InstantNonprofit — Initial Engagement Proposal (INTERNAL DRAFT)

Purpose: Draft proposal for InstantNonprofit’s initial engagement, tied to Solanasis ORB package with clear scoping, time caps, and scope creep protections. Prepared: 2026-03-16 Status: INTERNAL DRAFT — Needs refinement with clarifying questions before sending Related docs:

Psychoanalysis of Business Dynamics

Senior Consultant Review

Pricing & Partnership Models

ORB Engagement Agreement

The Strategic Framing

What They Asked For

Christian explicitly asked for help with:

Getting the website/funnel pages fixed and conversion-optimized
Ensuring automated error detection so they know immediately when something breaks
Project management oversight for the funnel rebuild (so he doesn’t spend 15 hrs/week on it)
Basic blocking-and-tackling to free him up for sales and fundraising

What We Want to Deliver

An ORB-Lite + Funnel Stabilization Sprint that:

Addresses their immediate pain (funnel/website issues)
Wraps it inside our Operational Resilience Baseline (ORB) framework
Validates the security and operational foundation before we build anything on it
Gives us a natural upsell path to the full ORB and fractional CIO retainer
Positions Solanasis as the operational resilience partner, not a cheap project manager

Why Tie It to ORB?

The risk of NOT doing ORB: If we just fix funnels without checking backups, credentials, access controls, and hosting security, we’re building on potentially shaky ground. If their WordPress site gets hacked, their customer portal with 5,000 clients’ data gets breached, or they lose their database — none of the funnel work matters.

The pitch: “Before I fix anything, I need to make sure the foundation is solid. Think of it like a contractor checking the foundation before renovating the kitchen. This takes a few extra days but protects both of us.”

Proposed Engagement: ORB-Lite + Funnel Stabilization Sprint

Engagement Name

“Operational Resilience Baseline + Funnel Stabilization Sprint”

Duration

15 business days (3 calendar weeks)

Days 1-5: ORB-Lite assessment
Days 6-12: Funnel stabilization + automated monitoring setup
Days 13-15: Documentation, readout, and handoff

Scope — What’s IN

Phase A: ORB-Lite Assessment (Days 1-5, ~20 hours)

Domain	What We’ll Check	Deliverable
Access & Identity	Who has admin access to WordPress, WP Engine, Go High Level, ActiveCampaign, BuddyBoss portal? Are passwords managed securely? Is MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) enabled?	Access inventory + risk flags
Backup & Recovery	Are backups running on WP Engine? When was the last verified restore? What about ActiveCampaign data? Go High Level data?	Backup status report + 1 restore verification test
Website Security Baseline	WordPress version, plugin/theme vulnerabilities, SSL status, hosting configuration	Security scan results + priority fixes
Operational Readiness	Who does what when something breaks? Is there an escalation path? Contact list?	Basic incident response contact sheet
Quick Wins	Up to 4 hours of safe, reversible improvements (e.g., enforce MFA on admin accounts, disable unused plugins, tighten file permissions)	Documented changes

Deliverables from Phase A:

Executive Summary (1-2 pages) — posture rating, top risks, immediate actions needed
Risk Register — prioritized findings with recommendations
Restore Verification Report — did the backup actually work?
Access Inventory — who has access to what
30/60/90 Action Plan — time-phased roadmap

Phase B: Funnel Stabilization Sprint (Days 6-12, ~25 hours)

Work Item	What We’ll Do	Time Cap
Funnel Page Audit	Review all active funnel pages in Go High Level and WordPress for JavaScript errors, broken links, form submission failures, mobile responsiveness issues	6 hours
Error Detection Setup	Implement automated daily monitoring using tools like UptimeRobot, Microsoft Clarity alerts, and/or custom scripts to detect funnel errors and alert the team immediately	8 hours
Staging Environment Verification	Verify WP Engine staging site is properly configured; establish a change management process (all changes go to staging first, tested, then deployed to production)	4 hours
Conversion Optimization Review	Review the top 1-2 funnel pages for basic CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) issues: CTAs (Calls to Action), form fields, page load speed, mobile UX (User Experience). Provide a prioritized list of fixes.	4 hours
Documentation	Create a simple SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for: “How to make website changes safely” and “What to do when the monitoring alerts fire”	3 hours

Deliverables from Phase B:

Funnel Audit Report — every error found, prioritized by revenue impact
Automated Monitoring Dashboard — configured and alerting the right people
Staging Process SOP — step-by-step for safe changes
CRO Recommendations — prioritized list for the top funnel pages
Incident Response Lite SOP — what to do when alerts fire

Phase C: Readout & Handoff (Days 13-15, ~5 hours)

Activity	Details
Leadership Readout	45-60 minute presentation to Christian and Jackie covering all findings, risks, recommendations, and the 30/60/90 plan
Handoff Documentation	All deliverables finalized and delivered in organized Google Drive or ClickUp
Next Steps Proposal	If the engagement went well, present Phase 2 options (retainer, data enrichment, etc.)

Total Estimated Hours: ~50 hours over 15 business days

Scope — What’s OUT (Critical for Scope Creep Prevention)

The following are explicitly excluded from this engagement:

Excluded Item	Why	What It Would Take
Building new funnel pages	This is a web design/marketing project, not ops	Separate SOW, $3 K -$ 8K
Redesigning the website	Out of scope entirely	Separate SOW, $5 K -$ 15K
Setting up CRM or ClickUp optimization	Phase 2 work	Separate SOW, $5 K -$ 8K
Data enrichment of the 5,000-client database	Phase 3 work	Separate SOW, $8 K -$ 12K
Building AI agents or automations	Phase 2-3 work	Separate SOW, $7.5 K -$ 16.5K
Email management setup (SaneBox, etc.)	Phase 2 work	Included in retainer
Iconic Impact work of any kind	Completely separate entity and engagement	TBD after Phase 1
Managing Brandon or other contractors	We advise, we don’t manage their people	Advisory only
Full penetration testing or compliance audit	Not part of ORB-Lite	Separate engagement
Ongoing monitoring or managed services	This is a sprint, not a retainer	Post-engagement retainer option

The Scope Creep Firewall

How we handle “can you also…”:

During the engagement: Any request outside the scope table above gets logged in a “Phase 2 Backlog” document. We acknowledge it, capture it, and explain it’ll be included in the next phase proposal.
The Change Order trigger: If a request would take more than 2 hours of additional work, it requires a written Change Order signed by both parties before work begins. The Change Order specifies the additional scope, timeline, and fee.
The “friend buffer”: Because this is a friend relationship, we build in a 2-hour goodwill buffer for small asks that don’t fit cleanly into scope. This is tracked. When it’s used up, the Change Order process kicks in. This is generous — typical engagements have zero buffer.
Weekly scope check: Every Friday, a 15-minute async check-in (Slack/ClickUp comment) reviews: what was done this week, what’s planned next week, anything that’s trending out of scope.

Pricing

Recommended Model: Modified Sprint (Model 2 Lite)

Based on the call dynamics:

Christian indicated ~$7-8K available for this engagement
Jackie is skeptical and needs to see value before bigger commitments
We need to prove ourselves before proposing bigger packages

Component	Details	Price
ORB-Lite + Funnel Stabilization Sprint	15 business days, ~50 hours, all deliverables listed above	$5,000

Payment Terms:

$2,500 (50%) due upon signing — before any work begins
$2,500 (50%) due upon delivery — Net 15 from the leadership readout

Why $5,000?

Factor	Reasoning
Market rate for this work	50 hours × $175/ h r =$ 8,750. We’re pricing below market.
Their budget reality	$7 - 8 K a v ai l ab l e f ro m$ 30K on hand. Revenue is under $2 M (C h r i s t ian s ai d " w e^{'} re n o t d o in g tw o ") . C o m p an y ha s C ha pt er 11 bank r u pt cy hi s t ory (2020); C h r i s t ianha s p erso na lC ha pt er 7 (2022) .$ 5K is in their comfort zone.
First engagement discount	We’re investing in the relationship and the case study.
ORB-Lite vs. Full ORB	Full ORB for their size would be $5 K -$ 7.5K. ORB-Lite is a subset.
Effective rate	$5, 000 \div 50 h o u rs =$ 100/hr. Below our target but acceptable for first client + case study value.

What We’re Getting Beyond the $5K

First case study with real before/after results
Testimonial opportunity from a well-connected founder
Proof of concept for ORB + vertical service offering
Door opener to a potential $3 K -$ 5K/month retainer
Network access to Christian’s connections (David Meltzer, Marcus Lemonis, etc.)

Time Caps & Guardrails

Hard Time Caps by Phase

Phase	Hours Budgeted	Hard Cap	What Happens at Cap
Phase A: ORB-Lite	20 hours	24 hours	Stop assessment, deliver findings to date, propose Change Order for additional scope
Phase B: Funnel Sprint	25 hours	30 hours	Stop sprint work, deliver audit + monitoring setup, document remaining items for Phase 2
Phase C: Readout	5 hours	6 hours	Readout happens regardless; extended documentation goes to Phase 2
TOTAL	50 hours	60 hours	Engagement ends. Period. Anything beyond requires new SOW.

Communication Guardrails

Rule	Details
Communication channels	All work requests via ClickUp or email. No scope changes via text, WhatsApp, or casual conversation.
Response time	Solanasis responds within 1 business day to requests. Client responds within 2 business days to access requests and questions.
Meeting cadence	Kickoff (Day 1), Mid-check (Day 5), Readout (Day 15). No additional meetings unless both parties agree in writing.
After-hours	This is not a 24/7 engagement. Standard business hours (Mountain Time), Monday-Friday.

Post-Engagement Upsell Path

If the Sprint Goes Well — Phase 2 Options

Option A: Fractional Resilience Partner Retainer

$3, 000 -$ 5,000/month
15-25 hours/month
Includes: ongoing systems oversight, automation builds, security posture management, strategic advisory
Minimum 3-month commitment

Option B: Data Enrichment + Upsell Engine Sprint

$8, 000 -$ 12,000 one-time
4-6 weeks
5,000-client database enrichment + segmentation + upsell campaign design

Option C: Full ORB Assessment

$5, 000 -$ 7,500 one-time
10 business days
Complete Operational Resilience Baseline with all standard deliverables

The Conversation to Have at the Readout

“Here’s what we found, here’s what we fixed, and here’s the 30/60/90 plan. Now, to keep this momentum going and make sure these fixes stick, here are three ways we can continue working together. Which one feels right for where you’re headed?”

Legal Protections (Non-Negotiable)

Required Before Work Starts

Signed Engagement Agreement — Modified version of our ORB Engagement Agreement, adapted for this combined scope
50% payment received — $2,500 deposited before Day 1
Mutual NDA — Standard Solanasis template
Access Checklist completed — Client provides all necessary system access within 5 business days
POC (Point of Contact) designated — Christian is POC for this engagement (Jackie as backup)

Key Contract Terms

Term	Details
IP Ownership	Client owns deliverables. Solanasis retains methodologies and frameworks.
Termination	Either party can terminate with 5 business days written notice. Pro-rated payment for work completed.
Liability Cap	Total fee amount ($5,000)
Not Legal/Compliance Advice	Standard disclaimer — our assessment informs, it doesn’t certify
Subcontractors	Solanasis may use qualified subcontractors with prior notice
Confidentiality	3-year confidentiality obligation, surviving termination
Case Study Rights	With client’s written approval, Solanasis may reference this engagement in anonymized form for marketing purposes

Risk Mitigation Matrix

Risk	Probability	Impact	Mitigation
Scope creep from Christian	HIGH	Medium	Scope firewall + Change Order process + Phase 2 backlog
Delayed access/information	HIGH	High	Timeline clause — delays shift delivery date, not fee
Brandon overlap/conflict	Medium	Low	Clarify in kickoff: we assess and recommend, we don’t manage Brandon
Jackie disengagement	Medium	Medium	Include her in readout; address Iconic Impact needs in Phase 2 proposal
Payment delay on second half	MEDIUM-HIGH	Medium	Net 15 terms with 1.5%/month late fee; suspension clause. NOTE: Christian disclosed Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the company (~2020) and personal Chapter 7 (~2022). Payment terms must be enforced strictly.
Christian wants to “rattle off 20 things”	HIGH	Low	Phase 2 Backlog captures everything; gentle redirect each time
Discovery of serious security issue	Low	High	Active Breach Discovery protocol in agreement (24-hr notification)

Timeline Summary

Day	Activity	Deliverable
Day 0	Agreement signed, 50% payment received, access checklist sent	Signed agreement
Day 1	Kickoff call (45-60 min) with Christian + Jackie	Kickoff notes, confirmed scope
Days 1-5	ORB-Lite Assessment	Access inventory, security scan, backup verification
Day 5	Mid-check call (20-30 min)	Preliminary findings, course correction if needed
Days 6-12	Funnel Stabilization Sprint	Funnel audit, monitoring setup, staging verification, CRO review
Day 12	Draft deliverables ready for internal QA	All documents in draft
Days 13-14	Finalize deliverables	All documents finalized
Day 15	Leadership Readout (45-60 min)	All deliverables presented + Phase 2 proposal teased
Day 15+2	Second invoice sent	50% balance due Net 15

Pro Tips for This Engagement

Don’t solve everything. The temptation will be enormous. Christian will say “oh while you’re in there, can you also…” — log it, acknowledge it, redirect. Every “quick thing” is a $500 -$ 2,000 project in disguise.
Document EVERYTHING. Every conversation, every request, every decision. This is your first engagement — the documentation you build here becomes your template for every future client.
Overdeliver on communication, not on scope. Send a brief update every 2-3 days. “Here’s what I did today, here’s what I found, here’s what’s next.” This builds trust faster than doing extra work for free.
Get Jackie on your side early. She’s the operator. If she doesn’t see value, the retainer conversation dies. Address one of HER pain points in the readout — even if it’s just a recommendation for Iconic Impact process support.
The readout is the sales pitch for Phase 2. Don’t just dump findings. Tell a story: “Here’s where you were, here’s what we did, here’s the gap that remains, and here’s how we close it together.”
Track your hours religiously. Not for billing (it’s fixed fee) but for learning. You need to know whether 50 hours was realistic for this scope. That data informs every future engagement.
Set the precedent for professionalism. This is a friend, but treat every interaction as if a potential investor is watching. Professional communication, professional deliverables, professional boundaries. The standard you set here is the standard they’ll expect forever.

This proposal is deliberately conservative. We’re giving them a clear, affordable, tightly-scoped engagement that proves our value and opens the door to a much larger relationship. The $5, 000 w ec ha r g e h ere i s anin v es t m e n t ina p o t e n t ia l$ 36K-$60K/year retainer client. Play the long game.

Solanasis Docs

Explorer

06_Initial_Engagement_Proposal_Draft