Rea & Associates Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year Award
Richard R. Frank may be a businessman, but he’s a businessman who cares about his cause.
With an extensive business background that includes an MBA and CPA accreditation, Frank has gained an arsenal of for-profit tools that he applies to the nonprofit world. After four years as president and CEO of Berea Children’s Home and Family Services, his approach has proved successful.
He believes that bridging the gap between corporate and charity worlds can reap broader benefits than philanthropic contributions. He sees it as a networking opportunity to get assistance providing mentoring, job training and literacy programs for the children and families his agency serves. So far, Frank has initiated more than 25 collaborative partnerships with other organizations ranging from The American Red Cross to Baldwin-Wallace College, which have helped solidify and expand the agency’s services.
Frank’s networking efforts have also resulted in identifying and developing more than 450 external community stakeholders who help drive the agency to fulfill its vision. In addition, he meets regularly with state and local elected officials to create employment and literacy programs.
Frank also brings his business-savvy fiscal responsibility to Berea Children’s Home and Family Services, striving to maintain a balanced and deficit-free budget. He investigates profit-generating ventures to provide the agency with resources to empower, equip and educate the families it serves. Since he stepped into office, endowments have increased 25 percent.
Frank knows a business can’t operate without the right people fueling it, so he has spent a lot of time developing his board of directors. He identified three characteristics effective board members should possess: influence, affluence and expertise. With those guidelines, he has inflated the size of his board from 26 to 40 members.
He also implements a central hiring and screening process that requires all hires to be personally approved by top management. After they’re hired, however, Frank’s focus turns to their development. Through a collaboration with Dr. Peter Rea, the founder and director of Baldwin-Wallace College’s Center for Innovation and Growth, 12 of Frank’s staff members went through the school’s Emerging Leaders program to hone their leadership skills. His commitment to maintaining a dedicated team has helped foster a spirit of teamwork and passion at the agency.
How to reach: Berea Children’s Home and Family Services, (800) 639-4974 or www.bchfs.org
