20 members will receive HR or finance consulting in new LION pilot program 

LION’s Sustainability 360 program taught us that matching publishers with HR and financial consultants who can advise on best practices and help do the work can help them move their business toward sustainability. So, with support from the Google News Initiative, LION Publishers is launching a pilot program in fall 2025 to support 20 members in the Preparation and Building stages of our maturity model. Our consulting partners from Dakin Ventures Consulting Group are ready to meet you where you are and build systems that can continue and evolve as your business grows. 

The Back Office pilot will provide hands-on, customized support from October 2025 – January 2026.  

Requirements: 

• Active LION membership throughout the pilot 
• Complete an application form 
• Complete a Sustainability Audit by the beginning of the pilot 
• Complete a finance or HR intake form 
• Schedule meetings with your HR or finance consultant throughout the program and respond within 3 days to requests from consultants 
• Complete an exit survey 

The pilot is divided into two tracks. Selected members will participate in one track and be matched with one consultant (10 members will be selected for each track).  

Track 1: Financial Management 

This track is a good fit for organizations looking to establish or improve basic financial systems, gain clarity on their income and expenses, and prepare for future fundraising.

Overview:

• Participate in a one-hour call with the finance consultant to assess your current financial setup and identify immediate needs
• Consultant provides a set of up to three recommended deliverables, tailored to your organization’s goals, with a clear explanation of the potential impact of each
• Consultant may train members individually or as a group on best practices for financial tracking 

Deliverables might include:

• Chart of Accounts review with tailored recommendations to align with nonprofit best practices
• Internal financial policy review and development, including templates for core policies if none exist
• Budget improvement or development, including integration with accounting software and creation of budget vs. actual reports
• Configuration or refinement of accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks), including setup of income and expense categories
• Creation of a basic monthly budgeting template for internal planning and tracking
• Development of a simple cash flow forecasting model
• Setup of a system to track restricted vs. unrestricted funding
• Recommendations for a sustainable bookkeeping workflow, including monthly close process and file organization

Track 2: Human Resources

This track is a good fit for organizations that are working with freelancers, interns, or part-time staff and need clear, consistent systems for contracts, roles, and compensation. 

Overview: 

• Participate in a one-hour call with the HR consultant to assess your current HR setup and identify immediate needs
• Consultant provides a set of up to three recommended deliverables, tailored to your organization’s goals, with a clear explanation of the potential impact of each
• Consultant may train members individually or as a group on best practices 

Deliverables might include:

• Provide or adapt a freelance or contractor agreement template
• Create or review an intern offer letter and scope of work template
• Draft basic compensation guidelines or pay rates for contractors or interns
• Recommend or develop onboarding checklists for short-term or part-time staff
• Review and suggest edits to existing independent contractor policies
• Provide a simple framework for measuring success of contractor deliverables

If selected, members will complete onboarding tasks in mid September and work with their assigned consultant on up to three deliverables in their selected track (HR or Finance) from October 2025 – January 2026.  

To apply for the Back Office pilot, fill out this short application by Wednesday, September 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.