Testimonials
It is without reservation and with tremendous enthusiasm that I recommend Nicholas Constantakis. After 20+ years in the public and private sector, I have found very few consultants with the same caliber and integrity witnessed in Nicholas. He has a unique ability to address the needs of an organization regardless of its stage in development and not only does his great demeanor make him a pleasure to work with, his expert advice has enabled us to avoid numerous logistical nightmares and improve relationships with donors. His work has consistently produced tangible results and lasting systems, enabling my team and organization to operate more efficiently and expand our organization's mission to improve the quality of life of the poor in East Africa.
I met Nicholas through his work for FilmAid where I serve on the board of directors. Nicholas created a fully functioning, effective and accurate financial reporting system supporting all aspects of the organization's reporting needs from the design and implementation of budgets, cash flow projections to project and grant reporting. He successfully navigated various cultural nuances and provided on-site professional development trainings for all of our finance and operational staff in Kenya, Tanzania, and the US, streamlining the financial and human resource policies and procedures and creating a comprehensive system of internal controls. His work was so good that I hired him to work with all my other organizations.
For the Access Project and Millennium Villages in Rwanda, Nicholas worked with the staff on the ground to create a more professional system allowing the organizations to grow and manage finances efficiently and effectively. He assisted our Rwandan staff through group and one-on-one professional development through the implementation of a new financial software database until it was fully functional and provided support afterwards to ensure the success of the transition. The activities have resulted in satisfied donors and stakeholders, improved on-the-ground functioning and clean audits.
Rwanda Works was a completely new organization when Nicholas came in. He worked with our US staff to design an operational and financial system from the ground up ensuring that the system would be guided by best practices, conform to GAAP standards and support the organization's financial needs as it continued to grow into a mature organization. He has provided ongoing advice and support on financial and operational matters including audit support and oversight and has been an invaluable part of building the foundation of the organization.
Founder and Director of Rwanda Works
The Access Project and Millennium Villages Rwanda
Kigali, Rwanda
When we started Architecture for Humanity, we thought it would be just a small after-hours project. We hired Constantakis Consulting Group to help us establish basic financial systems. Then we received more than $250,000 in donations practically overnight. Fortunately for us, Nicholas set us up to grow. Today we are a global organization with more than $3 million in annual revenues. We could not have done it without the strategic foresight and support of Constantakis Consulting Group."
I have worked closely with Nicholas Constantakis since I joined FilmAid International in July 2005. Since then we have worked together to formulate and implement FilmAid’s financial and internal control systems ensuring the organization’s transparency and absolute accountability to all stakeholders; improve the processes for organizational budgets, grant budgeting and grant reporting systems; and create organizational reporting, forecasting and cash flow reporting systems. He also worked with me to set up and streamline policies for human resources.
Nicholas has a thorough understanding of how organizations should run and was able to recommend to management the proper processes and systems needed to meet the organization’s mission. These recommendations included correct staffing, clear policies and procedures for human resources and finance, managing information, the use of the financial reports and implementing proper internal control systems.
Being very knowledgeable in strategic management, he was able to chart the department’s direction and set standards for what must be achieved. His style of training ensures that you’re able to work independently within a specific time frame. Since 2005, he’s gradually helped me to grow professionally through training sessions on the internal control systems, including accounting for assets, reporting for in-kind donations, review of financial statements, review of staff skills and job descriptions, among others. One of the main achievements from these sessions is that the external audit management letters have been greatly improved; in fact, the FY 2008 audit had no further suggestions on internal control systems.
In addition, Nicholas possesses great inter-personal skills. He’s friendly and a pleasure to work with since he’s patient, articulate and encouraging. He is very committed to helping the organization, ensuring that work is executed on time and correctly, and I can always reach him when I have challenges or questions. Being responsible for the oversight of my work, he constantly gives me clear and timely feedback and has been able to continually give suggestions for improvement."
In 1999, I started FiveMyles, a non-profit exhibition and performance space in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, without knowing how long the organization would survive. Since 2000, not only has Nicholas Constantakis overseen the finances at FiveMyles, he’s helped insure the gallery’s future.
I own the 1,500 square foot space, and with the help of volunteers, I manage the organization as well as oversee and implement the programming. As I prepare for retirement, with Nicholas’s help, we’re focusing on a strategy to ensure the gallery’s perpetuity. Nicholas helped me re-see what I’ve built out of nothing as well as what I need to put in place to ensure the legacy of FiveMyles, including a financial plan, a development team and full-time paid staff positions.
Grassroots arts organizations, like FiveMyles, are the backbone of the cultural life in New York and in the country, and to provide this service to both art and the public, FiveMyles has completely relied on Nicholas expert advice and management."
Contact
If you have questions or would like to discuss general or specific needs of your organization and how we might be able to help, please contact us.