Tracy’s story:
Over my career I have journeyed from being a corporate business leader at Procter & Gamble, GE and DuPont to starting a business strategy consulting firm and now to an increasing focus on churches and nonprofits. As a manufacturing manager I developed a disciplined approach to produce quality work. When I was given an opportunity to lead a global chemical business I practiced strategy and getting results by coordinating finance, marketing and operations. Through all these experiences I learned the only way organizations reached their goals was when people were aligned and satisfied working together.
I left the corporate world twenty years ago when my first daughter was born. As my children grew, I built a management consulting firm helping entrepreneurs develop strategies and financing plans so they could achieve their dreams. From time to time I’d also help a nonprofit with their strategy or facilitate a leadership retreat at the church I was attending. For several years I managed the consulting team at a larger strategy consulting firm that also did investment banking and learned best practices in consulting. In 2010, I left that firm to start North Star Strategies in order to focus on serving mission-driven organizations.
My husband Robert, a minister, has helped develop and apply the tools that we use with corporations and non-profits in way that is relevant for faith-based organizations.
Robert’s story:
Part of the reason I decided to support my wife’s business a church and nonprofit consultant was that I had spent a lifetime working in both fields, particularly the intersection of both. As a minister working in churches, I was always very active fighting for social and economic justice in the community. As a result, I worked closely with local and state governments, social service nonprofits, and nonprofits that advocated for the disadvantaged. In addition, for ten years, I served on the executive committee for a large nonprofit. This organization provided services to children who had suffered from abuse, as well as residential care for the elderly. The result was that I came to understand the legal and financial, as well as the therapeutic and service aspects, of managing a nonprofit.
More recently I had the opportunity to work for the government. My office distributed millions of dollars in federal and state grants to secular and faith-based nonprofit organizations providing services and advocating for people with the most in need in our community. I learned many things they did well and also learned how to quickly recognize places for improvement.
COMPASS for Churches
Following several months of intentional discernment in 2012 we felt called to combine our skills and experiences to recognize, celebrate and strengthen faith-based organizations doing Christ’s work in the world.
“. . . to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13
Specifically, we want to offer even small churches the same level of quality consulting services provided to large corporations. We think that the Internet, software and virtual conversations could supplement face-to-face conversations resulting in broad engagement, great efficiency and exceptional quality. We collaborated with a local church to pilot our process. With the success of that experience we automated the process. Since then we have enjoyed working with dozens of churches around the country and making many new friends who share our vision.