The Situation
In the fall of 2023, a national non-profit organization contacted The Northridge Group. Faced with the decision to either grow and remain independent or be acquired by a larger organization, the non-profit had a decision to make. Having recently undergone some major transitions and restructuring, the organization decided to build upon their work and hire a consultant to help them prepare for growth.
The Team
The Northridge Group team was comprised of the following experts:
- Human Resources Subject Matter Experts
- Contact Center & WFM Subject Matter Experts
- Project Managers
The consulting team at NRG swiftly initiated a Capacity Assessment to evaluate the current state of the nonprofit and determine the adequacy of staffing in each area, as well as the additional personnel required for upcoming expansion phases.
However, our evaluation extended beyond just staffing. We also thoroughly assessed the technology and processes in place because we recognize that a business operates at the intersection of people, technology, and processes. An imbalance in one area inevitably affects the others, ensuring comprehensive insights and more effective solutions.

The Phases
We broke this project into 5 phases:
- BASELINE ASSESSMENT – The team interviewed people via phone and on site to experience the business in real-time. This allowed us to identify the process in which business is handled, the people handling it, and the technology that is used.
- INDUSTRY BENCHMARKING: NRG takes our two decades of experience and pairs it with industry benchmarks to create a baseline assessment.
- IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES – We report our findings and identify specific areas where growth and change could/should occur.
- PRIORITIZE & PLAN – We prioritize areas of opportunity and create a roadmap for leadership to follow that will lead them to their desired results.
- ALIGNMENT – Align our findings and recommendations with the client, creating corresponding timelines with level of effort.
“The idea was to take their existing employee base, streamline processes to be more efficient, thus creating a better experience for employees, donor families, and surgeons,” says Kelsey Williams, consultant. “This will allow them to expand and acquire in a way that is more efficient, cost effective, and streamlined.”
The Discovery
The National Association of Nonprofit Organizations & Executives (NANOE) declared there are seven reasons why nonprofits fail, including mission creep or expansion without reality, and fear of appropriate data information.
While our client wasn’t faced with failure, they were experiencing scaling issues and lack of data retrieval. With the scaling came some high turnover. During employee interviews, it was discovered that many employees felt overworked. The existing ‘per diem’ structure was no longer working for the organization.
“One of the more surprising things we found was that their projects were not being tracked, so there was little to no available data to support their efforts,” Williams says. “This was a massive opportunity to build a roadmap that identifies specific datapoints in multiple areas that will allow them to tell a better story and gain a greater understanding of where they can grow.”
The Solutions
Throughout the process, the NRG team worked closely with leadership and employees to fully understand pain points and identify key performance indicators. We designed solutions around the three areas of opportunity – Human Capital, Growth, Data Collection.
Human Capital
- Organizational Structure Framework
- We designed a Competency Matrix or “Depth Chart” for leadership to gain a better understanding of their employees’ expertise in real time. This allows them to see where gaps may exist as well as over-employing
- RAPID Matrix
- RACI: Responsibility Assignment Matrix to understand workloads, work distribution and processes to decrease burnout, increase retention and overall Employee Experience
- Organizational Design
- Shows flow of reporting and communication while also identifying potential gaps needed to fill for scale
- Created a Roadmap
- Created a “Do Now, Do Next, Do Later” map for leaders to follow over the course of the next 6-18 months in order to achieve goals and ROI
Positioning for Growth
Additionally, we designed a Capacity Model with three areas of focus:
- Call center
- Recovery Center
- Lab
Models were designed using historical data for each channel and region with variables to show growth factors that would:
- Size the existing work within each area
- Inform staffing needed for new acquisitions
- Evaluate acquisition targets to shape the value of a potential merger
This allowed the organization to gain a better understanding of the number of employees they would need to hire to train within the current body of work but also guide the potential of growth both as business impact and value. They can then plan and budget better, creating training programs, refining knowledge modules, and developing coaching programs as they grow.
Data
Data was another important area of opportunity. Through the assessment we identified the fact that the company did not have their data aligned to be able to measure performance in line with industry standards. Through many collaborative working sessions, we uncovered several of their systems were in fact measuring more than they realized and could immediately be used to create the appropriate metrics and provided a starting point to inform the capacity model. The use of the existing technology enabled enhanced performance metrics and a better-informed organization.
“We initially collected data from the only known sources available, the leaders…” said Steve Sizemore NRG WFM SME on the project. “In one model the stated FTE required was nearly double the actual need was based upon data uncovered within the phone system later in the project. It clearly exemplifies perception vs reality in data when all variables are collected and how a model is only as accurate as the inputs available.”
The Outcome
The NRG project team identified all the tasks an employee does on a project and measured cycle time for each one. As a result, they were able to identify and remove duplicated efforts, resulting in a more efficient process, streamlined communication and a better understanding of each employee’s role and responsibilities.
A streamlined and organized business with well-established, reliable processes is the foundation for sustainable growth and success. By standardizing operations and ensuring efficiency, organizations can reduce errors, improve customer experiences, and enhance employee productivity. Establishing these processes before expanding, growing, or acquiring new ventures is critical. It not only minimizes risks and growing pains but also ensures a seamless transition during scaling efforts. Without this solid groundwork, businesses may face inefficiencies, miscommunication, and missed opportunities, ultimately jeopardizing their long-term success. Prioritizing operational excellence early enables smoother expansion and positions the organization for future growth with confidence.
The non-profit is still implementing the improvements to their workforce management and general operations. The NRG team will provide more on the ROI as it becomes available. We look forward to watching their success!
What Our Clients Say
“I’ve never seen people pick up our industry as well as you guys did,” said a non-profit organization leader.
We know hiring a consulting firm is a big decision….and choosing the right one for you and your organization can be overwhelming. Hiring a consultant brings in a fresh set of eyes to look at missed opportunities and build an approach that is based on over two decades of experience. But what if the consultant doesn’t work in your field or industry? How can you be assured they can really understand the hurdles and challenges your team faces? At NRG, we base everything we do on two things: 1. Pulling industry data to benchmark and establish KPIs and goals against; 2. proven approaches and applications to business operations derived from over 25 years of experience and dozens of subject matter experts.
That’s why testimonials like this one mean so much.