Welcome to the new Skystone Ryan web site. For 25 years, our firm has been known as Staley/Robeson/Ryan/St. Lawrence. We are proud to announce that on February 1, 2002 we became Skystone Ryan.

There are two key reasons for the change to Skystone Ryan. The new name more accurately reflects the firm's current leadership. Equally important, the new name uniquely identifies the firm and its expanding global partnerships and breadth of services.

The new corporate identity reflects and communicates the evolution of our firm over the years. We feel confident that our new name, Skystone Ryan, will promote our evolution and growth as the world's leading fundraising consulting firm.

The following list provides information that is responsive to questions most frequently asked about the change to Skystone Ryan.

Q: What does the word Skystone mean?
A: Skystone comes from the mythical story of King Arthur and Camelot. The Skystone, according to Arthurian legend, was an enchanted meteorite that landed on Earth near Camelot. The Skystone was smelted and alloyed with iron to create Excalibur, the renowned sword that helped the future King bring together a nation. Just as the Skystone helped Arthur fulfill his noble destiny, Skystone Ryan exists to help nonprofit organizations, through the noble profession of fundraising, fulfill their missions and increase their value to society.

Q: Who came up with the name Skystone?
A: Our Toronto partner, a devotee of the lore of King Arthur, suggested the name Skystone. The story behind the Skystone ­ a gift that becomes an instrument for good ­ is a fitting metaphor for the power and potential of philanthropy. It serves well as a signature name for our firm and uniquely identifies us in our field.

Q: Who is Mr. Ryan?
A: J. Patrick Ryan is a founder and 25-year president of the firm. He will lead the firm into its exciting new era. Mr. Ryan's dedication to providing innovative and exceptional services to nonprofit organizations links the firm's distinguished history and shining future.

Q: Is the firm's name being changed because one of the principles recently left the firm? What happened to Staley, Robeson and St. Lawrence?
A: No. Pat Ryan, a founder, has been the president of the firm for the past 25 years. The other namesakes have been gone from the firm for a number of years or are retired or deceased. We changed the name of the firm to more accurately reflect the current leadership and to uniquely identify the firm and its expanding global partnerships and breadth of services.

Q: Has the firm been bought out? Is ownership of the firm changing?
A: No. Pat Ryan, one of the firm's founders, remains president of Skystone Ryan, which is owned by 15 partners. The only thing that is changing is our corporate name.

Q: Will the way the firm does business change?
A: No. The transition to our new corporate name will be seamless for our staff members and our clients. What people can expect to see from Skystone Ryan is even more growth. We are going to continue to expand our breadth of services throughout the United States and the world to serve our clients and advance philanthropy. To the best of our knowledge, we have served organizations based in more countries and we provide a broader range of services on a consistent basis than any other firm in the world. We look forward to continuing to lead the field of fundraising with our signature "A World of Expertise" service.

Q: You call Skystone Ryan the "world's leading fundraising consulting firm." What do you mean by that statement?
A: Skystone Ryan is the world leader in fundraising consulting based on a number of common standards of measurement. To the best of our knowledge, we have served organizations based in more countries than any other fundraising firm. We have 18 globally owned or affiliated offices, more than any other firm. We serve approximately 100 client organizations on an annual basis and we provide a broader range of services on a consistent basis than any other firm. Importantly, we have been the world leader in bringing a new approach to fundraising consulting ­ a local focus with global resources. Our business goal for the future is to continue to build on and expand our global partnerships and our breadth of services. In doing so, we will achieve our mission of advancing philanthropy throughout the world.

Starting with President J. Patrick Ryan, Skystone Ryan's dedication to providing innovation and exceptional services to nonprofit organizations links the firm's distinguished history and shining future.

Our New Name  Who We Are  Who We Serve  What We Do  Career Opportunities