Albany, NY (July 18, 2018) – Governance Matters, Inc., an affiliate of the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) has recently merged with charitySTRONG, Inc., a prominent New York State-specific digital nonprofit board recruitment and education platform.
Governance Matters’ services, including personalized board placement, a national digital recruitment platform, board consulting, and in-person educational trainings, will be bolstered and expanded by the complimentary offerings of charitySTRONG, which include a digital matching database, e-learning modules, and an extensive resource library. All services provided by both nonprofits are now merged under the Governance Matters brand.
In addition, because Governance Matters is part of the NYCON family of organizations, clients can easily access insurance and benefits products, legal advice, strategic planning services, merger and affiliation assistance, financial management consultation, and fiscal sponsorship services.
According to Governance Matters’ board chair, David Birdsell, “For the first time, New York State will have access to a one-stop shop for everything that makes nonprofit boards successful. From Montauk to Buffalo, Governance Matters will connect, and provide nonprofits access to, diverse board candidates with a passion to serve, while helping boards make best use of the talent around the table, and preparing new board members to serve as effectively as possible. Everyone will have access to the full spectrum of services available, but we are encouraging communities and organizations to customize and utilize the tools and features that best meet their needs. That’s the beauty of having such a comprehensive spectrum of service offerings.”
The newly merged organization is positioned to provide region-specific, outcome-driven programming and reporting to communities across the state, measuring board engagement, training outcomes and more. Active advisory committees have already convened in Buffalo and New York City. In the coming months, additional councils are expected to launch in the Greater Rochester and Greater Syracuse regions.
“When we launched charitySTRONG in late 2016, we were responding to an expressed need for support of nonprofit boards in their recruitment efforts. That was validated very quickly as participation in charitySTRONG has exceeded our expectations resulting in more than 79 matches statewide,” said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo and founding Chair of the charitySTRONG Board of Directors. “This merger between charitySTRONG and Governance Matters is an exciting opportunity to expand service offerings to strengthen nonprofit Boards and accelerate the fulfillment of their missions.”
“This merger is an important advancement for nonprofits across the state,” stated Doug Sauer, CEO of NYCON and Governance Matters. “An informed, engaged and diverse Board of Directors is the cornerstone of an effective nonprofit. Creating a one-stop shop for quality board building services that is highly accessible to diverse board candidates and nonprofits of all sizes will create stronger communities.”
About NYCON
NYCON and its affiliates work to develop and promote an effective, vibrant charitable community in New York State. With close to 3,000 nonprofit members, NYCON strengthens the organizational capacity of nonprofits, acts as an advocate and unifying voice, helps to inform philanthropic giving, and conducts research to demonstrate the relevance and impact of nonprofits. NYCON provides practical solutions to nonprofit challenges of all kinds. We offer a complete continuum of services through NYCON, Governance Matters, Council Services Plus, and Innovative Charitable Initiatives.
Media Contact:
For questions related to the merger or the NYCON family’s many nonprofit services contact Emily Cote, Vice President of Communications & Engagement, at (800) 515-5012 x121 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
To Get Started:
To access the charitySTRONG digital board-matching platform, visit www.charitystrong.org
For in-person trainings, consulting and personalized board placement opportunities, contact Governance Matters at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
To sign up for NYCON membership or to access other NYCON services, contact NYCON Member Services at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
