Home Work
A $12M public-safety and health nonprofit, stabilized during a crisis.
Katoya Palmer served as COO (chief operating officer). She rebuilt five core systems at once and stabilized a team of 80+ staff.
Strong mission, failing operations.
The organization did vital, visible work. Then a financial shock shook funder confidence. Key systems were improvised or broken.
What was at risk: payroll, programs and the next funding cycle.
An 80-person team was carrying risk no one had assigned to them. Burnout was rising. Five connected systems were failing at the same time.
“I didn't just manage operations. I rebuilt the organization's ability to keep its promises.”
Five systems, rebuilt at the same time.
Financial controls & reporting
Budgets, controls and reports the board and funders could trust.
HR (human resources)
Policies, roles and accountability, so staff stopped carrying unassigned risk.
IT (information technology) & operations
Reliable systems in place of improvised tools.
Grants & compliance
Grant management and compliance built to federal-readiness standards.
Communications
Clear, steady communication with staff, board and funders.
Why all five at once
They failed together, so they had to be rebuilt together, in the right order.
A stable team and funders who trust the numbers.
- All five core systems rebuilt and running, with clear owners.
- 80+ staff stabilized, with risk assigned instead of silently absorbed.
- $300K+ raised in crisis fundraising.
- Funder confidence restored.
What this means for your organization.
You do not have to be in crisis to call. If your systems depend on a few people, that is a risk to your funding.
Read more: a second engagement, a nonprofit finance rebuild in six months
A Seattle nonprofit that brings mindfulness into elementary classrooms had lost its founder-led operations and had no documented finance policies. ToyBox built a financial operating system the board could read and run.
- 79.5% financial health score, with a 5.7-month cash runway and scenario modeling.
- 23 policies tracked and being implemented, where there had been none.
- A chartered Finance Committee and restricted-fund accounting (tracking money that can only be spent on set purposes).
- An audit-readiness roadmap targeting FY2027 (fiscal year 2027).
“Fantastic. It helps me understand everything.”
Find out which of your systems to fix first.
What happens on the call: 30 minutes with Katoya Palmer, a read on fit and clear next steps. No pitch.
Proof: 5 core systems rebuilt at once, 80+ staff stabilized, $300K+ raised in crisis fundraising.
