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Strategy & Financial Sustainability
When the numbers aren't working, you need a plan the board can act on.
Clear analysis and options, presented so a board can make a hard decision with confidence.
Setting executive pay? Start with an Executive Compensation Benchmark ›
Operating deficits keep recurring
A building or facility is costing more than it returns
The board must set executive pay and wants peer data
This may be the right fit if
You're starting a new initiative and need a plan
A first conversation is free and confidential.
Why this work matters
Hard decisions need clear options.
Boards put off the decisions that matter most when the information is scattered, the options are unclear, or the stakes feel too high to weigh in a meeting.
I gather the facts, set out the realistic choices with what each would mean, and present them in a form your board can discuss and decide on.
Understand the organization first. Then lead the change it needs.
How I work
What I do
Four kinds of work, one standard: board-ready.
01
NEW INITIATIVES
Strategic and startup plans
- Clarify purpose, audience, and what success looks like
- Build a realistic plan and budget for a new initiative
- Set priorities and a sequence the board can approve
02
WHEN MONEY IS TIGHT
Operating deficit and facility analysis
- Trace where the deficit comes from and what it will do next
- Model facility options, including sale or reuse scenarios
- Show what each option means for the mission and the budget
03
SETTING PAY
Executive compensation benchmarking
- Gather data from peer organizations' public Form 990s
- Match peers by size and mission
- Summarize the findings in a short memo your board can act on
04
EVERY ENGAGEMENT
Board-ready reports and presentations
- Plain-language reports organized around the decision to be made
- Options laid side by side, with a clear recommendation
- Presented to your board, with time for questions
What makes this different
Analysis that ends in a decision.
A good report doesn't just describe the problem. It lays out the options, shows what each would cost and change, and gives the board what it needs to choose.
The board makes the decision. My job is to make sure it can make it with confidence.
What's included
Strategic plans and startup plans for new initiatives
Operating deficit and facility analysis, including sale or reuse scenarios
Executive compensation benchmarking using peer Form 990 data
Board-ready reports and presentations
A low-risk way to begin
Start with an Executive Compensation Benchmark.
A focused, two-week project that gives your board peer data and a short memo to act on, whether you are setting pay for a new executive or reviewing the current one.
The fee is credited toward a full engagement signed within 60 days.
See all starter offers ›
Setting executive pay
Executive Compensation Benchmark
Compensation data from 10–12 peer organizations' public Form 990s, matched by size and mission, with a two-page memo your board can act on.
STARTING AT $2,000
2 weeks
Questions
What boards usually ask.
Where does the compensation data come from?
From the public Form 990s that nonprofits file. I select 10–12 peer organizations matched by size and mission, and summarize what they report in a two-page memo.
Will you tell us whether to sell our building?
I'll set out the realistic options, including sale or reuse scenarios, with what each would mean for the budget and the mission. The decision is the board's, and the analysis is built to support it.
Can you help with a plan for something new?
Yes. Strategic plans and startup plans for new initiatives are part of this work, from clarifying the purpose to a budget and sequence the board can approve.
What does it cost?
Every engagement is scoped to your organization, and I provide a written proposal. A common starting point is an Executive Compensation Benchmark, from $2,000, which is credited toward a full engagement signed within 60 days.
Facing a hard financial decision?
A first conversation is 20 minutes, free, and confidential.