Compass Clarity Call
FreeA 30 minute conversation about what's slowing things down. If it looks like a fit, I'll recommend the engagement that makes sense. It's a conversation, not an audit or a finished plan.
Start with an inquiryLeaders should not have to become the system their organization depends on
What NorthStar believesSigns your operations need attention
Your people are capable. The structure hasn't kept pace
Growth didn't create the problem. It exposed it.
When the work depends on a few people
When the work has structure
Decisions wait for one person
Decisions have clear owners
Processes live in someone's head
Processes are written down where the team can find them
Follow-ups slip when things get busy
Follow-ups happen on a set rhythm
Leaders answer the same questions all week
Leaders spend their time leading
Ways to work together
Signature engagement
Choose the support that fits
You can start small and see how I work, or go straight to the engagement your priority needs. Everything is fully virtual.
Start small
Bearing Review
$750 fixed feeA focused look at one workflow or challenge. After one working session and a review of up to three documents, you receive a written findings summary with up to three priorities, and we talk it through together.
About 5 to 7 business days once your materials are in
Ask about a Bearing ReviewBuild or maintain
Scope
Length
Investment
You receive
Best when
The BeaconFocused project
Scope: One defined challenge
Length: A few weeks
Investment: From $2,800Larger projects can combine related solutions
You receive: One practical solution your team can use right away
Best when: You already know what needs fixing
Path to PolarisSignature engagement
Scope: Several connected processes behind one priority
Length: Three months
Investment: From $12,000Payment plans available
You receive: A NorthStar Map, working systems, documentation, and team training
Best when: A priority keeps stalling
ConstellationOngoing support
Scope: Agreed priorities over time
Length: Six month minimum
Investment: From $2,100 a month
You receive: Steady support with a set number of hours each month
Best when: You want a steady partner after the build
The Beacon
One defined challenge, solved with something your team can use right away.
From $2,800Larger projects can combine related solutions
A few weeksSee examples
Path to Polaris
Several connected processes behind one priority, taken from understanding to a working, documented solution.
From $12,000Payment plans available
Three monthsSee the three phases
Constellation
Steady support across agreed priorities, with a set number of hours each month.
From $2,100 a month
Six month minimumHow it works
The Bearing Review is a fixed-fee service. All other engagements are tailored to your organization's needs and scope, beginning at the prices shown. Final pricing, available add-ons, and deliverables are confirmed in a written proposal. Mission-Aligned Pricing is available for eligible nonprofits.
The signature way to work together, three months
Path to Polaris
Polaris is where your vision, work, and structure finally align. Path to Polaris is how we get you there, one priority and three months. That priority might be client intake, volunteer onboarding, donor follow-up, or launching a new program.
Month 1
See What Is True
Together, we look at how things run today and agree on the one priority to focus on.
You receiveYour NorthStar Map
Month 2
Build What Works
I build and put in place the systems, workflows, and roles that priority needs.
You receiveSystems and roles built for your priority
Month 3
Protect the Work
I document the process, train your team, and check that it's being used.
You receiveDocumentation and training
An example of Path to Polaris
A growing nonprofit relies on its director to manage volunteer sign-ups, scheduling, and follow-up. Over three months, I assess how those processes work today, create one connected workflow with clear responsibilities and a shared tracker, then document the procedures and train the team to use it. The goal is to reduce the team's daily dependence on the director and give everyone a more consistent way of working.
This is an illustration. Exact deliverables are agreed at the start and built around the one priority you choose.
Ask about Path to Polaris
Starting at $12,000, with payment plans available. Mission-Aligned Pricing is offered to eligible nonprofits.
Two more ways to work together
The Beacon
Focused project engagement
When one part of your operations needs attention, you don't always need a complete overhaul. The Beacon focuses on a single challenge and ends with something your team can put to use right away. Larger Beacon projects can combine related solutions.
Examples of Beacon projects
- Documented workflows and standard procedures
- An operational tracker or dashboard
- Clear roles and responsibilities for one process
- An outreach or intake management process
Constellation
Ongoing operational support
Ongoing support across agreed priorities, with a set number of hours each month, so you always know what's included. That could mean keeping an outreach pipeline running, maintaining a system that's already been built, or coordinating an agreed area of work. You can start here directly, or continue after a Beacon project or Path to Polaris. The monthly fee covers an agreed scope and number of hours, and any additional work is agreed in writing first.
- Clear priorities, agreed together
- A set number of hours each month
- Progress you can see each month
The Beacon starts at $2,800, and Constellation starts at $2,100 a month with a six month minimum. Every engagement is scoped and priced in writing before work begins. Mission-Aligned Pricing is available for eligible nonprofits, and nonprofit work can be built around one program or the resources you have. All engagements are fully virtual.
The difference it makes
Client names stay private unless a client chooses to share them.
When I first filed for my nonprofit, it sat untouched for months because I was overwhelmed with everything else on my plate. When I connected with Tamara… she immediately got things moving. Within a week, I had a clear roadmap, the right resources in place, and a renewed sense of purpose.
She has a genuine talent for taking a messy, undocumented process and turning it into something scalable, repeatable, and easy for others to pick up.
I really have to commend you for being able to pull me out of that space and help me see what's priority. Thank you for your continued support, your keen eye, and your ability to see what my business needs.
She has a rare ability to see the bigger picture, identify what you're missing, and guide you toward real growth. She will push you, but in a way that brings clarity, direction, and results.
Recent client work
What I was trusted to build
Connectedlive Tally-to-HoneyBook intake process
Small business
Business expansion and operational setup
CompletedAn established salon owner was opening a separate salon-suite rental business while still running her salon. I researched the local market, recommended rental pricing, set up her business-management system for projects, invoices, and contracts, and connected her intake form so new inquiries go straight into it.
3signed memoranda of understanding with college partners
School
College partnerships
Agreements signed, partnership activeThe founder of an inclusive private school wanted a steady pipeline of future educators. I built a college partnership program with two local colleges and one national university for observation, practicums, and future educator recruitment. One active partner created a project specifically for the school, and the partnerships give it a starting point for long-term staffing.
20+alternative properties researched
School
Facilities strategy and school expansion
Planning continuesWhen the school faced the possibility of losing its location, I supported the founder's discussions with the building owner about staying and expanding, researched alternatives, developed a donor campaign, and built community relationships for its future.
172pages of planning turned into role-based procedures
Community festival
Documentation
CompletedA community festival's planning lived in one 172-page document. I audited it and wrote a complete set of role-based procedures, so each role had clear steps to follow.NorthStar was also recognized as a Platinum sponsor of the festival.
Tamara Johnson
Founder, NorthStar Operations Group
For more than 20 years, I've worked in finance operations and process improvement, most recently as a Lean Six Sigma Champion, where I trained about 100 colleagues and helped my team reach its first Lean maturity milestone in about a year. Along the way, I earned my MBA and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
I started NorthStar because smaller businesses and mission-led organizations deserve the same operational support big companies take for granted.
It hasn't been a smooth road, but it's been a beautiful evolution. What I've learned, and bring into every engagement, is simple: when everything feels urgent, you don't need ten steps. You need to see what's true, choose what matters first, and build something that keeps working long after I've stepped away.
- The person is not the problem
- Structure is care
- Clarity comes before correction
"She didn't just help with paperwork and logistics, she helped me understand the impact our organization can have on the community and reminded me why this work matters."
Common questions
How much does it cost?
The Bearing Review is a $750 fixed fee, paid before the review begins. The other engagements are tailored to your needs and scope of work, starting at these prices: The Beacon from $2,800, Path to Polaris from $12,000 with payment plans available, and Constellation from $2,100 a month with a six month minimum. Your exact price, and any add-ons, are set in a written proposal before work begins.
How is the Bearing Review different from the Compass Clarity Call?
The Compass Clarity Call is a free conversation to see whether we're a fit. The Bearing Review is paid work. I review one workflow and up to three documents, meet with you for a working session, and give you a written summary with up to three priorities. Because it's based mainly on your view of how things run, it shows you where to start rather than replacing a full review with your team. The summary is yours to use whether or not we work together again.
How long does it take?
A Bearing Review takes about 5 to 7 business days once your materials are in. Beacon projects usually take a few weeks. Path to Polaris takes three months. Constellation starts with a six month term.
Will I work with you directly?
Yes. You work with me. If a project needs a specialist skill, like graphic design, I bring in a trusted partner, manage them myself, and show that cost separately in your proposal.
What do you need from our team?
One main point of contact, honest answers about how things run today, and time for regular check-ins. I keep meetings focused so they don't add to the load.
How does virtual work?
Everything happens through video calls, shared documents, and the tools you already use. Onsite work, travel, and event staffing aren't included.
Who qualifies for Mission-Aligned Pricing?
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status or a qualifying fiscal sponsor. It applies to The Beacon, Path to Polaris, and Constellation, and nonprofit work is scoped to fit your program and the resources you have. The Bearing Review is already priced as an accessible first step, so it stays at $750 for everyone.
What if our needs change?
Every engagement has a written scope. If priorities shift, we'll talk it through and update the scope and price in writing before new work begins. Building a new system is project work. Keeping it running week to week is ongoing support through Constellation.
How do you handle our information?
Carefully. I only ask for what the work needs. I don't share client names or details without permission, and I never sell information. I avoid putting sensitive information into AI tools. The Privacy Policy has the full details.
What isn't a fit?
NorthStar focuses on project-based improvements and defined ongoing partnerships, delivered virtually. It isn't daily admin support, onsite event staffing, IT system builds, grant writing, or a replacement for a full-time operations hire. If that's what you need, I'm happy to point you in a better direction.
Do you use AI?
Sometimes, where it saves your team time. It's a tool, not a replacement for judgment. I avoid putting sensitive client information into AI tools, and the Privacy Policy explains how information is handled.
You don't need it all figured out before you reach out
Tell me what's happening in your organization, and we'll start there.
- Share a few detailsthrough a short inquiry form
- Talk it throughon a free 30 minute Compass Clarity Call, if it looks like a fit
- Get a recommendationthe right engagement for your priority, with a written scope and price