In their words: client testimonials

Over the years, hundreds of our clients have shared feedback with us both to thank us for our services and to provide detailed feedback so we can keep improving our practices. Here is a sampling of comments we received from clients across a range of projects.


“"What a TREMENDOUS asset this plan is to GALA, during such a formative time of the organization. And yet the final product seems like just the icing on the cake, the real treasure being the whole process and getting to know the fabulous ESC team and organization. I was reflecting a little about the process at the board meeting, which Lynn Post and Paul Arruda attended, and in a nutshell, I found it very valuable and thought the consultants brought such great skill sets to compliment my visionary nature and sometimes stubborn leadership. We made a great team and hope to stay connected with the consultants as we put this plan into action!””
Josh Arnold, Executive Director, Global Awareness Local Action (GALA)

“On behalf of our Board, the Collaborations Committee, and our management, thank you for your caring and professional help.  Your knowledge was helpful, and your concern for Children’s Friend made a big difference to us.  Getting the votes on the affiliation was made much easier because we could tell all our cooperators and directors about the research you did for us on more than 20 agencies around the state, how we narrowed down the list, did an RFP, and conducted interviews.  We could never have done all that without you.”
Karen E. Ludington, Vice President, Children’s Friend, Inc.

“My experience working with ESC to put together a multi-year strategy exceeded my high expectations. The consultants were professional, knowledgeable, dedicated, thorough, and flexible. They also were able to draw on their decades of expertise in nonprofits and fundraising to highlight best practices and areas where our group was not focusing enough resources.”
Deb Samuels, Executive Director, Crossroads

“It’s one thing to look at issues and solutions from 40,000 feet and another to stay grounded; they ESC consultants did both. They never lost sight of our mission and our connection to delivering critical human services to the people who are struggling in our communities.”
John Cuneo, Executive Director, Community Action Inc. (CAI)

“ESC helped us build consensus around our new mission, and then worked with us to create a workable implementation plan. They were so helpful and supportive that we were able to break with our past and step forth into our new vision.”
Grey Lee, Executive Director, USGBC Massachusetts Chapter

“We were very impressed with the professionalism of our consultants and with the commitment they gave to our project. From running meetings, preparing surveys, writing and presenting reports, and even providing hours of behind the-scenes coaching time, they greatly exceeded our expectations. We worked through any missteps and, overall, our board, staff and volunteers were very pleased with the results.”
Samantha Nelson, Executive Director, Boston By Foot

“We had an excellent experience with the consultants from ESC, especially Bonnie who went above and beyond in her efforts to serve our needs. We received recommendations for our future, not just a list of action items.”
Skye Morrison Kramer, CEO, First Literacy

“Outstanding; we have worked with John each time and we feel that he knows us better than we know ourselves! Combined with his wisdom, his facilitation makes our engagements extremely productive. John has helped us reach consensus on several contentious issues facing our board over the past few years. He has enabled us to achieve that each time, and have the Board feel good about the results.”
Scandinavian Cultural Society

“I want to thank you again for ESC's help in guiding us to create a new and exciting MSSEF Strategic Plan. Marianne was a joy to work with—incredibly smart and tuned in to the group process. Sandy continues to be an extraordinary resource for MSSEF; I can't say enough good things about him. While we hit a few bumps in the road at the beginning, we ended up with a strong ESC Team, and all four contributed in important ways to the success of the plan. One of the most positive impacts of the plan's development was the process for creating a vision statement and an updated mission statement.  This process engaged a majority of Board Members in impassioned discussions that in turn led to a distillation of ideas and a solid consensus.”
Cora Beth Abel, ED, Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair

“The Retreat was great.  It far exceeded my greatest expectations. John and Ashok were phenomenal presenters. Motivational is an understatement. The retreat achieved its objective by educating the board in its role and responsibilities, reaching consensus on how to structure board meetings to maximize productivity, as well as energizing the board, building collegiality, and most importantly, developing momentum to move forward in advancing METCO Inc.’s mission.”
Charles E. Walker, President, Board of Directors, METCO