Grounded AI

Advisory

Ongoing counsel for the leaders making the call.

A monthly retainer for executive directors, COOs, and CTOs at 50–500-staff orgs who keep landing on AI questions and want a thinking partner who's done the work, not a vendor selling the next thing.

Cadence Monthly · two scheduled calls + async Commitment 6-month minimum, then month-to-month Capacity Up to 3 engagements Travel Billed at cost for onsite days
All 3 slots open

Three tiers

Right-sized counsel, from a sounding board to embedded.

Same posture across all three: I work for you, not your vendors. The tier you pick is about cadence and depth, not category.

T 01   Light touch

Sounding Board

For ED's who want a thinking partner on call.

$1.5k per month
  • One 60-minute strategy call per month
  • Async questions any time, ~24h response weekdays
  • Quarterly written memo: where the field is moving, what to ignore
  • Vendor / tool review when you need a second opinion
  • Direct line on board questions about AI

6-month minimum · month-to-month after

Start a conversation
Most engagements

T 02   Standard

Embedded

For teams actively shipping AI workflows and wanting a steady hand on the wheel.

$5k per month
  • Two 60-minute calls per month, one strategy and one operating
  • Up to 4 hours of async / shared-doc review per month
  • Quarterly half-day onsite (video by default; in-person travel billed at cost)
  • Direct staff access for two named workflow owners
  • Quarterly board memo, ghost-written or co-authored
  • Tool & vendor diligence when you need it

6-month minimum · month-to-month after

Start a conversation

T 03   Deep

Fractional CAIO

For orgs without an internal AI lead, where I become the named role at quarter-time.

$12k per month
  • ~10 hours per week, scheduled in advance
  • Weekly leadership-team standing call
  • Monthly onsite day (travel billed at cost)
  • Named on org chart · attend board meetings as advisor
  • Lead AI policy authoring & vendor negotiations
  • Mentor an internal staff member toward eventually owning the role

12-month minimum · designed to phase out

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A typical month · Embedded tier

No mystery about what you're paying for.

Schedules vary, but a representative month looks roughly like this. Onsite days move; standing calls hold.

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Wk One
Strategy call 60 min · monthly priorities
Async · doc review
—
Async · vendor q's
Wk Two
—
Async · workflow notes
Operating call 60 min · with workflow owners
—
Wk Three
Async · board prep
—
—
Async · staff q's
Wk Four
—
Quarterly · onsite Half-day, every 3rd month
Async · memo draft
—
Standing call Async work Quarterly onsite

Scope

What this is, and what it explicitly is not.

The clearer the boundaries, the better the work. Here's the line, for every tier.

+What advisory includes

In scope

  • Strategy & decisions What to do, what not to do, in what order. Includes vendor selection and build-vs-buy calls. Where I add the most value
  • Policy & governance AI use policy, data handling, board-facing risk framing.
  • Workflow design Mapping current state, designing the AI-fit version, writing the SOP.
  • Coaching internal leads Mentoring the staff member you want eventually owning this. (CAIO tier especially.)
  • Board & funder communication Memos, slide drafts, talking points. Ghost-writing is fine.

−What advisory is not

Out of scope

  • Building production software I'll specify and prototype within the advisory engagement. Production builds happen as a separate engagement.
  • Reselling tools I take no kickbacks, no affiliate fees. If a tool fits, I'll say so. If it doesn't, same.
  • Replacing your IT or security team I'll work with them, not in lieu of them. CAIO tier collaborates with whoever owns InfoSec.
  • HR or legal counsel I can flag where you need it. I'm not a lawyer or a labor attorney.
  • Endless availability Async response time is honored, not unlimited. Boundaries make the work better.

How it starts

Three steps to find out if this fits.

Step 01

Twenty-minute call

You tell me what's on your plate. I tell you whether advisory is the right shape: sometimes it's a workshop, sometimes a sprint, sometimes neither.

Step 02

Written proposal

One page covering tier, scope, what we'll prioritize in the first 90 days, and what's out of scope. No surprise line items.

Step 03

30-day on-ramp

If we both want to keep going after the first month, we sign the 6-month commitment. If not, we part as friends, no clawback.

Book a 20-min call Email instead All 3 slots open

Working-style references

What past clients say about working with me.

Excerpts from past advisory engagements with progressive nonprofits. They speak to working style, not AI-specific work — first Grounded AI quotes coming as 2026 engagements close.

Jordan has never seemed like "just a consultant" — he's an integral part of my team who is always thinking about how to set up my team and our organization for mission-driven success.

Beth Shipp  ·  Executive Director · Mothers Out Front

Jordan skillfully shows up as an honest broker who consistently prioritizes the organization's mission over his own self-interest as a consultant.

Eden James  ·  Managing Director of Campaigns · MoveOn

Jordan's ability to quickly learn how we work, his friendly and casual style, and his ability to break complex problems down into easy-to-understand solutions has been an asset to our initiatives.

Enchanta Jackson  ·  Senior Advisor to the VP / Chief of Campaigns · Color Of Change

Jordan has broad-based knowledge about technology — he can take care of the basics as needed while also advising on complex issues. He's also provided customized training and one-on-one assistance to increase the capacity of team members.

Nate White  ·  CTO / SVP, Digital Strategy & Technology · MomsRising

Inquire

Let's see if there's a fit.

Twenty-minute call · No deck · No pitch. If advisory isn't the right fit, I'll say so on the call.