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Systems Strategist · Operations Executive · Fractional COO

I build the infrastructure that lets the mission keep its promises.

Finance, governance, HR, accountability — the operating systems that turn vision into delivery. Twenty years of cross-sector leadership, now yours on the terms your organization needs.

20+
Years cross-sector
$12M
Nonprofit led as COO
$300K–$24M
Budget range
3
WA Commerce appointments
Katoya Palmer speaking
“Inclusion is not charity. It is infrastructure.”
Katoya Raquell Palmer · Founder, ToyBox
One practice, many rooms

The same rigor — in every room I'm called into.

Boardrooms and community centers. Most consultants pick a lane. I don't.

The approach

Clarity, culture, and credibility — built together.

Every engagement moves through the same three commitments. They map to exactly what an organization in motion needs — and to the tagline I close on.

Clarity
Systems that make sense of complexity.
Culture
The identity worth protecting.
Credibility
The trust that earns the next yes.
How I can help

Senior operating capacity, structured to your stage.

See all services & rates →

Flagship
01

Fractional Executive Leadership

Interim COO/CEO — senior leadership without the full-time overhead.

$150–200/hr · retainer
02

Nonprofit Development & Compliance

Governance design, fundraising systems, and compliance that holds.

$100–150/hr · scope
Phase 1
03

Workshops & Training

Evidence-based sessions on accountability and systems leadership.

$2,500–7,500 · live
04

Government Contracting & TA

Technical assistance, contracting readiness, public-funding guidance.

$150–175/hr · scope
05

Business Systems & Operations

HR, IT, finance, and SOP build for organizations ready to scale.

Custom scope
06

Creative & Brand Development

Creative production, event management, and brand strategy.

Custom scope
★ Highly-attended session · WSNC 2026

Beyond Compliance Theater.

Building accountability systems that strengthen — not just monitor — performance. Peer-selected for the 2026 Washington State Nonprofit Conference. Watch the full 45-minute session.

Format · 45 min, interactive
For · EDs, boards & senior leaders
Take-home · Fillable workbook + 90-day plan
Katoya Palmer
About Katoya

Two decades building the systems that hold organizations together.

I founded ToyBox in 2008 and have led operations from $300K startups to $24M systems — most recently as COO of a $12M nonprofit with 80+ staff, rebuilt during crisis. I'm a published researcher, the author of the Five Windows essay series, and currently serve on four boards.

3 WA Commerce appointments Peer-reviewed researcher WSNC 2026 presenter CompTIA Project+ Bellevue Chamber Board The Sophia Way · Board SplashForward · Board KEEP · Founding Board
Read Katoya's full story
Writing & ideas

I write the way I work — in systems.

From Section 8 to the C-suite. One throughline runs through all of it: the things we treat as charity are actually infrastructure.

Read on Substack
katoyapalmer.substack.com · the founder blog
Essay series · 2025

Five Windows into a Fragile Economy

  1. 01 Housing
  2. 02 Community Safety
  3. 03 Nonprofit Fragility: Passion Isn't a System
  4. 04 Technology & Digital Literacy
  5. 05 The Final Window · forthcoming
Stay in the loop

Systems notes for mission-driven leaders.

Essays on accountability, leadership, and the systems that hold organizations together — including the “Five Windows” series. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Recognition & affiliations
Seattle MediumWA Nonprofit ConferenceBellevue ChamberSouth Seattle EmeraldSplashForward
Let's begin

Tell me what's next out the box.

A free, 20-minute clarity call — no pitch, just a clear read on where you are.

Schedule a Discovery Call