2023 was a year of transition for you, Turnkey, many of our clients, and the world. Transition brings change and uncertainty, but also new opportunities and the need to reflect on how to tackle challenges in a new way. 

This year Turnkey Founder/CEO Katrina VanHuss transitioned comfortably into Founder role as COO Stacey Murrell seamlessly took the CEO helm.  

Our client engagement team grew to a solid team of professional listeners of client challenges. To assist Kate and Allison with listening to our clients and arriving at solutions, we added a director of talent to ensure our consultant bench is deep, qualified, and ready when needed. Anne Marie Forbes brings her nonprofit experience, talent, and humanity to the team and for this, we are grateful.  

Between our Convenings and Alongside Groups, we heard over 3000 stories of pain, success, fear, confusion, celebration, and victory as our community shared with us in 2023. Each of these stories helped other social good professionals and helped us at Turnkey add to our knowledge base of “what works and what doesn’t.”  

Many of our clients also had a transitional year. Sometimes it was with Turnkey’s assistance with interim staffing or placing permanent positions, building out new fundraising events or evaluating old ones, serving as keynote speakers, facilitating professional development workshops for staff, refreshing content, or evaluating current ways of doing things to find easier and more productive paths. Completing Board Governance Training and Strategy work with social good organizations helped us internalize the positive outcomes these humans accomplish on their missions' behalf. We are grateful that we were able to walk alongside our clients in their transitions. 

We are delighted in our newfound community members like United Spinal Association and Endangered Species Coalition. We are deeply thankful for tried and true clients like UNHCR, The Trevor Project, HelpMeSee, and Church World Service.  

One of our clients warmed our hearts with her latest transition. More than 15 years ago Katrina worked with Courtney Bugler when she was an event director at Young Survival Coalition. In late 2023, Turnkey helped ZERO Prostate Cancer find their new CEO in Courtney. Placements like this bring us great joy.  

It seems we only get to work with one Canadian a year, much to our chagrin. Working with Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and Steve Merker was as fulfilling an assignment as one can get. We are grateful for having worthy work to do.  

Placing the Chief Development Officers for the ALS Association and Pencils of Promise gave us the chance to match-make in the most satisfying of ways, pairing exceptional professionals with exceptional organizations.  

In the world at large, some things did not transition as quickly as we had hoped. Like Ukraine. We are 22 months into the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.  

Other news stories stormed into our news feeds, like the use of AI, the devastation of the Israel-Hamas War, and Spain’s Women’s World Cup win being overshadowed by a sexism storm. These news stories remind us of the fragileness of life, the uncertainty of tomorrow, and that the only constant is transition. 

Your 2023 held challenges and transitions. 2024 will bring you new challenges for sure, but please remember that Turnkey is here to listen and offer solutions in your time of transition or uncertainty. Thank you for this time to reflect on 2023. We wish you and our community a very happy holiday season. 

All the best,  

PS: In 2024, the Turnkey Community will solidify even more, with new ways to bring you closer to your compatriots in good. Be on the lookout!