Staff discuss their responses at the 2023 Catholic Multicultural Center Planning Retreat
“Jeff brought a wealth of experience and a thoughtful approach that helped us navigate complex organizational challenges and chart a clear path forward. Our organization now has a stronger foundation for decision-making and a renewed sense of purpose. With a clear roadmap in place, we are better equipped to serve our community, support our staff, and expand our impact. Jeff’s expertise and professionalism have been instrumental in this process, and we highly recommend him to any organization seeking thoughtful and effective strategic planning facilitation.” –Steve Maurice, Executive Director, Catholic Multicultural Center
Staff and board at the 2023 planning retreat for Access to Independence
“Access to Independence worked with Jeff to develop our three-year strategic plan. Balancing several priorities related to fiscal and organizational growth, advocacy, equity and inclusion, and the growth and impact of our programs, was no easy task. Jeff was effective in making sure all of the staff and board members were involved, and that the finished plan was reflective of that effort. What was incredibly helpful to me as an executive director was the tracking tool that Jeff provided, along with guidance for monitoring the progress of our goals and activities.” –Jason Beloungy, Executive Director, Access to Independence
Sandy Morales, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County
“Jeff engaged our staff and board in meaningful discussions, ensuring their voices were heard in shaping our direction. With his guidance, we tackled key priorities and implement technology-driven solutions, improving our operations and increasing efficiency. Thanks to Jeff’s strategic approach, we now have a clear roadmap for growth, stronger community engagement, and sustainable funding strategies. We’re incredibly grateful for his leadership and highly recommend him to any organization looking to refine their vision and maximize impact.” – Sandy Morales, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County
Monroe Street Arts Center staff and board at their 2024 retreat
“Jeff was extremely helpful in facilitating a strategic plan for our organization. He used his insight and experience to walk us through the process from start to finish, offering an objective lens to identifying strategic initiatives for our organization to focus on. He made the process smooth and efficient while also being sure to take into account the thoughts and opinions of all of the key stakeholders that would be impacted by our efforts. Thank you, Jeff!” – Carey Zawlocki, Director, Monroe Street Arts Center
“Jeff walked us through each step of the strategic planning process. He was transparent, insightful and acted as an unbiased third party. Jeff was always willing to provide further explanations or help if we weren’t sure how to proceed. Without Jeff’s help, I don’t believe we would have the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based) goals that we do and am proud to say we are continuing to work through our plan and will continue to do so for the next three years. I highly recommend Jeff!” – Trista Richards, Business Manager, Monroe Street Arts Center
“Jeff led an impactful offsite aimed at defining our organizational values and our strategic initiatives. During the initial planning and offsite, he asked important questions to help us better define our goals and the incremental steps we needed to take to be successful. His commitment to our organization’s success was demonstrated through his extensive preparation, the type of activities he planned during the offsite, the strategic plan itself, and the tools he provided to ensure we could confidently execute our initiatives. With his support, we have been successful in re-branding the organization, hiring an Executive Director, moving closer to the launch of a capital campaign, increasing awareness around the importance of this project, and so many other things. We are tremendously fortunate to have Jeff as a partner in defining our roadmap.” – Sarah Neujahr, board president, Madison LakeWay Partners
“Jeff’s insights were colored with compassion and grounded in practicality. Jeff asked the right questions, listened intently, and provided valuable insights without ever losing sight of our mission. I appreciated having an insightful peer with whom I could confidentially explore solutions to complex but by no means unique challenges. His kind-hearted sense of humor was deeply appreciated as well.” – Christina Martin-Wright, Executive Director, Arts for All Wisconsin
“Jeff is an incredibly passionate advocate for so many social causes. He is always eager to share his insight and expertise with those in our community who need and deserve his support, especially in the areas of strategy, coaching and leadership. He graciously donated his time as a webinar speaker highlighting the topic of Keys to Successful Grants and Appeals. The audience took away a number of practical, actionable recommendations to further advance their fundraising efforts. Jeff and Mission Forward have lifted and guided many nonprofit missions to achieve a more profound level of community impact.” – Val Hartjes, VP Community Engagement, Park Bank
“Jeff did a great job listening to our unique circumstances and needs, outlining a plan with concrete deliverables, and implementing the plan. We are confident we are on a path of progress moving forward and Jeff helped us navigate with experience, knowledge, and skill. It was very helpful to have a committed third-party expert at the table with us to reflect on where we most needed attention and give us tools and training to immediately put into practice.” – Justin Markofski, Executive Director, Northside Planning Council
“I have known Jeff Burkhart over decades and continue to be impressed with his innovative, results-oriented leadership. Jeff is deeply intelligent, yet practical and approachable. Jeff intuitively builds best practices by embracing new ideas, partners and fresh collaborative strategies. If you are looking to plan your next campaign, organizational strategy or grow your board and your team, Jeff should be your coach. He will inspire and elevate you and your organization to excellence!” – Jeanan Yasiri Moe, Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
“Jeff’s expertise in strategic planning was invaluable for the staff and board at the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters. He spent a lot of time listening to us share information about our history, current challenges and opportunities, and our diverse perspectives on the future of the Academy. Jeff created a process that is unique to our organization. Jeff also provided great insights from his long experience in nonprofit work, enabling us take practical steps to improve our programs and internal systems.”- Lizzie Condon, Director of Science and Climate Programs, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters
“Over the last decade, I have had the pleasure of working with Jeff as a donor, volunteer and on development and capital campaigns and even event-planning. Jeff’s professionalism and interpersonal skills shine no matter what task, and he approaches undertakings large or small with enthusiasm, confidence and a joie de vivre that inspire everyone around him. He sees the big picture and he listens. Any organization needing help with strategic planning, board development, capital campaigns or endowments would benefit from his years of experience and long record of success.” – Peter Lundberg, Owner of Janus Galleries, donor and volunteer at Literacy Network
“Jeff has leant his expertise in adult literacy program leadership to several joint projects. He skillfully used his patience and knowledge to guide program directors from different sized programs with varying levels of experience to make strategic decisions for their individual organizations.” – Lauren Osowski, Senior Advocacy, Research and Projects Manager, ProLiteracy
“I’ve never seen a better managed organization, profit or non-profit.”
–Will Hogoboom, Accountant/CFO, speaking about Jeff’s leadership at Literacy Network
“I attended a workshop in 2017 facilitated by Jeff that made a significant impact on my work to this day. Throughout the session he discussed the importance of fostering meaningful connections among agencies, donors and the community at large. As a nonprofit program director, I have implemented several of his constructive techniques including demonstrating impact using learners’ own words, connecting with community influencers and building awareness around society’s most pressing issues. Jeff’s ideas are incredibly practical and easy to implement. Most of all, they are delivered with a passion for building community through connection. I remain inspired and empowered to serve our learners, our agency and our community in a more profound way.” – Stephanie Lyas, Director of Field and ESOL Programs, The Literacy Council of Central Alabama
“We were introduced to Jeff Burkhart by Peter Lundberg in 2013, when Jeff was embarking on the capital campaign that would result in a major increase in the capacity of Literacy Network. The objective was to significantly increase opportunities for advancement to the large number of individuals in Dane County with low literacy skills. We quickly perceived that Jeff had the vision, leadership skills, and commitment to achieve this objective, and we made a lead gift to the capital campaign.
When Jeff became Executive Director of Literacy Network in 2008, its capacity was limited by an annual budget of about $320,000. In 2013, when we met Jeff, the budget had grown to $700,000. The successful capital campaign and Jeff’s subsequent initiatives have resulted in a current annual budget of $2,000,000. This growth in capacity of Literacy Network is a clear testament to Jeff’s leadership.
Jeff is about to change from running his own organization to helping other community organizations to grow and succeed. We highly recommend Jeff in this role. He has experienced many challenges and accomplishments during his 14+ years at Literacy Network, which has equipped him well to help others achieve growth and success. Jeff is particularly skilled at fund raising—the life blood of non-profit organizations. In the last few years we have served on the board of Literacy Network, which has given us extended exposure to his leadership skills. During this time we have observed a high level of communication skills, which will serve him well in his capacity of non-profit consultant.” – Lau and Bea Christensen, Donors and Literacy Network board members
“Jeff is a discerning leader dedicated to helping people, especially through adult education. Jeff became a mentor to me after we met at a ProLiteracy Conference in 2019. Over the years, he has helped me by providing me with a number of tools and lots of advice, and he’s also been a steady source of gentle encouragement. As a former executive director, Jeff knows what it takes to run a successful program. He has walked our path and can advise with real – not theoretical – empathy and knowledge.” – Kim Karesh, CEO, Nashville Literacy
“Jeff has many qualities that make him a strong leader: He’s a strategic thinker, a successful fundraiser and he knows how to get things done. He also has many qualities that make him a strong person: including his deep integrity, broad empathy and wide generosity.” – Bob Sorge, President and CEO, Madison Community Foundation