Key Outcomes
70% Revenue Growth
$1M Operating Budget Achieved
$1M Collaborative Grant Secured
Staff Expanded from 5 to 11
Reporting & Budget Systems Standardized
Grant Compliance & Prospecting Infrastructure Established
Context & Challenge
Following the departure of both the Executive Director and Director of Fundraising, OPS faced a significant leadership and operational transition. Critical organizational knowledge, fundraising history, reporting obligations, and financial processes existed largely in individual files and institutional memory, leaving the organization without the infrastructure needed to support continued growth. The challenge was to stabilize operations while building the systems necessary for long-term sustainability.
Assessment & Strategic Opportunity
On assuming my new role, it was quickly clear that the organization's greatest challenge was not funding opportunities, but the absence of modernized systems to manage it effectively. Budgeting, grant management, reporting, and planning processes lacked consistency, making decision-making reactive and dependent on individual knowledge. The opportunity was to create the operational infrastructure required to improve accountability, strengthen financial stewardship, and support future growth.
Approach & Execution
I began by centralizing organizational records, reconstructing funding histories, and creating visibility into financial and reporting obligations. From there, I developed standardized budgeting processes, grant tracking systems, reporting calendars, board reporting tools, and organization-wide data collection protocols. These systems connected program outcomes, funding requirements, and organizational planning, enabling more strategic fundraising, stronger financial management, and informed decision-making.
Stakeholder Alignment
Implementing new systems required significant change across staff, board leadership, and funders. I supported adoption through training, communication, and hands-on technical assistance while demonstrating how improved processes would strengthen organizational sustainability and mission impact. Increased transparency improved board oversight, strengthened funder confidence, and provided staff with greater clarity around responsibilities and performance expectations.
Results & Impact
Over four years, OPS evolved from a largely reactive organization reliant on institutional knowledge into one supported by structured systems for budgeting, fundraising, reporting, and organizational management. The operating budget grew from approximately $591,000 to more than $1 million, staff capacity expanded from 5 to 11 employees, and the organization successfully managed multiple concurrent funding streams while expanding programs and services. The systems established for financial management, reporting, and fundraising remained in place after my departure, creating a foundation for continued organizational growth and sustainability.