“I am a budget advocate ,” says Christopher Huntley, CFA, CFO & Advisory Solutions Manager at Chazin. “A good budget does something much more important than predict next year’s revenue and expenses. Done correctly, it makes nearly everything that follows: accounting, financial reporting, variance analysis, management decisions, and Board oversight both easier and better.” …
Every Executive Director (ED) knows that moment: financial tasks start eating into mission-critical duties, reporting takes a backseat, and monthly closes become less than consistent. You need financial help. It’s an easy trap to fall into. The mission comes first, so accounting quietly slides to the bottom of the list, until it becomes the reason…
Passion builds nonprofits. Strategy makes them successful. You need to know how to best use your resources and not squander your hard-won dollars. That’s where your CFO comes in. The CFO is like the co-pilot of your flight: You’ve got the dream destination and the plane to get there, but your co-pilot knows how much fuel you need to make the trip, where you’ll encounter turbulence, and when it’s time to change course. A high-performing finance function is essential to the success of every nonprofit. A bad hire can leave…
Tax reform. Economic shifts. Changes in federal funding. Evolving donor behavior. For nonprofit leaders, external forces that impact charitable giving aren’t a matter of if, they’re a matter of when. And the organizations that weather them best aren’t the ones that react the fastest. They’re the ones that were already prepared. When things shift, the instinct is to ask, “What does this mean for us?” But the more pressing…
For most Executive Directors, their problem isn’t mission focus; it may not even be funding. It’s timing. Unrestricted annual funds mean that each Jan. 1 feels like starting over. Windfall years can lead to a cash reserve, but that reserve is accidental and reactive, not strategic. Multiyear funding promises to change that; however, accessing it and making it work demands more than most organizations expect. Key Takeaways: Multiyear funding is not the…
Financial Readiness in Today’s Funding Climate Do your board members’ eyes glaze over during financial report reviews? The problem isn’t the numbers themselves; it’s how they’re delivered. Financial storytelling transforms your statement of financial position and statement of activities into compelling stories that engage boards, inspire confidence, and demonstrate mission impact. Key Takeaways: Financial storytelling transforms compliance documents into strategic tools that engage boards and prove mission impact. The framework that guides you from defining your audience to…
Financial Readiness in Today’s Funding Climate The funding landscape has shifted, and many organizations are now evaluated with early filters that focus on financial readiness, risk, and stewardship rather than the mission narrative alone. Policy and economic changes, reduced funding, heightened competition for fewer dollars as demand for services increased, and evolving federal and donor expectations have raised the bar for what it means to be “funding ready.” Now, nonprofits…
In an environment of rising costs, shifting funding sources, and heightened accountability, nonprofit financial health depends on more than good intentions—it requires disciplined planning. A well-constructed nonprofit budget is one of the most powerful tools leaders have to translate mission into action, align resources with priorities, and anticipate financial risk before it becomes a crisis. Unlike a static…
Many nonprofit leaders start their search for accounting services with a simple assumption: If someone has CPA credentials, then they must be qualified to handle nonprofit accounting. While CPAs are highly trained, this assumption misses a crucial point: Sector expertise matters as much as credentials. Nonprofit accounting isn’t just business accounting with a different tax status. It operates under its own rules and its own unique language. Donor restrictions, grant requirements,…
The “Necessary Evil” Myth Nonprofits Need to Retire Let’s be honest, when you race to meet a grant deadline, prepare for a board meeting, or keep your programs running with minimal staff, financial management often feels like the hurdle standing between you and the work that matters. It’s not that you don’t understand its importance;…
