Rebecca Thomas

Founder, Rebecca Thomas & Associates

Rebecca Thomas is the founder of Rebecca Thomas & Associates (RTA), a nonprofit and philanthropic advisory firm offering services in organizational analysis and planning, program development and management, and strategic communications. RTA helps grantmakers strengthen their impact by connecting capital to program goals and assists nonprofit leaders as they plan for and navigate organizational change.

Ms. Thomas speaks and writes on issues of nonprofit health and capitalization, with a focus on arts and culture. She is the co-author of Critical Steps Toward Capital Health in the Cultural Sector, The Case for Change Capital in the Arts and Change Capital in Action: Lessons from Leading Arts Organizations. Her essays have appeared in Grantmakers in the Arts’ Reader, Philanthropy News Digest and Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Previously, Ms. Thomas was Vice President at Nonprofit Finance Fund, a community development financial institution that provides capital and advice to mission-based organizations. There, she led NFF’s arts strategy and oversaw national initiatives and product development. She advised cultural nonprofits in areas of financial planning and management and designed and directed grant programs for foundations. Ms. Thomas is also the architect of two online financial data platforms, developed in partnerships with the Cultural Data Project and GuideStar. Before joining NFF, Ms. Thomas was Senior Economics Correspondent for Smartmoney.com, where she appeared as a commentator on CNNfn, MSNBC, and Fox.