Services | Cornus Consulting LLC

Today there is a growing recognition of outsourcing as a tool for day-to-day management. Cost reduction is a key reason why many companies outsource. For others, access to greater expertise or the need to focus on core activities is important.

We offer competent and skillful financial and analytical support for non-profit organizations. Our experience and knowledge from working with multiple organizations create a breath of knowledge that benefits our customers.

Sample case studies (click for details):

Provide Director of Finance services

Interim Director of Finance
Client	Organization with $5M operating budget
Client Situation	The organization terminated in short-notice its Director of Finance Organization needed the finance department to continue regular operations during the period of recruitment of a new Director of Finance
Cornus Approach	Provided part-time Director of Finance services on an immediate schedule until a new Director of Finance was hired Reassign responsibilities to make the transition period most efficient in regard to resource allocation Managed junior staff during the transition period to ensure ongoing operations continue without disruption Produce timely financial reports to support management and provided financial analysis Helped to on-board the new Director of Finance in his role and provided ongoing support through job transition
Project Outcome	The organization suffered from minimal interruption during the transition

Help in recruiting into financial positions

Director of Finance Recruitment
Client	New York based Organization with $3M operating budget
Client Situation	The organization decided to terminate its Director of Finance Organization needed help in hiring a good replacement which is a crucial part of the senior leadership of the organization
Cornus Approach	Developed and implemented a process for defining the role of and hiring the new Director of Finance, integrating senior management and board members in the process Helped the organization define the responsibilities of the Director of Finance and develop an accurate job description Helped the organization to decide which recruitment channels to use Participated in the interviewing process to evaluate general fit and financial skills of candidates Helped negotiate employment terms with desired candidate
Project Outcome	A highly-qualified and capable Director of Finance was hired by the organization

Oversee project implementation

Grant/Project Management
Client	National Organization with 53 affiliates in 50 states
Client Situation	The organization planned to invest in capacity-building in selected affiliates across the US, - …but needed to develop the capacity-building strategy, - …and required support in the implementation and management of the program
Cornus Approach	Developed a plan to build capacity for each individual affiliate and an aggregated plan for the project as a whole Established mechanisms to support ongoing funding, oversight and accountability of the funded affiliates Provide ongoing consultation and management support to the national organization and the affiliates participating in the program Produce ongoing reports and materials for funders regarding various aspects of the project
Project Outcome	Project is fully-funded by major national funders (above $40M over 10 years) Capacity-building goals are being achieved Program became a flagship of the organization and is used as a model for other programs

Revamp financial department

Revamp Financial Department
Client	Organization with $4M operating budget
Client Situation	Organization doubled in size within 3 years The financial system and procedures hadn't been developed or upgraded to support the bigger organization Management did not receive reliable and timely financial information to make informed decision about the operations
Cornus Approach	Reviewed and analyzed the organization financial needs and identified gaps in current systems and procedures Created new procedures and improved existing systems to enable better management of the organization Developed a new chart of accounts supporting a new set of financial reports for the management and board Developed multi-year financial projections and recommended reducing level of staff to make the organization sustainable Renegotiated terms of primary contracts to reduce levels of expenses
Project Outcome	Upgraded financial procedures and systems providing ongoing reliable financial data for management A more efficient organization with a balanced and sustainable budget

Develop budgets

Budgeting Support
Client	Recreational Educational Organization
Client Situation	Four related non-profit organizations merged and needed to establish a consolidated budget Required external capacity to help develop a combined financial system and budget for the next year
Cornus Approach	Developed a project plan with senior management of individual organizations Communicated the plan to the relevant departments Worked with each department on operational, transition and capital budgets Rolled up the individual budgets Reviewed and finalized results with the Executive Director
Project Outcome	The organization had a consolidated budget for the following year A system has been established for the combined financials

Analyze financial profitability

Profitability Analysis
Client	University Press
Client Situation	The organization had several product lines of books but lacked information aboutresource allocation for each product line and the associated financial contribution of each book type Wanted to make informed decisions on resource investment for publishing different lines of books to meet the organization mission
Cornus Approach	Analyzed past sales data to predict expected revenue per book type Assigned direct costs and allocated indirect costs between book types Derived contribution by book type Recommended changes in allocation of resources to optimize impact on mission
Project Outcome	The organization developed different procedures and guidelines for different book types Financial contribution by book type is being monitored and tracked so that the organization can make informed decisions for allocating resources

Conduct cost analysis

Cost Analysis
Client	Association of Towns
Client Situation	Association offered various services to its dues-paying members Absence of any financial information concerning the cost of services to determine the optimal delivery
Cornus Approach	Analyzed all existing services financially and operationally Performed cost analysis of all services Categorized services into positive, neutral and negative contributors Recommended changes to services to optimize allocation of resources
Project Outcome	Association dropped some services and made various changes to others to optimize resource allocation

Our service is flexible to address our customers' needs.

Please don't hesitate to Contact Us with your needs.