For a small nonprofit, every employee can make a significant difference. But as an organization grows, informal processes that once worked can become difficult to manage. Clear policies and consistent practices become essential to supporting employees, strengthening operations, and building a sustainable organization.
That was the challenge facing Beacon Housing, a nonprofit working to provide affordable housing and supportive services to people in need. Through a partnership with Jericho Road Pasadena, Beacon Housing received specialized human resources expertise to strengthen its internal infrastructure and prepare for its next stage of growth.
Jericho Road connected Beacon Housing with volunteer Gina Calderon, Senior Principal Consultant at Reward Strategy Group, who brought her HR and organizational expertise to the project. Her work focused on reviewing Beacon Housing’s existing HR policies, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement, and providing practical recommendations the organization could use to strengthen its HR infrastructure.
For Beacon Housing, the timing was particularly important. As the organization grows and adds full-time employees, having clearly documented policies will help ensure that employees and leadership have a shared understanding of expectations, benefits, and workplace practices.
Gina began by reviewing the HR documents Beacon Housing provided and identifying areas that needed to be updated, clarified, or expanded. She then developed recommendations for strengthening the organization’s policies and procedures, with particular attention to paid time off.
The project resulted in an HR Policy Review Memo and Findings Summary, a recommendations packet, suggested incremental steps for improving HR infrastructure, and a PTO policy framework and template that Beacon Housing’s volunteer general counsel can use as the organization develops its final policies.
“Having documented policies in place will give Beacon Housing the structure it needs as it grows and brings on additional full-time employees,” Gina said. “This project was an opportunity to identify practical steps the organization can take now while also preparing for the needs that will come with future growth.”
Gina also valued the opportunity to work directly with Beacon Housing’s Executive Director and help bring HR topics into conversations with the organization’s board.
“I really enjoyed working with the Executive Director and providing information and recommendations that could help inform discussions with the board,” she said. “For a growing nonprofit, putting the right policies in place isn’t simply about compliance. It’s about creating a strong organizational foundation that supports both employees and the mission.”
The recommendations are already beginning to make a difference.
“We’re currently implementing some of the changes recommended through the review,” said Palin Ngaotheppitak, Executive Director at Beacon Housing. “It gave us a much clearer understanding of the decisions we need to make now, while also helping us think ahead about the systems and policies we’ll need as Beacon continues to grow.”
For Palin, the value of the project goes beyond the specific HR policies that were developed. It reflects the broader value Jericho Road brings to small and growing nonprofits.
“We’ve worked with Jericho Road on several projects, and every time we’ve been impressed by the dedication of their volunteers and their willingness to go above and beyond,” Palin said. “For a small organization like ours, having Jericho Road as a resource is immeasurably helpful.”
That is exactly the kind of impact Jericho Road Pasadena is designed to create.
Nonprofits often have ambitious missions and talented leaders, but they don’t always have the financial resources to hire outside experts for every organizational challenge. Jericho Road bridges that gap by connecting nonprofits with experienced professionals who volunteer their time and expertise in areas ranging from human resources and legal services to strategic planning, communications, marketing, finance, and governance.
In Beacon Housing’s case, that connection provided something especially valuable: an experienced HR professional who could take a fresh look at the organization’s policies, identify opportunities for improvement, and provide recommendations the organization can implement over time.
The result isn’t simply a new PTO framework or a list of HR recommendations. It’s a stronger foundation for Beacon Housing as it grows.
And that’s the power of skills-based volunteerism. When professionals share what they know, nonprofits gain access to expertise that can strengthen their operations, help their teams thrive, and ultimately allow them to devote more resources to the people and communities they serve.
At Jericho Road Pasadena, we’re proud to connect talented volunteers with nonprofits like Beacon Housing and help turn professional expertise into community impact.
Want this kind of support for your nonprofit? Request a volunteer through our website.
Thanks to volunteer Wes Robinson for writing JRP Project Highlight posts!