Geneva Global is part of Global Impact Ventures
For a new organization, balancing day-to-day operations while thinking about big picture issues ahead is hard. Nonetheless, systems, policies, and budgets that stand the test of time are essential—both for the moment and the future.
When the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) engaged Geneva Global, it was a newly minted, rapidly growing nonprofit organization. It needed help setting up its backbone governance structures and guidance on developing its re-granting programs. The organization’s fast-paced growth gave this assignment urgency, as its infrastructure, governance policies, and grantee selection practices had to be clear in order to provide direction and support for continuing development.
We reviewed Aii’s existing processes and procedures, including its handbook for the board of directors, organizational decision-making structures, advisory council selection and roles, and grant-awarding processes. With the lens of ensuring compliance with U.S. regulations and applying best practices, we also confirmed that its systems were transparent, efficient, and understandable.
In addition to affirming the organization’s sound foundation, Geneva Global helped Aii plan for future staff, budget, and programs by developing an operational roadmap. With its North Star mission and vision at the center, we devised a plan keyed to pivotal milestones—time to hire a CFO, time to upgrade their CRM, and time to seek additional funding—making critical decisions easier to manage.
As Aii continues to grow, navigating new milestones and experiencing ongoing challenges, we continue to engage with the organization as needed, to provide strategic guidance, direction, and advice.
As our organization moved from just receiving grants, to becoming a regranter, we needed expertise on how to align the organization’s internal infrastructure, policies and governance for the role of leading a donor pooled fund. The Geneva Global team worked closely with our leadership to ensure we were retooling the organization in a way that expanded beyond our current experience and set us up for success for our future.
