Mike Slaton, Slaton Consulting
Mike Slaton started Slaton Consulting after serving as an executive director at the Louisville Pride Foundation. Slaton Consulting offers realistic, practical support to help small to mid-size nonprofits increase their capacity, including development planning, executive support, and help with special events and sponsorship sales.
Who are you, who do you serve, and what are you focused on right now?
Slaton Consulting is focused on helping small nonprofits level up. My goal is to help nonprofits focus on fulfilling their vision and not have to spend all of their time on the ancillary work that goes into building their organization.
What led you into this work?
During my time at the Louisville Pride Foundation, I faced a lot of unexpected challenges as an executive director. When I decided to go into business on my own, I kept thinking about what I needed when I started out as an ED: all of the tools and resources I wish I'd had access to, which would have made my life a lot easier.
I find lots of people jump into nonprofit work and starting nonprofits because they have a wonderful mission they care deeply about, but they don't understand all of the operational and business elements and everything that goes into fundraising. I have found over my career that I really enjoy helping people bring their vision to life.
What's a project you're proud of?
One of my first clients came to me in a panic because they had just switched over to a new database and were totally lost on how to use it. They had several international service learning trips coming up, and they were overwhelmed trying to figure out how to handle the applications, notifications, and payments.
I was able to jump in, map out the process that needed to happen, and then build all the necessary forms and automations. There was quite a time crunch to get it all done, but we got it taken care of, and the client developed a thorough understanding of how the system worked through the process.
What are you building right now?
My goal is to continue to grow my client base and really hone in on the services I can best provide. I'm trying not to take on too much too fast!
What advice would you give someone earlier in their journey?
Network, network, network! There are so many organizations out there looking for help, and I've gotten some referrals from very unexpected places. Lots of people you know may be volunteers or board members for an organization that could be your next client.
How has Relatable Nonprofit helped your business?
Being part of the community has been a great asset. There are so many things you need to do to get a business started, and it's great to have knowledgeable mentors and peers to draw inspiration from. The flexible nature of the program and the on-demand learning is really good, because everyone is at different stages of business development.