Less busy work. More mission.
We find what’s slowing your organization down, fix it, and write it all down so it keeps working through staff changes and board turnover.
20+ years in nonprofit operations · Plans you can implement yourself, or we’ll do it for you
Does this sound familiar?
- I’ve had to track down files that previous volunteers or staff
stored on their personal computers - We have a lot of paper documents but don’t have space to store them and can’t access them when we need to
- I can’t ever find the minutes to last month’s board meeting or
know what my committee is supposed to discuss this week - We don’t have an operations manual so we spend a lot of time
trying to figure out how to do tasks.
- We duplicate work because board and staff responsibilities aren’t clearly laid out
- I feel like I spend a lot of time doing “busy work” instead of working on important projects
- I’m sure there’s tools out there to help me do my job better but I don’t have time to look for them
- I think we’re wasting money that could be spent on our programming but I don’t know how to figure that out.
If you answered “YES” to even one of those items, then I can help you figure out where to implement systems and tools so the organization, and everyone in it, is more efficient and effective.
What areas do we cover?
Every organization is different so we customize the work to ensure it addresses your needs, budget, and personnel. Here’s some common areas but the exact scope really depends on your organization.
Finance
- Create tracking systems
- Document processes
- Donor management
- Budget creation and management
HR
- Draft employee handbooks
- Establish basic policies
- Set up employee review processes
- Create onboarding and offboarding checklists
Membership
- Setup membership management platforms if necessary
- Establish membership levels and benefits
- Create systems for managing member inquiries and payments
Technology
- Review hardware and software needs and make recs
- Source and implement new solutions
- Train staff
- Document procedures
Clear packages. Flat fees. No haggling.
Every price is a flat project fee, confirmed after a free 30-minute call. No hourly surprises and no open-ended invoices.
Start here
Operations Checkup – starting at $2,500 Two to three weeks. We interview your key people, review your systems and tools, and give you a written report that ranks what to fix first. The full fee is credited toward any project you book within [90 days].
Focused projects
Focused Fix – starting at $6,500 per area About two months. Choose one area:
- Finance: tracking systems, documented processes, donor management, budget setup
- HR: employee handbook, basic policies, review process, onboarding and offboarding checklists
- Membership: membership levels and benefits, inquiry and payment workflows
- Technology: hardware and software review, new tools set up, staff trained, procedures documented
Board and Governance – starting at $6,000 Six to eight weeks. A board manual, clear committee roles, an annual board calendar, a meeting packet process and onboarding for new board members.
Compliance Calendar – starting at $2,500 Three to four weeks. Every filing and renewal on one calendar, including state charitable registrations, 990 readiness, insurance renewals and record retention, with an owner for each.
Operations Manual – starting at $4,500 Eight to twelve weeks. Every recurring process written down, logins and files organized, and a handoff kit so no one person holds all the knowledge.
Membership System Selection and Setup – starting at $4,000 Two to four months. For associations outgrowing spreadsheets or an old system. We compare platforms like Wild Apricot and MemberClicks for you, move your data and train your team. We don’t take vendor commissions, so our recommendation is about your needs, not ours.
B
The whole picture
Full Operations Overhaul – starting at $22,000 Four to six months. An Operations Checkup, three Focused Fix areas and a complete Operations Manual, at a lower price than booking them separately.
Fine print under the packages: Travel for onsite work is billed at cost. Project fees are paid [50% at signing and 50% at completion]. Many foundations fund capacity-building projects like these; we’re happy to provide a project summary for your grant request.
Three Steps. No Yelling.
Have you ever seen the makeover reality television shows where experts help bar or restaurant owners identify the problems in their business and then implement solutions to put them on the right track? That’s exactly what this is – without the yelling.
With an easy three step process, we get your organization on track within a few short months.
STEP 1: DISCOVER
We start with a short session to determine the scope of work. What are the main items you’d like to fix? Where are the critical areas to resolve? What’s the timeline?
STEP 2: EVALUATE
We meet with each person involved in the problem areas to understand their frustrations and ideal situations and other information such as their level of tech comfort. We also meet with leadership, other staff, etc. as appropriate.
STEP 3: IMPLEMENT
The last step is implementation. You’ll receive a written plan and then we’ll start implementing the changes including documentation and training as necessary.
Why nonprofits and associations choose us
We’ll do it for you, if you want
Many consultants hand you a plan and leave. You can implement ours yourself, or we’ll do the work for you.
We’ve sat in every seat
Volunteer, staff member, operations manager, executive director and board member. We bring all of those perspectives to your organization.
Solutions that fit you
Your budget, programs, tools and people are unique. We recommend what will actually work for you, not a template.
Built to outlast us
Everything is documented and set up under your organization’s accounts, so it keeps working long after our project ends.
“Darcy provided valuable consulting strategy on board governance, social media communications, and hiring strategies. She is a fantastic administrator and it was her influence that helped us get to the next level in our organization.” Anna Thurston, Norwalk Tree Alliance
Results
- 12 hours a week: the office time one nonprofit saved after we overhauled its operations
- An 800-member arts organization: moved renewals to email, put membership, donations and registrations in one system, and wrote its first operations and board manuals
- A 500-member mental health association: automated class registration and CE credit tracking, and replaced a costly 800 number
Common Questions
We’re not sure what’s wrong. Where do we start? With an Operations Checkup. In two to three weeks you’ll know what to fix first, and the fee counts toward your next project.
What’s the difference between consulting and your Administrative Support? Consulting fixes and builds your systems. Administrative Support does the day-to-day work within them. Many clients start with a project and then keep us on for ongoing support.
Can we do the implementation ourselves? Yes. Every project can end with a written plan your team carries out. Tell us on the first call and we’ll price it that way.
Do you work with small nonprofits? Yes. We work with organizations of every size, including those with fifty staff members or just one.
How do we keep control of our data and logins? We set up everything under your organization’s email, keep files in your cloud storage, make sure more than one person on your side has access, and document every process.
Can a grant pay for this? Often, yes. Many foundations fund capacity-building work. We’ll write a short project summary you can include in your request.
Ready to get your operations organized?
Reach out today to schedule a no-obligation chat about getting your organization on track.