The Nonprofit Strategy Revolution

DAVID LA PIANA is founder and president of La Piana Consulting, a firm specializing in solutions to the strategic issues faced by nonprofit organizations and their funders. Recognized as a leading expert on nonprofit management and governance, David has worked extensively with funders and nonprofits in all sub-sectors.  He has also taught at the University of San Francisco’s Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management and at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

A popular speaker and teacher, David is a regular contributor to the national dialogue on nonprofit and foundation effectiveness.  David has written articles and op ed pieces for major newspapers, and is frequently interviewed by the media for his opinions on trends in the sector. 

David coined the term “strategic restructuring” to refer to the continuum of partnerships—including mergers, joint ventures, consolidations and joint programming—through which nonprofits attempt to anticipate or respond to environmental threats and opportunities. He works closely with major foundations and national nonprofits to promote an understanding of strategic restructuring and the effective use of nonprofit boards of directors.

Experience

Since 1979 David has worked in the nonprofit sector as a staff member, executive director, trainer, consultant, and board member. A former VISTA volunteer, he has held senior management positions with the YMCA, The International Institute, and East Bay Agency for Children, a human services agency which grew ten-fold under his leadership. David has received awards for his work from both the California State Assembly and the mayor of Oakland, California. He is a Fellow of the Salzburg Seminar, where he participated in an international seminar on “Race and Ethnicity,” with fellowship support from the Kellogg Foundation.

Education
David received his Master of Public Administration degree in nonprofit organization management from the University of San Francisco, and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in Comparative Literature from the University of California at Berkeley.  He has also studied at University of California at San Diego, and at the University of Madrid, Spain. David and his wife Mary, a psychotherapist, recently celebrated their 28th anniversary. They have two teenage daughters and a dog named Cody. In his spare time David will read just about anything. He recently finished his first (as yet unpublished) novel, and he enjoys hiking, skiing, and cooking for friends and family.

David is available for interviews and speaking engagements. Click here for contact information.