Jennifer Alleva began her career at Your Part-Time Controller, LLC (YPTC) on a mission—to codify excellence, and therefore, secure the growth and success of the firm.
“Instilling excellence in an organization starts with leadership identifying the values that are meaningful to the company and then building culture from there. I felt the need to have our culture documented in very specific definitions of what our values meant to us. And then, I wanted to ensure that we were teaching those values to every single person that came through the doors of Your Part-Time Controller, LLC,” Jennifer elaborated.
Two decades later, Jennifer is now YPTC’s Managing Partner and persists in her initial goal of standardized excellence. In turn, the company’s culture remains strong, and its staff and clients thrive.
YPTC currently employs over 500 staff members and consistently receives accolades indicative of overwhelming contentment. For the last ten years, YPTC has been voted a ‘Best Place to Work’ and ‘Top Firm’ by several regional and national publications, including Accounting Today, Inc. magazine, and the Philadelphia Business Journal.
“Our clients are extremely important—they are what make us. But if we don’t have happy staff, and focus so much effort on staff, we’re never going to have
happy clients and be able to provide excellence to them,” she said.
Unsurprisingly, investing in the happiness of staff has paid off in the growth of its client base. Now, approximately 1500 nonprofit organizations rely on YPTC’s financial and accounting expertise.
While staff and client numbers have been climbing for some time, the upward trend recently became rapid; namely, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the firm effectively doubled in size between 2021 and 2022 and was named 2022’s ‘5th Fastest Growing Firm’ by Accounting Today.
Speeding up while the world slowed down was certainly unpredicted, but not unexplained. Through its organizational ethos of altruism and Jennifer’s ability to act in a challenge, YPTC found a way to quickly deliver imperative, free educational resources to all who were in need.
On this, Jennifer recalled, “There was a crisis happening, and even though we had that moment of panic—we were so worried about our clients staying afloat. I knew we had to step up and figure out a best solution for everyone involved. Lo and behold, when the government stepped in with nonprofit pandemic relief options, we were able to move on that solution. I made sure that [YPTC] was on top of understanding what those options were. We expanded our educational resources on PPP and other pandemic relief to all nonprofits, not just clients.”
The prioritization of pandemic-related education catalyzed a larger, lasting transformation within the company.
Webinars, articles, and virtual speaking engagements marked YPTC’s COVID-19 strategy in distributing knowledge. In the process of perfecting all the above, YPTC asserted its prominence in providing timely, accurate, and universally available learning tools.
Given this distinctive position, Jennifer has appeared as a leading voice in the media and at numerous industry-wide events, such as The Nonprofit Show and AICPA Not-For-Profit Conference.
Consequently, increased exposure generated interest among prospective staff and clients alike. To answer, YPTC revitalized its approach to remote work. Advancing technology and extending its remote services sector allowed YPTC to accommodate more staff and clients than ever before.
And finally, the principle of “connection” defined all YPTC’s initiatives during the pandemic. It also informed Jennifer’s decision to give nonprofit organizations a platform to discuss what they do, and how they do it.
“Throughout the pandemic, I remember hearing incredible stories of nonprofit organizations’ resilience through such a difficult time. They were modifying in-person programs to completely virtual, utilizing new technology to safely stay connected to their staff and constituents, and overcoming challenges that no one could have expected. I knew I, had not only an opportunity, but a responsibility to help get these stories out to the world,” Jennifer stated on what motivated her to spearhead this project,” she stated.
In March 2021, YPTC debuted Mission Business: Good Business for Those in the Business of Good, a podcast that is co-produced and hosted by Jennifer. Each episode features a different organization and discusses both the mission and business sides of running a nonprofit.
Achieving excellence in an ever-evolving landscape is what solidifies Jennifer’s status as a leader and innovator within the field. And the ease of how she adapts this original aspiration to fit ‘the now’ is what will usher YPTC into a successful future, no matter what may come.
The 2023 International Women’s Day theme is #EmbraceEquity. The 2023 International Women’s Day theme is #EmbraceEquity. At YPTC, we embrace equity every day. Hear from Jennifer Alleva on what it means to her in the video below: