A key difference in the nonprofit sector is that the board focus in on the nonprofit’s mission and not the finances or profits.
The following are some essential financial governance areas that your board should be performing for your organization.
1.
Financial tracking by funds and program. It is not good
enough just to know if your organization has a surplus or a deficit for the
organization. You should know if your
funds and programs are generating a surplus or deficit. It is impossible to perform your financial
stewardship role if you don’t know which funds or programs you are overspending
or underspending.
2.
Financial reports need to be produced monthly. It is imperative
that you receive financial reports at least monthly. You can only perform your financial
governance role if you can help the organization to anticipate and plan for
changes based on financial results. It
is important that these financial reports are timely and accurate to avoid
making the wrong financial decisions.
The financial reports should be goal oriented to allow the financial
governance to focus on its accomplishments.
Best practices financial reporting would include both budget and
historical variance financial analysis.
3.
Financial health is priority. Poor financial
health usually results when no one knows the financial condition and when one
person controls all financial information.
Significant comments from the annual audit and staff turnover are also indicators
of poor financial health. It is
important that the board pays attention when these conditions exist and work
towards increasing financial expertise and capacity. Financially healthy organizations hold
themselves accountable, understand roles, and maintain compliance with adequate
and qualified staff. Effective board and
management practices are essential for segregation of duties and internal
controls. These board financial
practices should promote communication, expectations, and operating efficiencies
so the organization can be monitored efficiently and effectively.
4. Proper Accounting
Software. Many nonprofits use manual or commercial applications to
perform nonprofit accounting. It is
important that you provide the finance staff with the right tools and
accounting software to do the job properly.
It is important the you ask question regarding how you track financial
information. Some financial questions to
ask might be like do you track financial information by funding source, by
program, and by accounts. You should
review accounting software and tools annually to see what additional software
modules or needed including whether you have outgrown your current
software. It is important that
organizations review software that is designed for nonprofit
organizations. Nonprofit accounting
software typically allows you to integrate third party systems like fundraising
and payroll to increase efficiencies of various systems.
5. Financial
stewardship.
All board members need to act as financial stewards not just the
treasurer for the nonprofit’s that they govern.
Unfortunately, board members don’t take this role seriously enough and thus
organization’s fail financially which significantly reduces public trust. Board members must understand financial
stewardship and make it a priority for the organization that they govern. Board financial practices should include financial
policies and procedures that promote stewardship and accountability.
6. Budget Management. Board
members need to work to enable management to know when to modify programs and
operations. It is important the budgets
be realistic and revenue based to anticipate any shortfalls. Budget management should include budget
projections and cash flow management to insure stable nonprofit operations and
programming.
7. Financial
Reserves. Board member financial stewardship roles should include
establishing financial reserves for the organization. Financial supporters would rather support
well established and financial stable organizations. It is important board and management are
committed to generating an operating surplus and positive cash balances. It takes a lot of financial discipline to
establish financial reserves. A
nonprofit is typically financially stable once it can generate financial
reserves of several months of operating reserves. The financial reserves are essential to
shield the organization from reductions or delays in funding.
8. Financial
Plans. Board members need to have financial plans for the
organization. Just as an individual has
a financial plan that changes as the individuals needs changes, the nonprofit
needs financial plans that are reviewed and modified as needed. Financial goals and strategies should change
and anticipate the future.
We need to equip board members with the tools and abilities to perform the financial governance roles. Board members need to verify that management and staff has the proper capacity and expertise to perform the finance function for the organization. If the organization does not have the proper internal resources, then they may need to look for outside expertise.
