Operations support during a period of organizational growth

Challenge (What We Saw)

TGC secured multi-year project funding to expand their services for immigrant women+ working in STEM and business. They needed to quickly onboard a new team and set up systems and policies that would support both short term project goals and longer-term sustainable operations as they continue to grow.

Our Perspective/Process

One member of the Balanced Good team stepped in as the Operations Lead for TGC. They worked on setting up tracking systems for project milestones and expenses related to the multi-year funding, while also setting up processes that would work for the organization as they secure new sources of revenue. Our team helped TGC focus on making decisions that met funding deliverables while also supporting the mission, vision and strategy of the organization. A second team member joined TGC as an Events Lead once a new revenue stream was secured, managing outreach to community organizations and building & executing a strategy for TGC events. 

Opportunity for Change (What We Did)

• Set up tracking systems for project deliverables and funding expenses, working with the bookkeeper to build systems that were detailed but not onerous to use. Introduced project management tools for the team including Asana and converting the full team to google shared drives. 
• Worked with TGC Leadership to map out the right staffing mix for the deliverables, keeping an eye on future growth of the organization. Balanced Good prepared draft job descriptions for roles and created a hiring SOP, focusing on equitable and progressive hiring practices that were in-line with TGC org values. We managed recruitment, candidate screening and hiring for new team members. 
• Built an annual operating budget of $1.3 million that reflected multiple revenue streams, working with TGC leadership to determine budget allocation and identifying best use of funds. Coordinated the roll out of a new accounting software, getting the organization set-up with Quickbooks online. 
• Wrote a progressive and equity-focused staff handbook, using a policy template that we have available for Balanced Good clients, we tailored a comprehensive staff handbook to TGC’s needs that meets relevant regulations and focuses on creating a supportive and equitable work environment for staff. 
• Supported the negotiations of $1.2 million in new funding, preparing all necessary budget documents and work plans for review to reach a signed contribution agreement for three year funding. 

Outcomes

Balanced Good continues to support TGC through their period of growth both with operations and events strategy and management.