Testimonials
Laura and Shawn Sears
Co-Founders, Vida Verde Nature Education
Our work with Eric has easily been the most valuable thing that has happened to Vida Verde. He has skillfully guided us from an organization with an uncertain future into a professional, financially stable, and very positive nonprofit business. Due to his guidance, our leaders have formed a highly functioning team rather than a splintered group, each following our slightly different vision. We look forward to every precious meeting with Eric and come away re-energized with a great focus on our mission and strategic priorities.
Karen Mountain
It's pretty daunting to position a not-for-profit business to make the leap into the international arena while simultaneously managing the challenges of money, people, and mission. Manage for Good's founder, Eric Ryan, has nurtured our staff and board through this process, helping us set clear strategic compass points, focus on our financial health, establish yearly objectives, and achieve and celebrate solid results.
While working with Eric, we have streamlined our hiring, orientation, and performance management systems and increased the sophistication of our marketing efforts. We've created a plan for financial sustainability and have increased our staff satisfaction scores in 11 of 13 categories. We are a much stronger organization due to the passion and dedication of both Eric and our entire team.
Teri Cannon
Executive Associate Director, Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Eric is incredibly gifted at facilitation, ensuring that all voices are heard and honored. He earned the trust and respect of our entire staff and improved our communication, planning, and productivity. He helped us develop an annual plan and to establish a system for monitoring the plan in addition to working with us on our values statement and other strategies that promote productivity and staff satisfaction. Eric's experience in a wide variety of management areas and his gifts make him an invaluable and successful consultant.
Delores Turner
Human Resources Director and Assistant City Manager, City of Emeryville
Eric is fearless in his interactions with everybody on our senior management team. His open, honest, and respectful style let's you know it's "all about you." These characteristics are essential in building trust with our team. We are now communicating and sharing our knowledge and successes, as well as our challenges in leading our departments -- and we are now doing more to support the continued development of each person's leadership skills due to Eric's stewardship.
Dan Ripke
As a manager and leader I'm responsible for juggling dozens of projects, motivating my staff and subcontractors, and generating new opportunities. With Eric's guidance I'm getting much better at managing this workload. As a result, our office has implemented a performance management system, we have much better team spirit, and we've seen a 24% increase in staff performance and productivity.
Kristin Ohnstad
Former Director of Operations, Teach for America -- Bay Area
I most appreciate Eric's ability to diagnose what's holding us back from being great managers and suggest research-based -- but real-life -- solutions that pushed us to the next level. I often found his insights to be a few steps ahead and right on the mark. Beyond this, Eric is just plain fun to work with. He greatly values his relationships and it shows in everything he does.
Copyright 2009 Manage for Good, LLC All Rights Reserved
Jay Chamberlin
As someone who has participated in many onerous strategic planning processes, I was a little skeptical that Eric Ryan's program would be much different. I was wrong. Not only did he immediately create trust with our team of engineers and scientists, but he helped us create a focused plan and framework for executing our plan. Several months later our team's enthusiasm has never been higher and, as their manager, I've been able to focus on what matters most.
Greg O'Sullivan
When we first hired you I had an idea that we'd get some sort of strategic plan. What I didn't expect was the crystal-clear focus and implementation strategies that you helped us put into place. With your template there is accountability to everything; we were getting results long after our day-long planning session. Plus, you backed us up to address and solve some tough team dynamics that would have been hard to do on our own. Thanks for everything, my friend.
Bob Nash
I've experienced plenty of strategic planning processes that were excruciatingly painful and drawn-out. That's not the case with Eric's approach. I've attended three of his facilitations and his ability to rapidly get group consensus and develop a strategy is impressive. He gets results quickly and efficiently.
Sample Client List
• Brightworks School
• California Department of Water Resources
• California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
• California Public Employers Labor Relations
Association (CALPELRA)
• California State Council of the Small Business
Development Centers
• California State Parks, Natural Resources
Division
• Carolina Electric Vehicle Coalition
• Center for Economic Development, California
State University, Chico
• City of Emeryville
• City of Yreka
• FSG Social Impact Consultants
• Marin Municipal Water District
• Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association
• Migrant Clinicians Network
• Oroville Chamber of Commerce
• Shasta College Foundation
• Shasta College Division of Economic and
Workforce Development
• Shwiff, Levy, and Polo, LLP
• Siskiyou County Economic Development
Council
• Small Business Development Centers:
California, NE California Region, UC Merced
Region, Shasta College, and the Los Angeles
Region
• Superior California Economic Development
District
• Teach for America, Bay Area
• UC Berkeley Residential and Student Services
Program
• Upstate Economic Development Council
• Vida Verde Outdoor Education
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC)
Specializing in Strategic Planning
for Small Nonprofits
