Greenlights
Many nonprofit goups urgently need guidance in management and governance issues. To address this need, a group of local funders, nonprofit leaders, and community volunteers founded in 2001. Today, Greenlights supports more than 800 organizations in Central Texas through a wide range of programs and services.
Greenlights serves five key “pain points" felt by nonprofits: Financial Management, Resource Development, Board Excellence, Leadership Advancement, and Strategy & Planning. Greenlights focuses on serving nonprofits in Central Texas, which includes Travis, Caldwell, Hays, Bastrop, and Williamson counties.
The overarching theme of Greenlights’ 2008-2010 Strategic Plan is “Creating Impact – Providing Leadership – Modeling Excellence." This strategic plan focuses on improving the performance and the impact of nonprofits in Central Texas through:
- Focusing services on the areas of greatest need
- Serving more nonprofits
- Serving more impactful nonprofits
- Increasing leadership role in the sector
Greenlights offers both “high-touch" customized services and more standardized services/products to achieve the greatest, most efficient impact on the nonprofit community. Thought Leadership Areas, Greenlights conducts cutting-edge research on trends, as well as develop and publishing research and analysis papers either independently or via the local media. Greenlights also investing in innovative programs or services, and seeks out funding for these activities.
Greenlights is currently managed by Executive Director Matt Kouri. Matt joined Greenlights in 2007 after spending more than 11 years working to improve the public and nonprofit sectors across the country. Matt most recently worked as a Senior Manager with Deloitte Consulting, where he focused on serving nonprofit and governmental clients. He launched a K-12 education nonprofit in Dallas, managed the changeover of two state Medicaid programs, and guided the largest government agency consolidation in Texas history. The current chair of Greenlights is Suzanna Caballero, senior Vice President of Wachovia Bank in Austin. Ms. Caballero has more than 30 years of banking experience in the Austin area. In addition to being the chair of Greenlights, she also is the Chair of Communities in School of Central Texas and Advisory Director of Caritas of Austin. She also serves as a Voice for the Austin philanthropy website I Live Here, I Give Here.