Focus on your mission. Not HR gaps.
Most Executive Directors became the HR department by default — fielding staff complaints between grant reports, navigating terminations with no documentation, and watching good program staff burn out because the people systems just aren't there. HR Compass puts a SHRM-certified HR Director in your corner — starting at $500/month.
Your mission is too important for HR to slow it down.
By the time your nonprofit has 10+ paid employees, HR stops being something an Executive Director can handle between grant reports and board meetings. And yet — that's exactly what most EDs are doing. These are the conversations we hear from nonprofit leaders every week.
"Our funder asked for our HR policies and we didn't have them ready."
Many grants and federal funding sources require specific HR documentation — job descriptions, performance review processes, timekeeping records for federally funded positions. An audit-ready HR foundation isn't optional for organizations with government or foundation funding.
"We keep losing our best program staff to higher-paying employers."
Competing below market on compensation is hard to avoid in the nonprofit sector — but compensation is rarely the only reason people leave. Without structured onboarding, career pathways, and a culture that actually reflects your mission, burnout and attrition drain your program capacity quietly.
"I'm managing paid staff and volunteers and I have no idea where the line is."
A mixed workforce of paid staff and volunteers creates legal complexity most EDs aren't aware of. Treating volunteers like employees — or vice versa — can create wage and hour liability. The line matters legally, and it needs to be documented.
Up and running
in two weeks.
No long onboardings, no committee meetings. Just a clear path from "we should probably get HR help" to "we have an HR Director."
Discovery Call
30 minutes on Zoom. We learn your staffing structure, funding sources, volunteer mix, and the HR situations keeping you up at night.
Plan & Match
We recommend a tier (Bronze / Silver / Gold) and pair you with the SHRM-certified Director who fits your organization best.
Onboard
Your Director reviews your current policies, grant compliance posture, and any active people issues. Clear priorities, week one.
Run It
Monthly retainer hours, on-call guidance, manager training, quarterly reviews. Scale up or down as your organization grows.
The HR Director Team
We know the importance of great HR Directors with a small business background instead of a corporate one. We hand-select HR talent with over 20 years of experience. Here are two of our best.
Karen Moss
Karen has 30+ years of Human Resources experience, including her most recent position as the Director of People Operations at Epic, LLC. She developed and implemented HR programs, policies, and practices in talent management, employee engagement, benefits, and wellness.
Karen holds her certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional.
Amy Clark
Amy has over 25 years in HR. In her last role as Chief People Officer at Better Communities Collaborative, she built the HR function from the ground up.
Her experience also includes HR leadership roles at ADP, EvoShield, and a multi-state law firm, where she focused on legal compliance, employee relations, benefits administration, and strategic workforce planning.
Real HR work — done by real HR Directors.
Every retainer covers strategic guidance and execution. We don't hand you templates and disappear; we do the work alongside you.
Handbook, classifications, audits.
The hard conversations, handled.
Hire, onboard, and keep great people.
A real HR voice in the room.
Pick the level of HR your organization actually needs.
Three tiers, transparent pricing, month-to-month. Move up or down as your organization grows.
- 3 hours dedicated HR Director time / month
- Handbook review & annual refresh
- Compliance check-ins (FLSA, I-9, state)
- Email & phone advice as needed
- HR template library access
- 6 hours dedicated HR Director time / month
- On-call employee relations support
- Bi-annual manager training
- Quarterly business reviews
- Comp benchmarking (annual)
- 10+ hours dedicated HR Director time / month
- Embedded weekly office hours
- Performance & comp system rollout
- Investigations & complex cases
- Executive Director & leadership coaching
Your Executive Director is managing HR alone. That's one job too many.
A full-time HR Director costs $90–120K loaded — a budget line most nonprofits can't justify. HR Compass delivers 20+ years of experience for a fraction, with no salary, no benefits, no overhead.
Stop drafting termination memos at 11 PM and putting staff complaints in your mental queue. Your HR Director handles documentation, difficult calls, and follow-up — so you can focus on the mission.
In a mission-driven organization, it's hard for anyone internally to push back on leadership. We can — and do. Objective HR guidance, free from organizational politics and mission guilt.
Real onboarding, real career paths, and managers who actually know how to manage. Less turnover, less re-hiring.
When your ED calls at 4 PM on a Friday asking "can we let this person go?" — you get a real answer, not a Google search.
Most staff complaints trace back to management. Bi-annual training that turns your program leads and supervisors into managers who actually know how to manage.
I was the Executive Director, the fundraiser, and the HR department. HR Compass gave us a real expert on call — and gave me my time back to focus on the mission.
HR Compass Silver Member
What your organization looks like
90 days from now.
Most clients feel the difference in the first two weeks. Here's what the first three months could actually look like.
Foundation is set.
- HR policies reviewed — you know what's current, what's missing, what funders expect
- Staff and volunteer classifications documented and defensible
- Active people issues have a plan — not just a worry
- You know exactly who to call when something comes up
Organization runs cleaner.
- ED and program leads are back to mission work, not HR firefighting
- First manager training session complete
- Onboarding process documented — new staff land with clarity and purpose
- Comp benchmarking underway — you know how you stack up for retention
HR is just handled.
- First quarterly review — you know exactly where you stand for your next audit
- Staff issues are documented and handled — not absorbed into your culture silently
- Grant compliance HR requirements are current and organized
- Your organization is defensible — policies, docs, and processes that hold up
Everything you
want to know.
If you don't see your question here, we would love to do a 30-minute call. We're happy to talk through whether HR Compass is the right fit before you commit.
READY TO GET YOUR ORGANIZATION'S HR HANDLED?
Tell us a bit about your organization and where things stand today. We'll help you figure out which plan makes sense and what your next step should be. No pressure — just a real conversation.