Interim Executive, Strategic Planning, Transitional Leader, Org Dissolution.
- Mission to provide transportation service for seniors.
- Three-year-old org, almost completely reliant on government funding.
- Served for 6 months. Was “face” or organization at that time.
- First ED resigned when notified of loss in government funding, left improprieties. ED was program-oriented, org administrative systems were weak/nonexistent. Toxic staff culture. I joined them having lost 80% of their revenue, with the “founder board” in place, most of whom were long-time community leaders who served in government or served as board members at orgs primarily funded by government.
- Conducted Organizational Assessment, Lifecycles Framework. Recommendations to Board for Immediate vs. Long-Term sustainability.
- Action Plan: Assess Terrain, Evaluate Admin/Operations/Programs based on ROI, Opportunity Costs.
- Engaged in capacity building, handled outstanding HR issues, and terminated staff. Restructured staffing and program for sustainability. Conducted some fundraising.
- Learned the org had let their 501c3 status lapse. Handled their problems with the IRS and got them reinstated.
- Created org stability, but on a much smaller scale – FT staff down to 1 from 4 ($130K annual operating budget rather than $400K), in addition to paid and volunteer drivers. Always on verge of running out of money.
- Offered the Board a growth plan, requiring them to activate themselves as fundraisers.
- Engaged M&A initial discovery. Org ineligible for M/A/SP due to contract they signed with a loosely affiliated national org.
- Conducted Board Asset-Mapping and Strategic Visioning Sessions to determine next steps.
- Midway through tenure, former ED died unexpectedly, so my role then included organizing emergency crisis response (communications to staff/clients, emotional support of staff and other stakeholders), offering of outside mental health assistance, crisis management of org. Sidebar – 2 months after I had a baby by Cesarean delivery!).
- Led Board through “next steps” process. Board decided they did not want to become active fundraisers and made the decision to close the organization.
- Completed administrative and legal steps to dissolve the organization.