Ali Kelley

Ali Kelley is a partner in Bridgespan’s Boston office and leads the firm’s work on nonprofit funding models and financial sustainability. She has deep expertise in how U.S. nonprofits secure revenue from a range of sources, including government, earned income, foundations, individuals, corporations, and endowment income.

Ali has authored numerous articles on nonprofit funding, including “How Small and Midsize US Nonprofits Get Their Funding” (Bridgespan.org, 2025), “The Strengths Small and Midsize Nonprofits Build on to Create a Resilient Funding Strategy” (Bridgespan.org, 2025), “A New Look at How US Nonprofits Get Really Big” (Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2024), “How Nonprofit Boards Can Support a Sustainable Funding Strategy” (Candid, 2024), and “Finding Your Nonprofit's Funding Strategy” (Bridgespan.org, 2024).

A frequent speaker on nonprofit sustainability, Ali has presented at the Stanford Nonprofit Management Institute, Independent Sector’s National Summit, the Institute for Philanthropic Leadership, and a Rare Impact Fund Capacity Building Workshop.

Ali has advised a wide range of nonprofit clients on strategic planning, including City Year, Last Mile Health, HealthySteps, and Project ECHO. She has worked especially closely with Youth Villages, a national leader in child welfare, mental and behavioral health, and violence prevention. Over more than a decade, Ali has supported Youth Villages on strategic initiatives related to growth, innovation, licensing, measurement, sustainability, and operations.

In addition to her work with nonprofit clients, Ali also advises philanthropists and impact investors. She has worked for funders including Blue Meridian Partners, Co-Impact, and The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. She also managed the Bridgspan team that supported TPG Capital in launching The Rise Fund, helping develop and apply a methodology for rigorously analyzing the potential impact of portfolio investments.

Prior to joining Bridgespan, Ali worked at Cambridge Associates, where she evaluated investment opportunities for foundations, universities, and families. She holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College. Ali serves on the General Board of the YMCA of Greater Boston and the Advisory Board of the Lwala Community Alliance in Kenya. On weekends, Ali can be found outdoors, hiking, skiing, or shellfishing with her husband and two children.