
Strategic Counsel to Nonprofits
We partner with nonprofits, foundations, and their leaders to build strategies for long-term impact and growth.
ABOUT THE BELLA GROUP
With over 40 years’ of experience in the sector, The Bella Group offers expert guidance with an insider’s understanding of your strengths and challenges. We offer consulting in the areas of Strategic Planning, Fundraising, Governance, Interim Executive Management, and Coaching.



“Kathy is wonderful! She established significantly better governance, created more cohesion and structure, established a positive Board culture, promoted Board philanthropy and helped define the organization’s core values, among others. Kathy is very skilled, highly credible, very personable and gets things done. Hiring Kathy was one of the best investments the organization could have made. I’d hire her again in a heartbeat. "
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- William Rogers, President and CEO, Goodwill SF Bay
OUR SERVICES
STRATEGIC PLANNING
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Involves your board, staff and constituents in crafting a plan for the future of your organization
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Focuses on where your organization stands within its life cycle and the areas that need most attention
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Builds your prowess in ensuring sustainability and growth
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Helps you to increase your social impact
FUNDRAISING
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Provides plans and counsel for increasing your fundraising success
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Helps you build support for operations, capital needs, endowment, and special projects
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Coaches your board and senior staff to build their success in raising private support for your organization
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Employs best practices from the nonprofit sector, based on ensured strategies for success
GOVERNANCE
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Strengthens your governance structure
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Helps you optimize your board’s skills and experience to strengthen your mission impact
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Increases board and staff partnership and respective roles within your organization
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Provides structure for board recruitment, training and retention
INTERIM EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
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Provides CEO and Executive Director interim management
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Smoothly guides your nonprofit through this significant period of change
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Provides organization-wide leadership to board and staff on all strategic and operational issues
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Readies your organization for the next staff executive leader
COACHING
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One-on-one coaching sessions
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Focuses on a work plan tailored to your goals
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Helps you to increase your leadership abilities
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Guides you in successfully overcoming professional and organizational challenges



"During my tenure as Vice President of Programs at California Wellness Foundation, Kathy provided strategic guidance during a critical time for our start-up endeavor. Her keen insight, substantial experience and thoughtful approach gave us the roadmap and the confidence we needed to meet our goals. We learned a lot from Kathy -- lessons that we continue to use."
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- Fatima Angeles, Executive Director, Levi Strauss Foundation
THE TEAM

Katherine Bella, Principal
Kathy has served the nonprofit sector for more than 40 years, working in the roles of consultant, nonprofit board member, chief executive officer, chief strategy officer and chief development officer. Her unique style encompasses her 360-degree perspective to best serve The Bella Group’s clients and their needs. She has worked with all types of nonprofits throughout her career, with broad annual budget sizes and mission scopes that are local, regional, statewide, national and international.
Kathy’s educational background includes completing the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and the Executive Leadership Program at the University of California Berkeley, Haas School of Business. She holds master of social work and bachelor of science degrees from the University of Connecticut, with concentrated studies in community organizing, nonprofit administration, and human development. In 2020, Kathy was named the Hank Rosso Outstanding Fundraising Executive at the Bay Area’s National Philanthropy Day awards ceremony.
Associate Consultants
The Bella Group has worked for nearly 20 years with a broad spectrum of talented associate consultants whose specialties include planning, fundraising, research, writing and graphic design. We tailor our team for your project based on the set of people and skills that will most aid your goals.
NONPROFIT CLIENT LIST
ARTS & CULTURE
Community School of Music and Arts
CuriOdyssey
Galeria de la Raza
Ghiberti Foundation
Hayward Public Library
Heyday Institute
Independent Television Service (ITVS)
International Museum of Women
Luther Burbank Home and Gardens
Maybeck Foundation
Mechanics’ Institute
Palace of Fine Arts
Redwood City Library Foundation
San Francisco Art Institute
San Jose Repertory Theatre
San Mateo Public Library Foundation
Stockton Symphony
The Shakespeare Theater
EDUCATION
Aim High
Community School of Music and Arts
Dominican University
Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
Environmental Volunteers
Envision Schools
ISKME (Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education)
Oakland Promise
Omega Boys Club
San Francisco Art Institute
Schools OnLine
University of California San Francisco
HEALTH
Alliance for Seriously Ill Children
American Academy of Ophthalmology Foundation
Brookside Community Health Center
Children’s Health Council
Community Health Centers of the Central Coast
Community Clinics Consortium
George Mark Children’s House
Golden Valley Health Centers
Hoag Hospital Foundation
Lifelong Medical Care
Mendocino Coast Clinics
Mission Neighborhood Health Center
Population Association of America
Population Media Center
San Francisco General Hospital Foundation
That Man May See
360: The Positive Care Center at UCSF
University of California San Francisco
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RELIGION
Dominican University
Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
Episcopal Charities
Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco
Osher Marin Jewish Community Center
Peninsula Jewish Community Center
St. Dominic’s Church
St. John’s Church - Ross
The Bishop’s Ranch
CIVIC AFFAIRS & ADVOCACY
American Immigration Law Foundation
Ashby Village
Asian Law Caucus
Billy DeFrank Lesbian and Gay Community Center
Center for Independent Living
Center for Investigative Reporting
Child Care Law Center
Chinatown Community Development Center
City of Mill Valley
Commonwealth Club of California
Community Working Group
California Evergreen Project
Earthjustice
Girl Scouts of Northern California
Junior Statesmen Foundation
Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center
Mission Economic Development Agency
Oakland 4-H
Osher Marin Jewish Community Center
Palo Alto Humane Society
Population Association of America
Population Media Center
PRC
Resolution Institute
San Francisco LGBT Center
San Francisco SPCA
Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce
Save-The-Redwoods League
Senior Net
Sustainable Ventures
The Bay Citizen
The California Network
Town of San Anselmo
Upwardly Global
FOUNDATIONS
Draper Richards Foundation
Full Circle Fund
Hope and Heal Fund: The Fund to Reduce Gun Violence in California
John and Wauna Harman Foundation
New Venture Fund
REDF (Roberts Enterprise Development Fund)
The Energy Foundation
Tides Foundation
Women’s Funding Network
HUMAN SERVICES
American Red Cross, Bay Area Chapter
Animal Rescue Foundation
Child Care Coordinating Council
Edgewood Center for Children and Families
Family Service Agency of San Francisco
Family Service Agency of San Mateo County
Goodwill of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo Counties
Goodwill Industries of Santa Clara County
HomeSafe
Independent Adoption Center
Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley
Kids’ Country
Living Unlimited
Project Hired
San Francisco Senior Centers
Sor Juana Ines
YMCA of the Mid-Peninsula
Youth Power



"I have had the honor and privilege to work with Katherine over the past several years. Her leadership led to the creation of a new strategic plan for the Friends of the SFPL, which has achieved greater alignment for supporting the mission of the San Francisco Public Library."
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- Michael Lambert, City Librarian, City of San Francisco



CONTACT THE BELLA GROUP
katherine_bella@comcast.net
v: 415.242.6100 | f: 415.242.6200
We partner with nonprofits, foundations, and their leaders to build strategies for long-term impact and growth.