Meet the Team
The path to nonprofit consulting is never typically straight, smooth, or predictable. But our team’s passion for serving communities and answering the calls of justice is longstanding and deeply ingrained. The Bixel Group is a culmination of stories that began in childhood and led to professional opportunities within the nonprofit, mission-driven space.
Vicki Bixel
Vicki’s story began early – at birth, really. Her path was paved by her parents’ and their friends’ desire to help. Help the less fortunate, help those with I/DD, and help neighbors and strangers find ways in which their own lives could be just a bit better than the days before.
On August 22, 2005, at the age of 27, with only four years of consulting experience, Vicki’s world turned upside down following the sudden death of her father, the CEO of Semple Bixel, a consulting firm founded in 1976. His tragic accident created a major curve in her road … and she bent towards it, learning fast and meeting the call of the firm’s clients and staff, and succeeding her father as CEO.
Today, Vicki has helped hundreds of tri-state and national nonprofits to raise millions of dollars. Thoughtful planning, strategic approaches, results based on experience, and with confidence in her ability to adjust as circumstances evolve for clients, Vicki is now embracing her next chapter as CEO of The Bixel Group.
“My first memory of fundraising was selling candy for my grammar school. The choices were M&M’s, Hershey’s (plain and almond), and Nestle Crunch. They cost 50 cents each. Because I was born into a family of fundraisers and nonprofit leaders, I had no choice but to create a gift chart, write a case for support for new chalkboards, target prospective candy buyers based on their work schedules, and reach and exceed goal. I was 8.
Teaching is where I began my professional career. And what I learned from my students is what I carry today when working with our clients.”
Maureen Prout Alvidrez, CFRE
I grew up with a tradition of service. It was an integral part of my church and school experiences as outreach opportunities presented to be of help to others in and beyond the immediate community and also to participate in activities and in doing so, learn leadership skills. I continually sought opportunities to engage in various capacities in the communities I found myself in. When a career change provided for me to shift to the nonprofit sector, I was eager to learn more through my work and pursue graduate work with a focus on mission-based organizations. At this point, I determined that my strengths would be of value to nonprofits and that it was fulfilling work for me.
I’ve observed that what nonprofit organizations need to operate effectively & efficiently with sound financials has grown more complex as funders have evolved, government budgets have tightened, communications have advanced, and the needs to be served in both proximate and broader communities have increased. There are greater burdens for nonprofit leaders to bear as they continually endeavor to meet the needs. Aligning operations and programming to strategic plans inclusive of achievable fundraising goals and comprehensive communications is necessary to ensure a nonprofit’s impact from year to year. Systems matter, planning matters, and respectfully sharing how the organization fulfills its mission are all integral to a nonprofit’s success. Over the course of more than ten years of consulting engagements, I have come to fully understand that passion for a cause is not enough; nonprofits benefit from a degree of professionalism as well as expertise to facilitate short- and long-term forward momentum.
My perspective is connected to my optimistic and hopeful outlook on life which energizes my determination to contribute to efforts that collectively make life better for others and for our world at large.
Amy Fiore
I began my career as an arts administrator after a realization that I could serve the creative community better by supporting artists rather than only by being one. This was spurred by a fundamental belief that the arts and education are the keys to a better society, where the population is encouraged to question the status quo and children are taught to think analytically and philosophically. Combined, this inspired my focus on strategy, training, and planning.
When I was in-house at nonprofit organizations, I never liked consultants. It felt like I was being dragged into my ED’s long therapy sessions with a stranger, and left with a long to-do list that was never going to help solve my pressing needs or challenges. When I became a consultant, I vowed to be different.
First, I aim to listen and challenge whatever assumptions I have going in. I believe that part of my job is to investigate the root of organizational concerns like an unbiased detective, and present a balanced point of view. Next, I aim to give a voice to the staff, volunteers, and clients who are deeply affected by programming, mission and decisions, but don’t always have influence. Creating feedback loops, psychological safety, and transparency is key to healthy organizations, and a strategic plan or retreat must take all of those into account. Last, I aim to be real. Sometimes that results in a transformational vision for an organization and sometimes it results in telling them that everyone just needs to learn how to use the damn CRM. I want to provide practical counsel. I want to make sure the recommendations I provide actually make a difference. I want to talk to clients like real people and have them feel comfortable enough to confide in me because it’s the only way to understand what needs fixing.
Really, I just want to poke the status quo, break down power imbalances, improve efficiencies, and call out toxicity so good people can do good work.
Together, we are eager to help your organization reach its goals.
