Philanthropy by Grey Mirror

How it works

We do our homework before we ask for your time.

You share the situation in plain language. If it looks like a fit, we review the organization, public evidence, and context you provide before we meet. The conversation starts informed; a retainer begins only when we agree on the work, reserved capacity, and initial priorities.

Six steps from context to visible execution.

Preparation and preliminary evidence come before an engagement. Ongoing execution begins with the priorities, responsibilities, and capacity recorded in the proposal and signed agreement.

  1. 01Share the situation

    Tell us what you are trying to make real, what is already moving, and why it matters now. You do not need to diagnose the problem, assemble a brief, or select a service.

  2. 02We prepare before the meeting

    Jake reviews every inquiry personally and replies within 24 hours. For situations that look like a fit, we study the organization, relevant public material, and the documents or links you choose to provide.

  3. 03An informed working conversation

    We bring a preliminary view of what appears true, what may be constraining the work, and what needs clarification. Then we test it against your context and listen for the details that change the answer. We use evidence, slides, audits, or demonstrations when they make the situation easier to inspect.

  4. 04A bounded concrete preliminary read

    For work that looks like a fit, we make the preliminary read tangible and may use a bounded operating map, evidence-backed diagnosis, draft structure, or small demonstration. This shows how we understand the work; it does not promise a free full audit, prototype, or custom build.

  5. 05A capacity proposal

    If we agree to work together, the proposal records the multidisciplinary capacity reserved, who is expected to participate, the initial priority stack, and the expected pace and number of major workstreams moving in parallel.

  6. 06Shared priorities and a visible cadence

    Your leadership and Grey Mirror maintain one visible priority stack. We execute the priorities recorded in the proposal and shared stack, show progress, and decide together what accelerates, pauses, or leaves the stack when new work emerges.

What the retainer actually buys.

A retainer does not buy an undefined promise to do anything. It reserves coordinated execution capacity for agreed priorities and makes the pace and priority tradeoffs visible.

Multidisciplinary capacity

The work can draw on delivery, finance, data, technology, systems integration, communications, partnerships, and governance coordination without a separate engagement for each discipline.

Parallel pace

The proposal identifies the capacity reserved, expected team participation, initial priorities, and how many major workstreams are expected to move at once.

Continuity with governance

The same accountable relationship follows accepted priorities across handoffs. When new needs emerge, we make the tradeoff together instead of quietly expanding the scope or abandoning the thread.

Fees, plainly.

We do not publish dollar pricing because the capacity and pace have to match the work. We do publish the commercial structure so you know it before the first conversation.

  • A flat monthly retainer tied to reserved capacity and expected execution pace
  • Not calculated as a percentage of funds raised
  • A standard three-month minimum, then month to month
  • Standard prorated refunds after the minimum, subject to the signed agreement
  • One visible priority stack maintained with your leadership

The same team serves organizations from small staffs to one moving over nine figures a year in donations. Before signing, we record the capacity reserved, the initial priorities, and the expected number of major workstreams moving at once. The signed engagement agreement controls the final commercial terms, responsibilities, and any exceptions.

How responsibilities are organized.

Licensed judgment stays licensed. Where legal, accounting, or audit judgment is required, it stays with the appropriate licensed professionals. We execute and coordinate around them rather than substitute for them.

Discretion is the default. We do not use a client’s name or nonpublic work in marketing without written permission. The engagement agreement defines the access Grey Mirror receives and how it changes or ends. How confidentiality and access work.

Ownership and access are written down. The signed engagement agreement defines account control, deliverables, and intellectual-property rights, including any limits created by third-party licenses. Leadership keeps final decision authority.

Responsibilities are recorded. The proposal and signed agreement define the initial priorities, dependencies, client responsibilities, and capacity reserved. New work enters through the shared priority stack instead of an assumption that everything moves at once.

Fit gets an honest answer. If we are not the right team, we say so before an engagement begins. The FAQ covers the common questions.

Start with the situation.

Tell us what you are trying to make real, what is already moving, and why it matters now. A short note is enough to let us decide whether preparation and a working conversation make sense.

Show us what you’re trying to make real.

Questions first? The FAQ answers fees, fit, and diligence.