FRACTIONAL COO SERVICES FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
I bring financial rigor where others bring instinct, and I build systems that outlast the problem that created them.
I'm Jennifer Bierds, CPA — an unconventional operations executive who built a career figuring things out without a roadmap. That's turned out to be excellent preparation for building things in organizations that don't have a playbook yet. After several years in audit, including work with nonprofit organizations, I moved into nonprofit finance leadership, then into fractional CFO and COO work with early-stage companies, most recently as Chief of Staff at a fractional CFO firm. Ledger & Lever is where I bring that full arc back to organizations doing work I actually believe in.
What I love most is the intersection of operations, people, and mission, wherever it shows up: building the teams and processes that make complex things run smoothly, and being the person organizations call when something hard needs to get done right. I've been the first operations hire and built finance and people-ops functions from nothing. My audit background means I also know exactly what your board and auditors are asking for, and how to build the controls that keep you ready for them year-round.
A fixed-fee engagement to get your books and controls in shape before your next audit. Timeline is scoped to where your books actually stand, with an upfront gate to flag deeper cleanup as its own project.
A 3–6 month, milestone-based engagement to design and implement the finance and people-ops systems your organization is missing, from close processes to hiring workflows.
Process Support for a defined role, or Full-Cycle Search through offer. Discounted when paired with a Build or active retainer.
Ongoing senior operational judgment across three tiers of depth, matched to what you actually need. Detailed on the next page.
Strategic guidance and oversight for a team that can already execute.
Deeper, hands-on involvement across finance and operations.
The most senior level of ongoing involvement Ledger & Lever offers.
+$2,000/mo when direct report management is included. Sprint, Build, and Hiring Support are quoted separately as flat fees based on scope — the rate holds, and scope flexes to fit your budget.