Why read my stuff?

The focus in NGN is going to be almost entirely on you, but let me tell you a little about myself, so you can understand why I can commit to bring value to your inbox every week.

I'm on the second half of a "karmic payback" lifetime. After graduating from Harvard Law School, I worked in a major corporate law firm for more than 20 years, making the world safe for big companies. I worked a lot with nonprofits, but almost always for free, as additional work that I cared about. In 2011, Georgetown University Law Center, where I had been teaching part-time, asked me to take a fulltime post for a few years. I took that as a sign that I should stop working for big companies (they are safe enough, to say the least) and start working with organizations that do good for a living.

Since then, I have helped nonprofits become stronger, steadier, and better prepared for whatever comes next. As the founder and CEO of Risk Alternatives, I have spent my days helping leaders build practical systems that make their organizations more resilient—without the jargon or overwhelm that often comes with “risk management.”

Over the years, I’ve counseled hundreds of nonprofits, served on many nonprofit boards, advised foundations, and become a certified Standards for Excellence® consultant (and at one point Chair of the National Standards Council)—all with one goal: to help nonprofits do their important work more effectively.

I’m also the author of ​Managing Your Nonprofit for Resilience​, a practical guide packed with stories, tools, and lessons I’ve learned from working with hundreds of nonprofit teams. I speak often before nonprofit and foundation audiences across the country, focusing on governance, ethics, and planning for the unexpected. What I love most is watching that moment when a team realizes resilience isn’t about avoiding risk—it’s about building the confidence to move forward, no matter what.

Connect with me on ​LinkedIn​. I share a ton there.

What Other People Say About Me (trying not to blush here):

• “[T]ruly one-of-a-kind. [Ted] makes really complex [issues] extremely interesting and brings an enthusiasm to each subject which makes the subject matter engaging and easy to understand.”
• Bilich is “outstanding.”
• "Ted Bilich is a compelling and informative presenter on risk analysis and risk management. Ted takes complicated and arcane subject matter and makes it easy to understand and digest into actionable steps. Whether your organization has a highly organized risk management function or is just starting out, Ted’s presentation and information can be highly useful to developing appropriate risk management techniques and best practices."
• Bilich is "fantastic. He has an amazing command of the material and presents in a very straightforward, understandable way."
• Bilich is "command of the subject matter is superb, he is an encouraging discussion leader, and he is open to comments...."
• According to his audiences, Ted is an "outstanding" communicator with "superb" command of his subject matter and a "very effective and clear presentation style."