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

Helping Organizations go from Overwhelmed to Unstoppable.

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

Unsure of what you need? See my Trail Guide Framework in the section below to digest the landscape in bite-sized pieces. Start your tour of this website with these three first steps:

  1. Scan my framework below. Under the photos I list a sample menu of deliverables to prod your thinking and help you name what you need.

  2. View the “Adira Foundation Story” gallery — it lights up examples of what I have done — and gives a taste of what I can do for you.

  3. Schedule a free discussion to talk it out. If it’s mutually a good fit, we can map out a plan of what, when, and how.

No one goes to school to run a nonprofit!

You just learn by doing. Still it’s hard — and, at times, lonely, isolating, and overwhelming. I help mission-driven organizations get unstuck—financially, operationally, or strategically.

Schedule A Free Consultation

An avid hiker, I often think in terms of the outdoors — for perspective in tackling vast complex problems.

My Trail Guide Framework below can help orient you and your organization. Four distinct stages in which organizations might find themselves.

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 direction (and how to fund it)

Sample menu of possible concrete services:

  • Strategic planning and roadmap development

  • Mission, Vision, Values

  • Development for Sustainable Financing

  • Fundraising strategy

  • Donor cultivation

  • Organizational pivots in new directions

  • 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.

Sample menu of possible concrete services:

  • Guiding CEO and others in leadership

  • Developing the Board of Directors and Evaluating Governance Structures

  • 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.

Sample menu of possible concrete services:

  • Facilitating a key meeting

  • 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!

Sample menu of possible concrete services:

  • 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. If 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 on your journey, I help you find your footing

Meet Greg Smiley, MPH

CEO | Coalition Builder | Nonprofit Business Strategist

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 :)

Ready to Transform Your Organization's Impact?

Whether you’re just starting your journey or need help navigating the terrain, I'm here to guide you

Schedule Your Strategy Session