Strategy & Growth
Strategic planning, EOS/Traction, revenue diversification, mergers, and change management for nonprofit leaders.
Change Management
Leads nonprofit organizational change through leadership transitions, mergers, restructurings, layoffs, and program pivots: change-readiness assessment, stakeholder impact mapping, a phased communication plan (staff, board, funders, clients/community), and named change models (ADKAR, Kotter's 8 Steps, Bridges' Transition Model) adapted for mission-driven culture. Use when a user says things like "we're going through a merger and staff are anxious," "how do we announce this restructuring," "help me communicate a program pivot to our community," "we're losing our founder and need a transition communication plan," or "morale is cratering during this change." Does not cover the merger/sponsorship feasibility analysis or deal terms themselves (use nonprofit-mergers-fiscal-sponsorship), does not cover the ED succession planning process itself (use nonprofit-succession-planning), and does not cover day-to-day staff culture/retention practices absent an active change event (use nonprofit-staff-retention).
EOS Traction
Adapts the EOS/Traction operating system for nonprofits: Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO), Rocks (90-day priorities), Level 10 Meetings (L10s) with IDS, weekly Scorecards with leading-indicator metrics, and the Accountability Chart mapped onto a nonprofit's ED/board/staff structure. Use when a user says things like "we want to run EOS," "help me set our quarterly Rocks," "how do I structure an L10 meeting," "build our accountability chart," or "our meetings are unproductive and we want more accountability." Does not cover setting the 3-5 year strategic priorities themselves (use nonprofit-strategic-planning, whose output feeds the V/TO's long-term goals) and does not cover board governance structure, board meeting agendas, or committee design (use nonprofit-board-governance).
Mergers Fiscal Sponsorship
Assesses and structures formal inter-organizational combinations: merger/consolidation feasibility studies, joint venture structuring, and fiscal sponsorship arrangements (Model A comprehensive vs. Model C pre-approved grant relationship), including due diligence checklists, culture-fit assessment, integration planning, and sponsorship agreement terms (fees, liability, IP/donor-list ownership on exit). Use for "we're considering merging with another nonprofit," "should we become a fiscally sponsored project," "we want to sponsor a smaller grassroots group," "evaluate this merger partner," or "draft our fiscal sponsorship agreement terms." Not for 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) dual-entity lobbying structures (use nonprofit-c3-c4-structure), advocacy coalitions of legally separate orgs (use nonprofit-coalition-building), or leading staff/culture through the resulting transition (use nonprofit-change-management).
Revenue Diversification
Evaluates and builds earned-income ventures, social enterprise models, fee-for-service programs, and overall revenue-mix diversification strategy beyond traditional fundraising: revenue concentration/dependency analysis, business model selection (related vs. unrelated business, program-integrated vs. arm's-length social enterprise), UBIT (unrelated business income tax) screening, break-even/pricing analysis, and a staged launch plan. Use when a user says things like "we're too dependent on one funder," "should we start charging fees for this program," "we want to launch a social enterprise," "help us diversify our revenue mix," or "is this earned-income idea financially viable." Does not cover annual fund/major gift/grant fundraising tactics (use the Fundraising & Development skills), does not cover the day-to-day operating budget once revenue streams are set (use nonprofit-budgeting), and does not cover merger or fiscal sponsorship as a growth path (use nonprofit-mergers-fiscal-sponsorship).
Strategic Planning
Runs an end-to-end nonprofit strategic planning process: environmental scans (SWOT/PEST), stakeholder input (board/staff/community surveys and interviews), priority-setting retreats, 3-5 year plan structure (mission/vision alignment, strategic pillars, goals, objectives), and board/staff facilitation agendas. Use when a user says things like "we need a strategic plan," "our strategic plan expires this year," "help me facilitate a board retreat to set priorities," or "how do we structure a 3-year plan." Does not cover translating a chosen program strategy into a logic model or theory of change (use nonprofit-program-design), does not cover installing a weekly execution/accountability operating system like EOS (use nonprofit-eos-traction), and does not cover evaluating specific new revenue streams (use nonprofit-revenue-diversification).