Connection. Clarity. Creation.
Supporting charities and community-focused organisations
through growth, transition and change.
“Often the decisive turn is preceded by an apparent emphasizing of and raising to their extreme of things which seem the very denial, the most uncompromising opposite of the new principle and the new creation.”
~ Sri Aurobindo
How Ellara Group can help you
You are doing work that people need: creating new ways for people to live and be together, to care for each other and for the Earth.
As your organisation grows and evolves, new ways of working are needed. Your governance, operations, policies and systems need to change as your work does.
I help organisations move through times of change by creating the structures, systems and processes needed to support their next stage of progress.
How we work together
I work with organisations to:
Deliver projects effectively:
Project management processes that help projects move forward while staying on time and on budget (schedules, budgets, delegated authority, action tracking)
Strengthen day-to-day operations:
Operational processes to clarify goals, workflows and responsibilities (processes for communications, human resources, compliance, volunteer management, business development)
Support good governance:
Policies reviews, board support, trustee recruitment and onboarding
Build financial clarity:
Budgeting, cash flow forecasting, scenario planning, financial reporting and decision-making tools that support strategic and operational decisions
About
Amanda Smith
I work with small charities and environmental and community-focused groups to create and implement operational, governance and project management systems.
With 25 years experience, including 15 years in charity operations, leadership, trustee, and volunteer roles - and a background in engineering and project management - I bring a practical and structured approach to helping small organisations create and implement the processes needed for their next stage of progress.
I often work with organisations during periods of growth, transition or crisis bringing a calm, creative and structured approach.
Example charity experience includes:
- Reviewed and refined all operational and governance policies for a charity to ensure compliance and usability
- Created budgets, financial scenario planning tools and financial oversight processes to help a nonprofit navigate a financial transition and rebuild a strong financial foundation
- Created event production processes that helped teams of remote volunteers in different timezones to deliver 35 on-line and in-person events each year
And previously in my career:
- Managed the procurement of $1.5 billion in hospital and sports stadium construction projects for government clients on time and on budget, including the stadium projects for Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games
- Designed and delivered conferences and seminars to bring together groups of 300+ people on issues of urban sustainability across Canada
- Project Manager for the development of a sustainability framework that established a vision for low-carbon, climate-resilient design across 2,000 acres of urban renewal land
"Amanda has a remarkable capacity to articulate the moving parts of a situation, the options available, and the implications of those options - an invaluable skill that makes her a leader regardless of the role she is in.
In challenging situations she brings clarity, steadiness and a deep respect for the people involved."
— R. Stephson, Non-Profit Board President