MISSION

Effective Leadership Advisors (ELA) Nonprofit Consulting leverages the brain power of Senior Consultants and Advanced Technologies to answer research and practice questions based on best evidence, for the public good.

ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS

ELA is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit incorporated in Maine, USA.

ADVISING

Professional, Academic & Organizational Leadership; Conflict Management 

Do you have a research or practice question that your team has not been able to adequately answer or not willing to spend the money on or wish to develop your program or professional knowledge, skills and abilities?

ELA Nonprofit Consulting teaches nonprofit organizations, public servants, students as well as other individuals, optimal applied social science, medical and legal research strategies and tactics in the face of increasingly complex and challenging environments. We provide our clients with extremely cost-effective research and practice answers, on a sliding scale, based on their income. In addition, we research and teach professional, academic and organizational leadership as well as conflict management. We advise nonprofit organizations, public servants, students and other individuals who are facing barriers to advancement in areas related to your question or your mission. We lead professional development education for aspiring and current public servants.

Advanced Applied Research

We are fixers. We fix your information-based puzzles and problems as fast and effectively as anyone can. In advising nonprofit organizations, public servants and students, ELA leverages the brain power of Senior Consultants and Advanced Technologies for applied research, including but not limited to Computer-Assisted Quantitative Data Analysis Software, Generative Artificial Intelligence, and electronic libraries and databases.

Nonprofit Governance

• Board bylaws auditing, revision, and compliance review

• Board member onboarding, orientation, and self-evaluation

• Committee design and restructuring (Finance, Audit, Governance, and others)

• Conflict-of-interest policy development for boards and senior staff

• Board recruitment and diversity strategy

• Executive director and CEO governance coaching

• Succession planning for board leadership and key staff

• CEO/Executive Director performance evaluation frameworks

• Executive compensation policy review and IRS intermediate sanctions compliance

• Form 990 review for board-level accountability

• State and federal charitable registration and reporting guidance

• Governance risk assessment and mitigation

• Whistleblower and document retention policy development

• Grant compliance oversight advising

• Mission and vision review facilitation

• Strategic planning retreats with governance-focused facilitation

• Organizational benchmarking and peer research

• Merger, affiliation, and dissolution advising

Internship Program Creation & Management

• Organizational readiness assessment for hosting interns

• Internship program charter and goal-setting

• Intern role description and scope-of-work design

• Supervision frameworks and accountability structures

• Program policies covering conduct, confidentiality, remote work, and accessibility

• Paid, unpaid, and academic credit compliance guidance

• University and college partnership development for intern pipelines

• Equity-centered recruitment and selection processes

• Intern onboarding curricula

• Mentor-matching protocols

• Learning agreements and academic credit coordination

• End-of-term evaluation and program assessment

• Intern-to-employment conversion pathway advising

• Internship stipend grant-writing support

• Program benchmarking against sector best practices

• Intern alumni engagement strategy

College, Graduate School & Scholarship Placement Advising

• Academic profile assessment and college list development

• Course selection and AP/IB strategy

• Common Application, Coalition Application, and school-specific portal guidance

• Personal statement coaching and multi-draft editing

• Supplemental essay advising for individual schools

• Alumni interview and campus visit preparation

• Financial aid guidance, FAFSA support, and award letter comparison

• Gap year, deferral, and waitlist strategy

• Graduate and professional school placement (law, MBA, MSW, public policy, and others)

• Test preparation strategy for LSAT, GMAT, GRE, and MCAT

• Statement of purpose and diversity essay editing

• Recommender selection and briefing strategy

• Program fit and faculty alignment research

• Graduate school interview coaching (MMI, panel, and one-on-one formats)

• Nationally competitive fellowship advising: Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Truman, Gates, Udall, and Goldwater

• Institutional nomination portfolio preparation

• Fellowship essay, research proposal, and project statement editing

• Fellowship interview preparation

• Graduate funding, assistantship, and loan forgiveness research

Nonprofit Legal Advising
(Legal services provided by licensed attorneys on the ELA team)

• Legal entity selection for new nonprofits

• IRS Form 1023 and 1023-EZ preparation for 501(c)(3) status

• State charitable registration and multi-jurisdiction annual reporting

• State attorney general oversight compliance

• Unrelated business income tax (UBIT) analysis and risk mitigation

• Lobbying and political activity compliance (IRC §501(h) elections and 501(c)(4) considerations)

• Fiscal sponsorship structure advising

• Vendor, consultant, and service contract review

• Worker classification advising (employee vs. independent contractor)

• Executive employment agreement review and drafting

• Gift acceptance policy and restricted fund compliance

• Grant agreement review and risk identification

• Intellectual property ownership and licensing advising

• Merger, affiliation, and dissolution legal guidance

• Restorative justice framework integration for organizational policy and programming

• Juvenile justice reform research and strategy

• Legal advocacy campaign and coalition-building strategy

• Youth-serving nonprofit program design within the juvenile justice system

Medical Advocacy & Healthcare Navigation
(Informational and navigational only; not medical diagnosis or treatment advice)

• Diagnosis research synthesis using peer-reviewed and clinical literature

• Treatment option and clinical trial evaluation frameworks

• Medical appointment preparation and question development

• Physician and specialist communication coaching

• Centers of excellence and leading specialist identification

• Second opinion and referral navigation

• Medical error and adverse event reporting guidance

• Insurance coverage dispute and claim denial advising

• Prior authorization strategy and appeals support

• Patient rights under ADA, ACA, HIPAA, FMLA, and state law

• Access to Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, SSDI, and state disability programs

• Healthcare proxy, advance directive, and medical power of attorney guidance

• Pharmaceutical assistance, compassionate use, and patient access program research

• Nonprofit patient advocacy program design and staff training

• Social determinants of health research for mission-driven organizations

• Health equity and community health navigation grant advising

• Healthcare policy tracking at the state and federal level

Advising Fees

ELA offers a sliding-scale fee schedule based on organizational or personal income. 

Effective Leadership Advisors

Mary Centellas, Attorney-at-Law: Juvenile & Restorative Justice.

Abraham Sarmiento: Information Technology & Security.

Jon R. Zemans, MBA: Nonprofit Governance.

Adam R. Zemans, Attorney-at-Law (JD, MSW, MS): Nonprofit Governance, Conflict Resolution Design & Implementation, Conflict Coaching & Strategy, Negotiation, and College Application, Scholarship & Fellowship Advising, Advanced Electronic Research.

PUBLISHING

ELA publishes news and articles deemed relevant to your mission. 

Disclaimer

ELA utilizes Webglot for automatic translations of English text into Spanish. While we edit and address any potential misspellings, the system has limitations. Please exercise discretion when using this translated text to prevent misrepresentation.