Operations, handled
Russ to the Rescue sets up the behind-the-scenes side of small nonprofits, the money, records, board packets, grant data and donor thank-yous, so it just works and your people get back to the mission they signed up for. Everything is built around how your team already works, at a fixed price starting at $1,000. I'm Russ Greene, and I work with nonprofits around Morris County in person and anywhere else by phone or video.
Texts come straight to my phone.
Does this sound like your week?
- Receipts arrive in four inboxes, and someone rebuilds the books by hand every month.
- The board packet takes two days, and the numbers still get pulled at the last minute.
- The grant report is due Friday, and nobody can find last year's figures.
- Thank-you notes go out weeks after the gift.
- The same five questions arrive every week, and someone answers each one by hand.
What changes when the back office just works?
Before: Receipts in four inboxes
After: Expenses come in through one form
Before: Books rebuilt by hand every month
After: Reports ready for every board meeting
Before: A two-day board packet
After: The numbers pull in automatically, so you write the story
Before: Grant numbers pulled at the last minute
After: The figures for your next report are already there
Before: Documents on personal drives
After: Files that are searchable, backed up and in your organization's accounts
Before: Who has the projector?
After: A live list with check-out and return reminders
Before: The same questions, answered by hand
After: Common questions answered right away, the rest sorted for you
Your treasurer gets their evenings back, your board meetings focus on the mission, and nobody dreads grant season.
How does it work?
We talk about how the work happens today. Where money comes in and goes out, what the board needs, which reports funders ask for, and what keeps you up at night. Every organization's version is different.
I map it and simplify it. Automating a messy process just gives you a faster mess, so we fix the process first.
I build it around what you already use. If your accounting software, shared drive or donor list works, I'll set it up properly and connect it rather than start over. If you need something new, it's set up in your organization's name.
A person checks anything that goes out. Reports and reminders run on their own. Anything AI drafts in your name, like a thank-you note or a letter, gets read by someone on your team first.
I train your team and hand it over. You get a plain-English guide written for whoever takes over next.
What does it cost?
Operations work starts at a fixed price of $1,000 for a first system. Your one-page plan gives you the exact price and timeline before any work starts. The first chat and the plan are both free. If anything I built breaks in the first 90 days, I fix it free. Optional support is $500 a month, only if you want me to keep adding features. See pricing for everything that's included.
Will our team be able to use it?
Yes, and I don't consider the job done until they can. If someone on your team can fill in a form and open a spreadsheet, they can run this. I train the treasurer, the office manager or the volunteer who'll use it, at a pace that suits them. The handover guide covers the everyday steps, so it keeps working when roles change.
What about donor thank-yous?
Donor thank-yous and gift records are part of operations now. When a gift arrives, a personal draft is waiting, with the donor's name, the gift and anything you already know, written in your organization's voice. A person on your team reads every thank-you, adds a personal line and sends it. Nothing goes out in your name without someone reading it.
Gift records live in one place, in your accounts, so you can see at a glance who still needs a thank-you, and year-end lists are already organized. If your organization would rather write every note by hand, that's fine too. One clear list of gifts saves time on its own.
What happens as we grow?
Systems that grow with you. As you add programs, volunteers and donors, nothing breaks. I build so a new program is a new line on the same form, not a new spreadsheet, and a busier year means more rows, not more evenings. The handover guide grows with it, so the next person can pick it up without starting over.
Start with one chore, the one that drives you craziest, and add more once the first fix is working. You don't have to change everything at once.
Questions people ask
Do you replace our bookkeeper or accountant?
No. I set up how money and records flow, so your bookkeeper, treasurer or accountant gets clean, organized information. Accounting and tax decisions stay with them.
What if we already use accounting software or a donor list?
Then we start there. Often the fix is setting it up properly and connecting it to the rest of your week. I'll only suggest something new if what you have can't do the job.
Where does our financial and donor information live?
In accounts your organization owns and controls. I set up access carefully and show you exactly where your data lives and who can see it.
Who you'll work with
I'm Russ, a neighbor in Mendham. I answer my own phone, and I'm happy to meet at your office or by phone or video. More about me.
Next step
Tell me which part of the back office eats your week. Text me, and we'll find 30 minutes to talk.