Smiling man in a suit and white shirt, outdoors with blurred greenery background.

Helping Organizations go from Overwhelmed to Unstoppable.

No one goes to school on how to run a nonprofit! I help mission-driven organizations get unstuck—strategically, operationally, or emotionally

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With 20+ years of experience from the White House to the UN to running nonprofits myself, I know how to turn vision into measurable impact.

Unsure of what you need? I created a Trail Guide Framework to describe the stages of a journey that nonprofits often find themselves in.

See below! These four stages are fluid of course. Still this framework helps us start talking, to see the landscape first.

Read on! I will guide you below as to how to navigate this website. Or if you’re ready now, just schedule a consultation here.

Where to Start?

  • Scan the below for a menu of ideas to prod your thinking and orient yourself.

  • View the “Adira Foundation Story” page. What I have done shows what I can do for you!

  • Schedule a discussion. We can map out a plan — what to take on, when, and how.

My Trail Guide Framework helps describe a journey in four visible stages.

An avid hiker, I often think in terms of the outdoors, particularly for perspective — handling multiple points of view on vast complex problems.

Some organizations are just setting out on their journey. Some are lost. Others need help regrouping, or help traveling with others. Some are poised for growth, ready to go! Many straddle more than one but this framework helps orient us with all that might be on your mind!

A panoramic view of the Grand Canyon showing layered red rock formations, a winding dirt trail through the canyon, and cloudy sky overhead.

 1. Mapping the Route
Clarify where you want to go and how

Services might include:

  • Strategic planning and roadmap development

  • Vision and mission alignment

  • Naming your core Values

  • Long-term sustainability and revenue planning

  • Fundraising strategy and donor cultivation

  • Organizational pivots

  • Clear messages. Defining terms.

Whether you’re navigating a new direction, facing tough questions about sustainability, or simply feeling stuck—I help you reconnect to your mission and chart a realistic, compelling path forward.

You don’t need to know the exact destination to start moving. But let’s at least find your compass!

A narrow canyon with towering, layered sandstone walls and a shallow river with rocks running through it.

2. Making Camp.
Stabilize, regroup, & build internally.

Services might include:

  • Guiding CEO and others in leadership

  • Developing the Board of Directors and Evaluating Governance Structures

  • Simplifying messages. Defining terms

  • Restructuring

  • Clarifying roles, priorities, focus

  • Crisis management

  • Acting as Interim CEO if needed

Sometimes the smartest move is to pause! Reset expectations. Redistribute the weight you’re carrying. Are you doing too many much? I step in when organizations need to catch their breath and regain stability—without losing momentum.

Making camp is the leadership equivalent of putting your backpacks down and asking, “What’s really going on here?”

A narrow desert canyon with a wooden staircase leading upward, surrounded by red rock formations.

3. Building a Campfire. Complete one critical initiative—well.

Services might include:

  • Facilitating a key meeting or retreat

  • Writing a grant proposal

  • Designing and executing a big event such as a conference or fundraiser

  • Assessing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Metrics of your programs

  • Report writing

  • Briefing materials

Progress often comes from just visible performing. I help design and execute high-stakes initiatives where clarity, pacing, and trust are essential.

Whether it’s lighting a fire or keeping one burning, I help you make that next bold move count.

Tourists walking across a narrow wooden bridge over a turquoise water lake, with a large rock cliff and cave in the background.

4. Traveling Together.
Gather allies. Build bridges. Grow!

Services might include:

  • Stakeholder mapping

  • Listening better to stakeholders

  • Building coalitions

  • Advocacy / public policy

  • Respecting and bringing communities more into the center of your work

  • Finding new partners

I help organizations listen better, convene more effectively, and grow coalitions that go beyond tokenism—toward shared power and aligned purpose. f you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together!The trail is easier, better, safer, more fun, and more effective when walked with others. I help you listen, learn, engage, and collaborate.

Wherever you are, I help you find your footing

Meet Greg Smiley, MPH

CEO | Coalition Builder | Nonprofit Expert

I started in U.S. national health policy leadership, then consolidated that leadership with nearly a decade in global health. Later I brought that experience back home to the U.S. as a health entrepreneur in nonprofits.

I've spent decades at the intersection of health, policy, and cross-sector collaboration. I understand and appreciate different points of view.

I marry strategic rigor with deep empathy. Lasting change has a chance when people are listened to and their contributions incorporated. Lived expertise is as valuable as career expertise.

I am also a stand-up comedian! I bring good energy, wit, and humor. The work may be serious, but we don’t always have to be :)

A man wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and striped tie, standing indoors near a large window with a brick wall beside him.

Bruce P., Executive Director of American Academy of HIV Medicine

“Mr. Smiley was vital to helping us to craft a unifying vision, to further developing our board, and to creating an informed approach to elevating our profile and to catalyzing new relationships with a range of potential new funders in our industry. "

Ready to Transform Your Organization's Impact?

Whether you're just starting your journey or need help navigating complex terrain, I'm here to guide you toward sustainable success.