Our Services
Each organization has its own challenges tuned to the rhythms of its mission, and every community faces a unique set of structural realities. Our services are focused on building systems that help organizations thrive at the intersection of strategy and creativity.
Browse our service categories below to find the help you need—and when you’re ready to bring your vision to life, feel free to reach out to start a conversation.
The Challenge: Budgets are tight, funding cycles are unpredictable, and you need clear financial guardrails that don’t stifle your creative mission.
How We Help: I bring order to the numbers. From building sustainable annual budgets and cash-flow projections to setting up transparent financial reporting for your board, I help ensure your organization is fiscally resilient.
- Our Experience: 30 years developing budgets for arts nonprofits using mission and goals as guiding lights.
The Challenge: Your organization has big ideas, but day-to-day operations keep getting in the way of long-term progress.
How We Help: Using my background as a facilitator, I guide your leadership team and board through a collaborative planning process. We will define your core priorities, align your stakeholders, and build a practical, actionable roadmap for the future.
- Our Experience: Guiding the reformation of Arts Roseville. Steering the leadership transition for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Moderating conference panel for IBMA World of Bluegrass Conference, 2025
The Challenge: You need a diversified revenue stream, but crafting compelling grant narratives and donor appeals takes more time and specialized language than your team has available.
How We Help: I translate your artistic and community impact into a compelling case for support. I assist with identifying funding opportunities, drafting meticulous grant proposals, and designing donor stewardship strategies that stick.
- Our Experience: Ran $5M capital campaign for SteppingStone Theatre, and have written grants for millions more for theatre companies and arts service organizations. Developed individual giving and board-led giving programs. Planned and ran in-person and online fundraising events.
The Challenge: You are producing incredible work, but filling seats or attracting festival attendees is becoming harder and more expensive.
How We Help: Drawing from 30 years of producing large-scale indoor and outdoor events, I build targeted promotional campaigns. From ticketing logistics to digital marketing, I help you reach the right audience and maximize attendance.
- Our Experience: Selling Triple Espresso in venues across the country for seven years, and producing countless shows and events for SteppingStone Theatre, Theatre 55, The O’Shaugnessy, MBOTMA and others.
The Challenge: You need a diversified revenue stream, but crafting compelling grant narratives and donor appeals takes more time and specialized language than your team has available.
How We Help: I translate your artistic and community impact into a compelling case for support. I assist with identifying funding opportunities, drafting meticulous grant proposals, and designing donor stewardship strategies that stick.
- Our Experience: Ran $5M capital campaign for SteppingStone Theatre, and have written grants for millions more for theatre companies and arts service organizations. Developed individual giving and board-led giving programs. Planned and ran in-person and online fundraising events.
The Challenge: Personnel friction, operational inefficiencies, or structural transitions are slowing down your organization’s momentum.
How We Help: We step into the messy intersections of day-to-day operations. Whether it’s mentoring new leaders, streamlining staff workflows, or navigating a major organizational pivot, we provide the outside perspective and seasoned leadership you need to stabilize and grow.
- Our Experience: 30+ years as a manager, leader, artist, board member and volunteer contribute our unique perspective as a consultant.
Our Fees
Because we tailor our work entirely to your community’s scale and long-term vision, we don’t use a standardized rate sheet. A grassroots group launching a new initiative requires a different stewardship of resources than an established institution navigating a major strategic transition.
To ensure our partnership is grounded in transparency and respect for your budget, we use a collaborative three-step process to find the right investment level together:
- Listening & Discovery: We begin with an open, no-obligation conversation to explore your mission, your strengths, and the specific challenges you’re looking to solve.
- Collaborative Scoping: Together, we map out the exact areas that need care and cultivation.
- A Tailored Path Forward: We present a menu of two or three engagement options, each with a clear, fixed price. This gives you absolute budget predictability, allowing you to choose the depth of support that feels entirely sustainable for your organization.
As Board Chair, Ross provided the steady hand and trusted leadership MCA needed during my transition into the Executive Director role. His confidence, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to the organization helped ensure a smooth transition and laid the groundwork for much of the success we enjoy today.
Sarah Fossen, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts
Ross improved many of our processes, increased our grant funding and private donations, worked with our bookkeeper to develop a new chart of accounts, launched a new website, transitioned us to a new ticketing/payment platform, and strengthened connections between our organization and its constituents.
Penny Hillemann, former Board Chair,
Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-time Music Association