Jeffrey M. Smythe serves Alexander Haas as an Associate Partner.  Jeff’s expertise includes growing various sized nonprofit organizations into mature best in class organizations.  He has also led capital, annual and capacity-building campaigns and has extensive experience in strategic planning and board development.  During his nearly thirty years of experience in nonprofit leadership, he served in chief executive and chief development roles, catalyzing double- or triple-digit growth throughout his career. 

Jeff has championed causes and conducted campaigns for human services organizations (children, teens, adults, families, older adults), faith-based organizations, disease mitigation/support organizations, associations and university foundations.  Jeff’s work has included organizations with a wide variety of missions, scales and geographic focus.  These include senior service organizations, meals-on-wheels, youth development, homeless and hunger alleviation, HIV support, refugee resettlement and international development.  He has overseen organizations with staff ranging from 5 employees to 140 employees, worked for organizations with a local community focus and those with an international footprint and has led campaigns with goals ranging from $250,000 to $32,000,000.

One of the hallmarks of Jeff’s leadership has been stakeholder feedback and engagement processes. Whether for feasibility studies, strategic planning or diversity equity and inclusion plans, Jeff has leveraged the power of engaging stakeholders in planning and ensuring those with lived experience have a voice. 

Jeff’s board work has ranged from an international travelers aid nonprofit, to a national nonprofit association, to his local church.  He also co-created a statewide coalition of nonprofits that directly worked with lawmakers to increase underfunded programs.  He has enjoyed serving as faculty or guest lecturer for multiple nonprofit studies programs across the country.      

Jeff’s calling to this work stems from summer youth group trips to the Navajo nation to repair homes and his volunteer year with the Harvard Institute for International Development-WorldTeach in rural Central America.  He enjoys time with his family, cross fit, Star Wars, and practicing his Spanish.