Hi, I’m Karen Mahler, Psy.D. and I’m an independent consultant to the nonprofit sector. If you’ve landed here, it's probably because you have a big idea you want to see to fruition and you need some help to move things along. It might be a new program model you’d like to develop or an initiative you want to summarize and reflect on. Perhaps you need to create a logic model and fine-tune your assessment strategy, plan a convening or move a task force toward concrete recommendations. If you are looking for someone who is well-informed about the sector, an astute listener, analytical thinker and strategic communicator who will responsibly steward your project towards success, I can help.
ABOUT ME
I bring more than 25 years of nonprofit experience to my consulting work. I have held positions in strategy, development, planning and communications, in organizations serving youth, promoting health and addressing reentry. I began my professional life as a psychologist, so a diagnostic mindset is often at the core of my work; I am known for asking thought-provoking questions that help bring clarity and focus to complex challenges. I am strategic and resourceful, and expert at capturing a team’s best thinking to craft and operationalize solutions. I strive to keep my work grounded in research and informed by practitioner expertise.
SERVICES
PLANNING & FACILITATION
Planning is difficult work. Whether your organization is seeking to clarify its purpose, develop a new program model or take on a larger systemic challenge, I can bring perspective, an ear for nuance, and the capacity to hold ambiguity. I love to get down in the weeds to help teams surface critical ideas, break through impassess and discover alignments that can move their work forward. Projects might include:
Strategic planning
New program development
Task force facilitation
Mission/Vision/Values development
Logic models & theory of change
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
I’m a data nerd at heart. Give me a chance to make sense out of a cache of raw information and I'm in heaven. Whether you need a literature review, a deep dive on best practices and model programs, or a comprehensive understanding of an initiative’s impact, I can help. Teasing out clarity from complexity requires a solid tool-kit: The capacity to ask the right questions of the right people, leading with curiosity, and inviting alternative perspectives are all in mine. I can provide the research you need to build understanding, make critical decisions and demonstrate results. I can take on:
Program research using surveys, focus groups and stakeholder interviews
Assessment audits
Survey development
Field scans
WRITING
When you need to get your message out - to influence, educate or mobilize constituents and stakeholders - I can make sure it's concise and compelling. I’ve written for every conceivable audience, so I can invoke the precise tone you need to ensure clarity and impact. I can help you with:
Concept papers
Annual reports
Issue briefs
Grant proposals
Advocacy materials
Op-Eds
Website text
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Satisfied clients say nice things about me!