JC Lyle

Capone & Associates, a bookkeeping and fractional CFO firm, is launching a capacity-building firm for nonprofits and social sector organizations called The Impact Division. 

The Impact Division will be headed by JC Lyle, who currently serves on the Wilmington City Council and served as executive director and CEO of local nonprofit Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry (WARM) NC for 15 years, from 2009 to 2024. 

According to a press release issued Thursday, the division has grown organically from Capone & Associates' work with nonprofit clients since the firm’s founding in 2022. 

“When I started doing the bookkeeping and fractional CFO in ’22, like very early on, I just organically got introduced to a couple of nonprofits here in the community,” said Chris Capone, CEO and founder of Capone & Associates. 

“People talk when you do a good job and take care of them,” he said. “The best form of marketing is just doing a good job for your clients.”

In addition to CFO services, The Impact Division will also offer broader capacity-building skills to nonprofits, including board governance, strategic planning and execution, organizational development, resource alignment and data journalism, according to the release. Technology and automation will be a “foundational element” of all services offered, according to the release.

“The main reason for The Impact Division is to support nonprofits and break the cycle of being stuck working in the business and to be able to spend more time working on the business and looking into the future,” Capone said. 

As far as Capone's goal for the division, he said it's about fostering positive growth in the area. 

“Our goal is to just drive as much positive impact in the community," he said, "and it’s not a financial metric.” 

In addition to her work on the city council, Lyle served as interim executive director of the Family Promise of the Lower Cape Fear. 

“Running a nonprofit is almost like running two businesses,” Lyle said to the Business Journal in August for a story on the local nonprofit funding landscape.

“In the nonprofit sector, we’re very resourceful, so nobody gives up,” she said. “You know, we just find a new way forward.”

Capone said Lyle’s extensive experience working with many stages of nonprofit growth made her a good fit for the new venture. 

“Rising tide lifts all ships,” he said. "If we can support our nonprofits, that’s going to help our community."