How We Work

One sequence. Two tracks.
Never reversed.

Every client moves through the same five stages. What changes is how much of each stage they do themselves. The order is fixed because each stage produces the input the next stage needs.

Take the Free Assessment → Compare Engagement Tiers
00
Enter
Free data maturity conversation — 30 minutes. Fit and tier identified. No commitment required.
Free Intro
01
Assess
46-question DMA across 7 domains. Independent SSA review. Maturity scorecard + AI readiness score. Credential issued.
Bronze
02
Define
Governance council, RACI, decision rights. Business glossary and data dictionary. KPI and metrics framework. Policy set.
Bronze / Silver
03
Build
Fundraising Intelligence Platform. Executive KPI scorecards and dashboards. Donor segmentation. SSA-authored findings memo.
Silver
04
Scale
Council launch and staff training. Platform migration and modernization. AI readiness roadmap. Fractional Head of Data.
Advisory
Two Tracks · Governance First · Analytics Second

Governance before analytics. Always.

Steward delivers on two service tracks. They are not alternatives and they are not simultaneous — the Governance Track always runs first, because the maturity assessment produces the organizational data map that makes the Analytics Track's KPI design accurate and grounded. Running them in reverse produces a weaker analytics product.

Governance Track

Data Maturity · Governance Model Design · Council Setup
Bronze
DIY Foundation
Governance template library, council setup kit, RACI models, issue log, policy one-pager. Client self-implements at their own pace.
Silver
Assessment & Scoring
46-question DMA across 7 domains. Independent SSA review and scoring, domain breakdown, draft findings, credential issued.
Silver
Analysis & Insights
SSA-authored governance findings memo. Domain gaps, RACI gaps, AI readiness gap analysis, board-ready one-pager.
Advisory
Implementation
Governance council launch facilitation, leadership alignment on decision rights, policy socialization, data literacy training.

Analytics Track

Fundraising Intelligence · KPI Frameworks · FI Platform
Bronze
DIY Foundation
Analytics template library, use case workflow kit, KPI scorecard kit, metric dictionary, data crosswalk workbook.
Silver
FI Platform Access
Onboarding to the Fundraising Intelligence Platform: data ingestion setup, donor segmentation config, KPI dashboard activation.
Silver
Analysis & Insights
SSA-authored findings memo: retention patterns, revenue trends, acquisition channel performance, segment anomalies.
Advisory
Implementation
Staff analytics training, dashboard socialization, fundraising team workflow integration, leadership KPI briefing.
🔒
Integration Gate — 14 Days Minimum. A contractual hard floor between governance outputs landing in the organization and analytics design beginning. This is not a scheduling preference — it is a structural requirement. The governance work must be in place before analytics build starts.
The Sequencing Rule

No stage is skipped. No stage is reversed.

A client who arrives asking for a dashboard is routed back through Assess and Define first — building analytics on undefined metrics produces a dashboard nobody trusts and nobody uses. This is a design principle, not a sales tactic.

Layer 01 · Foundation

No Prerequisites

The self-serve floor. A client can buy any Bronze product on day one and get value without ever speaking to SSA. These are also what the client returns to during every later layer.

Layer 02 · Diagnostic

The Assessment

The pivot point of the whole catalog. Everything above this layer is scoped by what the assessment returns — which is why the assessment is the front door and not an upsell.

Layer 03+ · Structure to Scale

Each Layer Unlocks the Next

Governance is built against known gaps. Metrics can only be standardized once the words underneath them are agreed. Analytics is built on the definitions established below it.

Escalation is client-initiated, not upsold. The Bronze structure is designed to create the conditions under which a client self-identifies the need for the data product, then the analysis, then the implementation support. A client moves up when they hit the ceiling of what the current tier can tell them — not when they are asked to.

The Escalation Ladder · Client-Initiated · Never Upsold

Each tier surfaces the limitation that makes the next tier obvious.

Bronze · Front Door · Self-Guided
Foundation
  • Data Maturity Assessment + reviewed credential
  • Full governance template library
  • Data strategy & AI readiness frameworks
  • Badge eligibility unlocked
Ceiling Reached WhenThey have completed the templates and can see the gaps — but not why the gaps exist or which one to fix first.
Silver · Facilitated · Data Product Access
Analytics & Governance
  • Everything in Bronze
  • Facilitated governance and KPI build
  • FI Platform or DMA platform access
  • 30-day async support
Ceiling Reached WhenThey have data product outputs in hand and need SSA's interpretation — the move from findings to organizational action.
Advisory · Full · Analysis + Implementation
Strategic Advisory
  • Everything in Silver
  • SSA-authored findings memo
  • Custom dashboards and governance build
  • AI Readiness Roadmap
Ceiling Reached WhenData has become a standing organizational capability that needs continuous leadership rather than project delivery.
Retainer · Ongoing · Fractional Leadership
Fractional Head of Data
  • Fractional Head of Data
  • Standing strategic advisory
  • Annual re-assessment & credential renewal
  • Roadmap stewardship
Renewal LoopThe credential is valid 12 months. Re-assessment renews it and restarts the cycle at a higher maturity baseline.
Start Without Commitment

The free assessment tells you which stage you're in.

46 questions. 7 domains. 15–20 minutes. Your results will tell you exactly where to focus — and whether Bronze, Silver, or a different path is the right next step.

Begin Your Free Assessment → Compare Tiers →