Eli Sutherland

Strategy

Eli specialises in turning your strategy into action. They can support you to clarify your direction, strengthen your capabilities, and deliver impactful outcomes. Whether you’re balancing multiple priorities, facing complex decisions, or navigate a change management process, Eli can work with you on:

– Evaluating existing or drafting new strategic plans
– Facilitating big picture strategy sessions
– Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion plans
– Translating strategies into operational and staff work plans, and more.

Governance

With over a decade working with non-profit boards, as well as experience as the Treasurer of an arts non-profit board, Eli has a strong grasp of governance and compliance from both sides. They can support your organisation with developing and delivering:

– Board induction programs, ensuring members have a clear understanding of their legislative responsibilities and position duties
– Board skills matrix, gap analysis, and recruitment packages
– One-off upskilling sessions and ongoing mentoring to build capacity around financial literacy and reporting, effective meeting practices, and board leadership skills
– Systems and documents to ensure compliance and efficiency, including Board Charter, Code of Conduct, Subcommittee Terms of Reference, etc.

Funding

Eli’s creative approach to fundraising has a demonstrated track record of success. They can support you to:

– Develop a diversified fundraising strategy and implementation plan
– Craft compelling funding pitches and grant applications for your projects that will showcase the impact of your work, including government grants, corporate sponsorships, and more
– Coordinate and deliver fundraising events
– Develop earned income proof of concepts
– Complete funding acquittals, including conducting project evaluations, financial reporting, and impact storytelling.

Financial management

Eli can help you work more confidently with numbers and create a healthy numbers culture within your organisation. To truly optimise organisational impact within your current financial resources, Eli can support you to develop and prioritise:

– Timeliness: consistent practices at an effective rhythm (such as reviewing account transactions, variances from the approved budget, and reforecasting on a quarterly or monthly basis)
– Accuracy: appropriate tools and systems (such as fit-for-purpose budget spreadsheets, accounting software, policies and procedures)
– Understanding: numbers storytelling and reporting (the ability to communicate finances with clarity, especially to the Board).

Communications and reports

As an accomplished writer with experience in policy, advocacy, and communications, Eli can assist your organisation with materials including:

– Communications strategies, including social media strategies and content
– Advocacy and policy reports and submissions
– Evaluation reports
– Business Plans
– Annual Reports.

Project management

Organisations and arts workers are operating in increasingly complex, adaptive environments. The need for decisive action and efficient systems has never been greater. Eli can support your project management by:

– Establishing or updating your project management systems and tools
– Providing diagnostic assessments of current projects, highlighting areas for improvement
– Creating project plans and evaluation frameworks
– Supporting the delivery of existing or new projects through direct project management.

Continuous quality improvement

By taking an individualised approach to your organisation, internal systems, and goals, Eli can help you make the greatest impact in your work. They can support you with:

– Policy and procedure development, including reviewing for gaps and compliance issues, updating existing policies, and creating new fit-for-purpose policies
– Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) accreditation
– People and Culture, including people and culture strategies and implementation plans, organisational structure reviews, leadership coaching, staffing advice, change management, and more.