Balanced Scorecard Leadership Breakfast Held in Washington, DC

"Over 65 social and public sector executives from the Washington, DC metro area convened this morning to hear Dr. David P. Norton, developer of the Balanced Scorecard concept and author of five best selling Harvard Business School Press books, discuss how the Balanced Scorecard can help public and social sector organizations build capacity to execute strategy."

Washington, DC, Sep, 24, 2008 -- Over 65 nonprofit executives from the Washington, DC metro area convened this morning to hear Dr. David P. Norton, developer of the Balanced Scorecard concept and author of five best selling Harvard Business School Press books, discuss how the Balanced Scorecard can help public and social sector organizations build capacity to execute strategy.

Hosted by Ascendant Strategy Management Group, a consultancy focused on helping nonprofit organizations increase their impact, the event was a great success. Bill Blacquiere, CEO of Bethany Christian Services, remarked:

“The Balanced Scorecard is a remarkable tool that has transformed our organization. It’s allowed us to focus on what’s important and align our programs with our strategy. I’m excited to see so many of my peers learning more about the scorecard.”

At the breakfast presentation, Dr. Norton discussed how the Balanced Scorecard performance management system has been used at organizations like Fulton County Schools, the Economic Development Administration and the American Diabetes Association. Tom Bognanno, President and CEO of Community Health Charities, remarked:

“The Balanced Scorecard makes a lot of sense for nonprofit organizations because it connects what people are doing on a daily basis to the overall mission and strategy. It’s an invaluable tool that has helped me lead and manage complex organizations.”

The Balanced Scorecard was first developed in 1992 by Drs. Norton and Kaplan and was first applied to the nonprofit space by Laura Downing, one of the founders and managing partners of Ascendant. Ms. Downing commented:

“The Balanced Scorecard is based on a simple premise: measurement matters. By helping organizations align their measurement systems with their management systems, the Balanced Scorecard helps organizations focus on long-term strategy. We’re seeing the Balanced Scorecard as a natural response to the increasing demand for transparency in the social sector.”

Ascendant brings together industry-leading experience in nonprofit performance management. It aims to offer its’ nonprofit and public sector clients independent and strategic advice to help them develop performance management systems to drive breakthrough strategic results.

“Ascendant is unique in focusing on nonprofit performance management. We are singularly focused on helping our clients develop the capacity to manage themselves more effectively – so they can spend less time worrying about management and more time on programs,” said Ms. Downing.

About Ascendant

Ascendant Strategy Management Group helps nonprofits, agencies, associations, and foundations manage strategy, collaborate with stakeholders, and build communities around their strategy execution efforts. We offer Balanced Scorecard and performance management training, facilitation, and consulting to help organizations accelerate mission results. For more information, visit Ascendant online at http://www.ascendantsmg.com.

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