How We Work

Our method — in five phases.

We're a pre-launch practice, which means we don't yet have case studies to show you. Instead, here's exactly how an engagement unfolds and what you get at each step. The deliverable examples below are anonymized mockups — representative of what we produce, not screenshots of real client work.

1
Diagnostic phase

Phase 1 — Diagnostic

What happens
  • We review your chart of accounts, bank and credit reconciliation state, grant tracking, shelter software data flow, reporting cadence, and board packet structure.
  • 60 – 90 minute discovery call; document request list; we work against your view-only access.
  • Scored 30-point findings report with prioritized remediation plan.
What you see
  • A PDF findings report with traffic-light ratings on each item and a numbered remediation list.
Price anchor Scoped per engagement.
2
Implementation phase, if scoped

Phase 2 — Systems Implementation

What happens
  • COA redesign around program, functional expense, and restricted-fund structure.
  • Shelter software (Shelterluv / PetPoint / ASM) to GL (QuickBooks / Sage / Xero) data pipeline configuration.
  • Grant and restricted-fund tracking architecture.
  • Historical data cleanup (up to 24 months).
  • Documentation and staff training.
What you see
  • Architecture diagram of your shelter-to-GL pipeline.
  • Written documentation pack.
  • Two training sessions (45 minutes each).
Price anchor Scoped per engagement.
3
Ongoing · monthly

Phase 3 — Monthly Cadence

What happens
  • Monthly close by business day 10.
  • Board-ready financial statements by business day 15.
  • Grant performance tracking: restricted vs. unrestricted rollforward, spend-by-program, funder report exports.
  • Monthly or quarterly 45-minute advisory call with the ED and/or treasurer.
What you see
  • Monthly board packet: cover, one-page ED summary, budget-to-actual, grant performance, program sustainability, cash runway.
  • Quarterly deep-dive analysis.
  • Real-time dashboard in the client portal.
Price anchor Scoped per engagement.
4
Event-driven

Phase 4 — Grant Period Close & Funder Reporting

What happens
  • Per-grant financial close and funder report packaging.
  • Restricted-fund burndown tracking.
  • Audit-ready working papers for any single grant.
  • Coordination with your CPA for annual review.
What you see
  • Funder-specific report packages formatted to each funder's template.
  • Working papers bundled by grant, ready for CPA review.
Price anchor Scoped per engagement.
5
Once per year

Phase 5 — Annual Strategic Planning

What happens
  • Three-year operating budget with three scenarios: base, grant-expansion, revenue-compression.
  • Runway and reserve analysis against industry benchmarks.
  • Grant pipeline review and revenue diversification model.
  • Capital needs and facility planning (if applicable).
  • Board presentation.
What you see
  • Written strategic plan (30 – 60 pages).
  • Financial model in Google Sheets or Excel.
  • Board-ready presentation deck.
Price anchor Scoped per engagement.

How we choose what to do.

01

We work alongside, not instead of.

Your bookkeeper keeps doing daily recording. Your CPA keeps doing tax and audit. We build the layer in between that most small shelters don't have.

02

We don't optimize for volume.

Our model is a small number of deeply engaged clients, not a high-throughput service. If we can't serve you well, we'll tell you.

03

We publish our pricing.

Most boutique finance practices don't. We think hidden pricing is a filter against the wrong kind of client — for both sides.

Ready to see if we're a fit?

Book a strategy call. We'll talk through where you are, what's working, and whether any of these phases are the right next step.