Brought in during organizational crisis, I rebuilt all five core systems at once — and stabilized a team of 80+ that was close to collapse.
The organization did vital, visible work — but its operations couldn't keep up with its reputation. A financial shock had shaken funder confidence, key systems were improvised or broken, and an 80-person team was absorbing risk no one had assigned them. Burnout was climbing, and the next funding cycle was at stake.
This is the hard version of the work: not a tidy redesign, but five interdependent systems failing at the same time, with payroll, programs, and public trust all riding on the fix.
“I didn't just manage operations. I rebuilt the organization's ability to keep its promises.”
Rebuilt budgeting, controls, and board-grade reporting — restoring a clear, trustworthy financial picture for funders and leadership.
Stood up the policies, roles, and accountability structures that let an 80-person team stop absorbing unassigned risk.
Replaced improvised tools with reliable operational systems the staff could actually depend on.
Built grant management and compliance infrastructure to federal-readiness standards — protecting current funding and unlocking the next.
Re-established internal and external communications to rebuild confidence with staff, board, and funders alike.
The systems failed together, so they had to be rebuilt together. Knowing what to triage first is the difference between recovery and collapse.
A Seattle nonprofit bringing mindfulness into elementary classrooms had just lost its founder-led operations — and with it, any documented finance or HR systems. I built a full Financial Operating System the board could actually read and run.
No documented finance or HR policies. No board-ready reporting. Invoices “approved” by being in the folder. All revenue in a single fund despite restricted grants. No finance committee. Never audited.
A KPI dashboard the board can read, a chartered Finance Committee, restricted-fund accounting, a spending-controls framework with approval tiers, 23 policies tracked, and an audit-readiness roadmap.
“Fantastic — it helps me understand everything.”
If any of this sounds familiar, let's talk before it becomes a crisis. A free, 20-minute discovery call.
Schedule a Discovery Call →