Our Story

The Moran Company was established in Kansas City in 1996 by Bill Moran with the sole intent to help nonprofits improve and save lives. It has been doing exactly that for 25 years.

Through the decades, our firm has grown to include hundreds of clients and a full team of recruiters who have previously served as nonprofit leaders. As we reflect on our history, we are grateful to all the organizations who have trusted us so far – and those who will partner with us in the future!

Recognizing a Need

The early days of our firm were spent with organizations in need of fundraising assistance. Bill Moran, Founder and President of The Moran Company, was aided by a single staff member, Susan Barton, who continues to serve as our Director of Administration.

With his background as both a lawyer and a senior-level fundraising professional, he experienced great success as a nonprofit consultant during this time. He also embraced web-based training technology and led presentations for nonprofit professionals nationwide.

In 2006, a regional hospital foundation hired Bill to identify the foundation’s next executive director because “it takes one to know one.” Bill loved the hunt for talented leadership and was hooked. Ever since then, he has been committed to helping organizations find great nonprofit leaders.

Building a Team

In 2006, Bill turned his attention exclusively to recruiting for nonprofit organizations and associations, particularly for fundraising and executive director positions, as well as other senior leadership roles. He began to carefully and gradually select other highly respected nonprofit leaders to join his expert team – starting with Paul Gemeinhardt, an award-winning nonprofit executive director for 34 years who remains part of The Moran Company still today.

Bill’s hiring philosophy for our firm and our nonprofit clients is to hand-pick seasoned professionals who have “walked the walk.” He selects his own team with the same care he recruits for others.

The Moran Company now consists of 15 senior search consultants and 3 senior search advisors who have more than 300 years of combined experience in executive nonprofit leadership. In addition to these consultants, Bill relies on a team of dedicated staff members who also have a passion for helping nonprofits.

Realizing a Dream

The Moran Company has now conducted approximately 200 nonprofit executive searches nationwide. This year alone, our growing team has partnered with 30 organizations and associations to recruit top CEOs, executive directors, senior-level fundraisers, CFOs, vice presidents and more.

We believe that having a strong vision of servanthood makes The Moran Company special. Because we all come from the nonprofit sector, our true calling is to help others. We feel rewarded when we can identify and attract the right leader who will have a profound effect on an organization’s mission.

In addition to recruiting, we feel it is our responsibility to give back to our communities, to serve as a leader in our field, to promote diversity, and to invest in the next generation of nonprofit professionals. One way we give back to communities is by supporting philanthropy at all levels, including multiplying charitable donations from team members with matching gifts. To give back to our field, Bill has served as President of the National Network of Nonprofit Search Consultants to help establish and share best practices in recruiting.

As part of our efforts to increase diversity, we have made strides in, and continue to work toward, diversifying our own team – just as we encourage nonprofits to do the same. To invest in the next generation of nonprofit leaders, we dedicate time and resources to individuals who are racially or ethnically underrepresented in these roles by providing internships and training opportunities for career development.

The nonprofit sector is a tremendous strength of our society. At The Moran Company, our calling is to partner with organizations in their quests to uncover the right leaders who can transform their mission and our world. With an eye to the future, we look forward to being of service to you for the next 25 years and beyond.