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We partner with nonprofits, foundations, and their leaders to build strategies for long-term impact and growth.

about
ABOUT THE BELLA GROUP

With over 40 years’ of experience in the sector, The Bella Group offers expert guidance with an insider’s understanding of your strengths and challenges.  We offer consulting in the areas of Strategic Planning, Fundraising, Governance, Interim Executive Management, and Coaching. 

“Kathy is wonderful! She established significantly better governance, created more cohesion and structure, established a positive Board culture, promoted Board philanthropy and helped define the organization’s core values, among others.  Kathy is very skilled, highly credible, very personable and gets things done. Hiring Kathy was one of the best investments the organization could have made. I’d hire her again in a heartbeat. " 

 - William Rogers, President and CEO, Goodwill SF Bay

OUR SERVICES
STRATEGIC PLANNING
  • Involves your board, staff and constituents in crafting a plan for the future of your organization

  • Focuses on where your organization stands within its life cycle and the areas that need most attention

  • Builds your prowess in ensuring sustainability and growth

  • Helps you to increase your social impact

FUNDRAISING
  • Provides plans and counsel for increasing your fundraising success

  • Helps you build support for operations, capital needs, endowment, and special projects

  • Coaches your board and senior staff to build their success in raising private support for your organization

  • Employs best practices from the nonprofit sector, based on ensured strategies for success

GOVERNANCE
  • Strengthens your governance structure

  • Helps you optimize your board’s skills and experience to strengthen your mission impact

  • Increases board and staff partnership and respective roles within your organization

  • Provides structure for board recruitment, training and retention

INTERIM EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
  • Provides CEO and Executive Director interim management

  • Smoothly guides your nonprofit through this significant period of change

  • Provides organization-wide leadership to board and staff on all strategic and operational issues

  • Readies your organization for the next staff executive leader

COACHING
  • One-on-one coaching sessions

  • Focuses on a work plan tailored to your goals

  • Helps you to increase your leadership abilities

  • Guides you in successfully overcoming professional and organizational challenges

SERVICES

"During my tenure as Vice President of Programs at California Wellness Foundation, Kathy provided strategic guidance during a critical time for our start-up endeavor. Her keen insight, substantial experience and thoughtful approach gave us the roadmap and the confidence we needed to meet our goals. We learned a lot from Kathy -- lessons that we continue to use."

- Fatima Angeles, Executive Director, Levi Strauss Foundation

TEAM
THE TEAM
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Katherine Bella, Principal

 

Kathy has served the nonprofit sector for more than 40 years, working in the roles of consultant, nonprofit board member, chief executive officer, chief strategy officer and chief development officer. Her unique style encompasses her 360-degree perspective to best serve The Bella Group’s clients and their needs. She has worked with all types of nonprofits throughout her career, with broad annual budget sizes and mission scopes that are local, regional, statewide, national and international.

 

Kathy’s educational background includes completing the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and the Executive Leadership Program at the University of California Berkeley, Haas School of Business. She holds master of social work and bachelor of science degrees from the University of Connecticut, with concentrated studies in community organizing, nonprofit administration, and human development. In 2020, Kathy was named the Hank Rosso Outstanding Fundraising Executive at the Bay Area’s National Philanthropy Day awards ceremony.

 

Associate Consultants

 

The Bella Group has worked for nearly 20 years with a broad spectrum of talented associate consultants whose specialties include planning, fundraising, research, writing and graphic design. We tailor our team for your project based on the set of people and skills that will most aid your goals.

NONPROFIT CLIENT LIST

ARTS & CULTURE

Community School of Music and Arts

CuriOdyssey

Galeria de la Raza

Ghiberti Foundation

Hayward Public Library 

Heyday Institute

Independent Television Service (ITVS)

International Museum of Women

Luther Burbank Home and Gardens

Maybeck Foundation

Mechanics’ Institute

Palace of Fine Arts

Redwood City Library Foundation

San Francisco Art Institute

San Jose Repertory Theatre

San Mateo Public Library Foundation

Stockton Symphony

The Shakespeare Theater

EDUCATION

Aim High

Community School of Music and Arts

Dominican University

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology

Environmental Volunteers

Envision Schools

ISKME (Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education)

Oakland Promise

Omega Boys Club

San Francisco Art Institute

Schools OnLine

University of California San Francisco

HEALTH

Alliance for Seriously Ill Children

American Academy of Ophthalmology Foundation

Brookside Community Health Center

Children’s Health Council

Community Health Centers of the Central Coast

Community Clinics Consortium

George Mark Children’s House

Golden Valley Health Centers

Hoag Hospital Foundation

Lifelong Medical Care

Mendocino Coast Clinics

Mission Neighborhood Health Center

Population Association of America

Population Media Center

San Francisco General Hospital Foundation

That Man May See

360:  The Positive Care Center at UCSF

University of California San Francisco

RELIGION

Dominican University

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology

Episcopal Charities

Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco

Osher Marin Jewish Community Center

Peninsula Jewish Community Center

St. Dominic’s Church

St. John’s Church - Ross

The Bishop’s Ranch

CIVIC AFFAIRS & ADVOCACY

American Immigration Law Foundation

Ashby Village

Asian Law Caucus

Billy DeFrank Lesbian and Gay Community Center

Center for Independent Living

Center for Investigative Reporting

Child Care Law Center

Chinatown Community Development Center

City of Mill Valley

Commonwealth Club of California

Community Working Group

California Evergreen Project

Earthjustice

Girl Scouts of Northern California

Junior Statesmen Foundation

Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center

Mission Economic Development Agency

Oakland 4-H

Osher Marin Jewish Community Center

Palo Alto Humane Society

Population Association of America

Population Media Center

PRC

Resolution Institute

San Francisco LGBT Center

San Francisco SPCA

Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce

Save-The-Redwoods League

Senior Net

Sustainable Ventures

The Bay Citizen

The California Network

Town of San Anselmo

Upwardly Global

FOUNDATIONS

Draper Richards Foundation

Full Circle Fund

Hope and Heal Fund: The Fund to Reduce Gun Violence in California

 John and Wauna Harman Foundation

New Venture Fund

REDF (Roberts Enterprise Development Fund)

The Energy Foundation

Tides Foundation

Women’s Funding Network

HUMAN SERVICES

American Red Cross, Bay Area Chapter

Animal Rescue Foundation

Child Care Coordinating Council

Edgewood Center for Children and Families

Family Service Agency of San Francisco

Family Service Agency of San Mateo County

Goodwill of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties

Goodwill Industries of Santa Clara County

HomeSafe

Independent Adoption Center

Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley

Kids’ Country

Living Unlimited

Project Hired

San Francisco Senior Centers

Sor Juana Ines

YMCA of the Mid-Peninsula

Youth Power

CLIENTS

"I have had the honor and privilege to work with Katherine over the past several years. Her leadership led to the creation of a new strategic plan for the Friends of the SFPL, which has achieved greater alignment for supporting the mission of the San Francisco Public Library."

- Michael Lambert, City Librarian, City of San Francisco

CONTACT
CONTACT THE BELLA GROUP
katherine_bella@comcast.net
v: 415.242.6100  |   f: 415.242.6200

We partner with nonprofits, foundations, and their leaders to build strategies for long-term impact and growth.

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