Derek Birnie

I have always been an idealist, and have done more than my fair share of tilting at windmills. Perhaps it's the judgment dutifully wrung from a series of hard knocks, or perhaps its urgency born of my awareness of a closing window, but I've come to appreciate actually getting things done. I have less patience for activities that don't actually gain traction and effect change in the world.

That doesn't mean I've retrenched and lowered my sights. Rather, I'm drawn to ambitious efforts that have plans, resources, and people to succeed.

That spirit drives me at my partners at Altruist Partners. We help nonprofits transform into powerful social enterprises. We partner with funders and work side-by-side with clients to create high-performing, high-growth organizations delivering effective solutions at the necessary scale. Our clients range from startups and small community organizations to leading regional, national and global nonprofits. All have one thing in common: they seek not just to survive, but to solve the problems they address.

It also inspired the founding of two other endeavors: Community Strategies, which serves enterprises whose success depends on strategic community alignment, and EZVuer, which harnesses emerging technologies to help stakeholders envision and engage with plans for the built environment.

Got an ambitious vision? Ready to get real about what it will take? Let's talk!