a new initiative investing in the future of philanthropy.

Committee members recognized the benefits they receive as partners working with a community of smart, successful people who share values of equity and opportunity for everyone in our community - especially those from traditionally under-resourced communities. They developed the SVP Boston Catalyst Fellowship to extend this opportunity to young professionals who have lived-experience as a client of an SVP Boston grantee organization.

Catalyst Fellows will join the SVP community for an 18-month sponsored partnership, working alongside SVP’s network of experienced partners and contributing directly to partner engagement teams that provide free consulting to SVP’s nonprofit grantees.

Through this experience, Fellows will get hands-on exposure to the local nonprofit ecosystem and build practical skills in nonprofit strategy, organizational development, and social impact consulting. They will work collaboratively with nonprofit leaders and SVP Partners to address real organizational challenges and contribute to community impact.