David Beardsley helps mission-driven organizations achieve meaningful outcomes by sharpening their strategic focus and creating people-first cultures that value teamwork and innovation.

He has worked across sectors—youth programming, land conservation, climate, local agriculture, the arts and has held executive roles at organizations with annual budgets ranging from $50 million to $2 million. He has led strategic planning processes at each of the nonprofits he served and guided implementation of those plans. David has also worked closely with Boards that take different approaches to governance, including working Boards that function almost as an extension of the staff and strategic Boards that focus on higher level strategy and policy.

David most recently served as the first-ever Executive Director for SpeakEasy Stage. When he joined SpeakEasy, the theater company’s founding Artistic Director was preparing to step down after more than 30 years. David guided the organization through that founder transition and its search for a new Artistic Director, while also taking steps to address audience and revenue trends that were creating deep financial challenges for theaters nationwide.

David has held leadership positions at The Trustees of Reservations. He served initially as Director of the organization’s Center for Enterprise and Engagement, leading efforts to use property-based businesses to strengthen stakeholder engagement with key pillars of The Trustees’ mission: land conservation, local agriculture, climate change, and outdoor recreation.

David later served as Interim Chief Marketing Officer for The Trustees, overseeing all marketing, membership, and earned revenue operations, while also shaping onboarding and communications strategies for the organization’s new President.

David started his career in for-profit media, communications, and publishing. He transitioned to the nonprofit sector after recognizing that he felt most engaged at organizations with a strong sense of mission.

His business background allowed him to bring a unique perspective to his first non-profit role: Executive Director at Hill House, a Boston community center that operates recreational, educational, and summer camp programs for youth. Hill House had recently seen program participation triple, and David’s management experience allowed him to scale and professionalize the organization’s fundraising, marketing and program operations.

That business experience has made David especially adept at helping nonprofits balance mission delivery and fiscal discipline. It continues to inform his approach and can be particularly valuable at nonprofits where earned revenues and marketing are central to financial health and mission delivery.

David holds a B.A. from Harvard College and lives in Boston. He is also a playwright, has served on several Boards, and remains active in his community.

LinkedIn: David Beardsley