How we can work together?
Our niche is working with small nonprofits to help them develop systems and tools that make good use of their limited resources and capacity while identifying strategies for growth. The majority of Sledge Strategies clients are with nonprofits with budgets of less than $1,000,000 annually.
“I think of my work now as providing the type of assistance I wanted when I was an executive director, but struggled to find the right fit. I needed someone who could be a partner in developing tailored solutions to the challenges we faced, instead of off-the-shelf guidelines for fundraising or growth.” - Lindsey
We focus our energy into four main categories: development, finance, operations, and management support.
Development
In development, we establish a grant writing process, prepare grant proposals and reports, implement an annual fundraising plan, support donor cultivation, recruitment, and retention (stewardship), coordinate fundraising events, and launch capital campaign efforts.
Operations
In operations, we assist organizations through transitions, like implementing systems and software to support/manage HR, benefits and online file storage; facilities transitions (moving, construction, etc.); tool creation for tracking and measurement; infrastructure audits to assess areas for growth; and coaching for managers/leadership in small organizations.
Management Support & Coaching
Lindsey can help senior level staff think through ways to ensure operations run smoothly and to capitalize on opportunities. This includes preparing for board meetings, reviewing financial documents, problem solving around obstacles and issues, and serving as a sounding board and brainstorm partner.
Finance
In finance, we play a CFO role for small organizations, create a finance and compliance system, support executive directors to prepare and/or review financial documents including annual budget, reports, etc. audit, or help find the right outsourced accounting and bookkeeping firm, credit card company, bank, auditor, etc.
Our Approach
Sledge Strategies partners with small and growing nonprofits in ways that match their stage, capacity, and ambitions. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all consulting, our work generally falls into three engagement streams, each designed to meet organizations where they are and help them move forward thoughtfully and sustainably.
This is traditional consulting work, designed for nonprofit leaders and boards who need experienced, practical guidance while retaining day-to-day ownership of implementation. We help organizations think through strategy, systems, and decision-making across development, finance, operations, and management. Engagements may include short-term projects or ongoing advisory relationships, and often focus on clarifying priorities, building internal tools and capacity, and strengthening leadership confidence and vision.
For many small to medium nonprofits, the challenge isn’t knowing what to do, it’s having the capacity to do it all. In these partnerships, Sledge Strategies functions as a part-time internal department, providing outsourced development capacity. This is our deepest level of partnership and is where we embed most closely with clients, acting as an extension of staff to build systems, manage processes, and move work forward consistently. This model is especially effective for organizations that are growing, transitioning, or operating with lean teams and limited infrastructure.
We can act as your development team, taking on the roles of Development Director, Grant Writer, Fundraising Event Planner, Database Manager, and Stewardship Coordinator. Nonprofit ED’s and Boards maintain final approval and build relationships with donors, while Sledge Strategies does the behind-the-scenes preparation.
We work with founders and visionaries who are launching a nonprofit or formalizing an early-stage organization. This work focuses on getting the “ducks in a row”: clarifying mission and structure, building foundational systems, preparing required documentation including your 1023 if needed, and shaping a compelling case for funding. We take a deliberate and responsible approach to startup work — prioritizing readiness and long-term viability over speed. Once an organization has the appropriate legal, operational, and strategic foundations in place, we can support early fundraising and growth efforts.
A note on startup engagements:
To protect both the organization and its long-term funding prospects, we require startup clients to have access to legal counsel (board-based, volunteer, or paid). While we prepare materials and guide the process, final government filings must be reviewed and submitted with attorney involvement. We also do not pursue funding until an organization is fully prepared; fundraising is increasingly competitive, and premature outreach can undermine future opportunities. Our goal is to ensure clients enter the funding landscape positioned for credibility and success.