Congratulations!

Your Nonprofit Just Got a Game-Changing Gift!

New funding is exciting, but it can also be destabilizing. As an executive director, your plate is full with in-flight projects and initiatives.

You need support that nurtures your new funding, hatches new programming, and grows your impact — while seamlessly integrating your existing work.

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We Won a $9 Million Grant!

Back in 2015, I co-founded the Center for Government Excellence. We had a $9 million grant and the crazy idea to help 100 cities make better, data-informed decisions in three years. Apart from the money, we had nothing to start:
no program…no team…no clients…no process.

But I come from the world of startups and nonprofits. That gave me a unique perspective on how to hire a team that hit the ground running, build super-scalable service delivery models, and create flexible infrastructure to support continued growth.

We scaled from just two co-founders to a team of 75 while 12x our revenue to serve more than 300 global clients and train 10s-of-thousands more. We received follow-on funding allowing me to launch
five new organizations, in just six years.

I now share my methods and skills with executive directors, CEOs, and boards to get their new initiatives off the ground.

Build While Already Flying

As an executive director, your days are already packed managing current programs and initiatives. You need a strategic partner who understands the delicate balance of your responsibilities. Someone who can fully navigate the strategic planning and launch process, so you can focus on what you do best – leading your organization.

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Nonprofit Operations Consultant

I’m Sharon Paley

I partner with nonprofit leaders to transform their audacious dreams into programmatic reality.

I can help you make your way from the euphoria of receiving a gift, past the mad scramble to get programs up and running, through the thicket of implementing organizational change, and over to stable ground where you can grow and continue your successes.

Get a Free Consultation

Let’s Make Your New Funds Work

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Clear, Flexible Planning

The goal of our partnership is to develop a clear but flexible plan that adapts to your organization’s unique (and changing) situation. We’ll work together closely to create a roadmap that aligns your mission to your changing programmatic goals and organizational growth.

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Programmatic Goals

Clearly defined goals are the cornerstone of impactful programs. Together, we’ll set and communicate programmatic goals that advance your organization’s vision ensuring your new program contributes meaningfully to the community you serve.

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Values-Led Decision Making

Uncover the skills, processes, and systems you need through my method of values-led analysis. We’ll operationalize your organizational needs to its values. Every staffer you assign, project you develop, and component of your plan will be informed by your ethos.

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Prioritization and Sensible Budgeting

Time and resources are precious. You’ll learn to prioritize projects, team, and resources based on their return-on-impact, coupled with feasibility. We’ll keep an eye on getting you the most bang for your buck while you quickly build and scale your new program.

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Rapid Team Formation

There is a mad scramble that often accompanies new funding — juggling in-flight projects and team members to launch as quickly as possible. Let’s sensibly distribute your existing team’s time, pinpoint strategic new hires, and foster team building and connection, so everyone is optimally aligned and motivated.

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Measurement and Response

Let’s build an agile plan that readily adapts to reality. We’ll set up program management and tracking systems (including their routine review) to measure your performance and impact. You and the team will make the best-informed decisions to yield the greatest results.

Why Work With Me?

When I ran nonprofits, I worked with consultants. And, honestly, the majority of these experiences were frustrating.

I felt like they arrived at our office without bothering to understand the existing expertise on our team, tried to force our organization into the box of their methodology, and then sent a big bill for the aggravation.

I don’t consult like that.

I want to teach you how to fish, not sell you the catch of the day. You and your team will learn the skills and approaches that work for your organization to launch new thriving programs. That way, you can continue to sucessfully grow after our engagement ends.

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Scrappy & Adaptive

I first learned how to launch programs and projects when I was in the world of tech startups — running tech accelerators and incubators. Unlike nonprofits who pour effort into strategic plans that can’t sustain an encounter with reality, startups take a more nimble, iterative approach. I’ll teach you how to test new ideas and models in ways that are safe for your organization, making it easier for you to spot hitches before they become problems and pivot to what actually works.

Keeping It Light

50-page strategy documents bog down nonprofit growth. And not just because they are too inflexible. They also kill any culture of confidence in your organization. Growth springs from creativity. Your team doesn’t want (or likely need) to be micro-managed – to be told what to do every step of the way. Together we’ll articulate the north star for your new program, then cultivate the best ideas from your team on how to get there. You’ll gain buy-in and improve morale even in a period of change.

No BS

As an ED, your time is limited and precious. You don’t need more meetings to attend or paperwork to read. So, I aim to keep it simple — offering you the no-nonsense support you and your team need to launch a new program with as little BS as possible.