Finance-Operations

Owner: Director of Finance & Operations (DFO) – with input from all Directors Audience: All OWL staff, contractors, and Fellows

Purpose

This section collects the core policies, guardrails, and tools that keep OWL’s day-to-day operations and finances healthy and sustainable. It focuses on how we manage money, travel, and work systems in practice so the whole team can deliver mission-aligned work in a consistent, compliant, and highly effective way.

The DFO is responsible for maintaining these documents, with proposed changes coordinated through the DFO and approved via our collective leadership and decision-making processes. As new finance and operations tools, systems, and procedures are developed, they will be added here.

What you'll find in this section

• OWL Travel Policy Practical guidance for planning and approving OWL-related travel, including what is reimbursable, how per diem works, expectations for booking and documentation, and how travel and planning time are compensated.

• Productive Playbook Our plain-language guide for how OWL uses Productive as the shared system of record for projects, tasks, time, budgets, and CRM. Defines minimum expectations for making work visible, avoiding "shadow work," and aligning day-to-day habits with our financial and capacity guardrails.

How to use this section

• Before planning or approving travel, review the OWL Travel Policy and confirm that your plans and reimbursement expectations align with the policy and the relevant contract or grant.

• When setting up or managing projects, tasks, or time in Productive, follow the Productive Playbook so that our work, budgets, and reporting stay in sync.

• When in doubt about a travel, expense, or Productive question, start here and then check in with the DFO for clarification or exceptions.

As OWL's operations and financial systems evolve, this folder will continue to be the home for the concise, "everyday use" versions of our key policies and playbooks.