OMG CENTER FOR COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
“She knows our culture and our business…”

 
Gerri Spilka
Executive Director

“We’re not your usual nonprofit,” says Gerri Spilka, Executive Director, describing the OMG Center for Collaborative Learning. The nationally-renowned consulting group provides research and evaluation services for dozens of nonprofits, foundations and governmental agencies, working in a wide array of fields. Established in Philadelphia in 1988, and with a new office in the California Bay Area, OMG’s diverse team of professionals works throughout the country to develop, strategize and evaluate collaborative, innovative solutions that address quality of life issues. OMG’s areas of expertise include: children, youth and families; education; arts; leadership; community building; human service systems; the environment; and electronic media policy.

OMG’s finances are complex. In addition to its own $4.5 million operating budget, the organization serves as a fiscal agent for other nonprofits, receives pass-through funds and re-grants millions of dollars. On a typical day, some 33 projects are in the works and must be accounted for. “There’s a lot of bookkeeping involved,” says Spilka.

YPTC’s Manager Anna Jungclaus serves as OMG’s controller two days a week. “She operates like a contracted CFO. We really consider Anna a wonderful sounding board and financial advisor, she helps us with our planning and strategies, and we value her seasoned experience,” says Spilka. “Anna’s superb, precise, she knows our culture and our business, and she’s extremely competent and talented.”

Your Part-Time Controller was brought in to conduct an assessment of OMG’s financial systems during a transitional period. Even though OMG specializes in evaluating other organizations’ programs, the financial assessment was “traumatic,” says Spilka. “But we learned a lot, and since we implemented the new systems we’ve had wonderful financial and project management.

“I have really fine-grained tools now to manage our finances on a monthly basis. We might be getting to the point where we have to hire someone full-time, but that would cost significantly more than we need to spend. Your Part-Time Controller has a really efficient financial model,” says Spilka. “I swear by the model. I think they’re terrific.”