Fundamentals for Nonprofits

Nonprofit Financial Management Webinars

Person leading a webinar on a computer with headphones, a notepad and a pencil in the background

NFF’s webinars provide practical financial management knowledge for nonprofit leaders, delivered in engaging and accessible ways. You can follow the series in order for a curriculum that builds from one subject to the next or pick and choose among topics that best address your organization’s needs. You are also welcome to download the slides and companion workbooks for each webinar so you can engage at your own pace and apply these principles to your own organization.

NFF grabó su currículo de seminarios web de gestión financiera para organizaciones sin fines de lucro en español como parte del proyecto "Subiendo Juntos" (Rising Together). Para mirar los seminarios web, haga clic aquí.


Operating in a Changing World, Part 1

This webinar grounds nonprofit leaders in the challenges of nonprofit finance and the implications of operating in a structurally inequitable system. The session introduces core concepts in nonprofit finance, such as how to build financial health amidst significant uncertainty and how to balance money with mission. (Video 1/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Operating in a Changing World, Part 2

Building on Part 1, this session will help nonprofit leaders take stock of where their organization stands in the face of compounding health and economic crises. After presenting a framework for understanding a nonprofit’s strengths, NFF will provide tools for assessing your organization’s position, setting priorities, communicating needs, and planning amidst uncertainty. (Video 2/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Financial Planning, Part 1

In order to plan effectively, nonprofit leaders must understand how their organization’s past income and expense dynamics influence its present and future finance picture. In this webinar, NFF will cover how to read income and profit/loss statements as well as how to assess an organization’s revenue and expense picture. You will learn key terms for forecasting revenue and expenses and best practices for budgeting for restricted revenue and one-time or episodic revenue and expenses. (Video 3/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Financial Planning, Part 2

In Part 2 of Financial Planning, you will examine assets, liabilities, and net assets to better understand how each of these can influence key budgeting goals. NFF will review the components of a balance sheet (both audited and unaudited), help you assess the liquidity of your organization, and outline key budget practices for determining your nonprofit’s long-term needs. (Video 4/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Cash Flow Planning

In times of uncertainty, it’s especially critical to understand how cash flows in and out of organizations. Unlike a budget – which summarizes revenue and expenses for a block of time – cash flow projections plot total cash received and spent month-by-month or week-by-week. In this session, you will learn how to create a cash flow projection, manage cash flow, avoid common missteps in cash flow planning, differentiate between cash and accrual accounting, and connect cash flow management to credit assessment. (Video 5/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Telling Your Financial Story to Different Audiences

Nonprofit leaders must know, own, and effectively articulate their organization’s financial story. By communicating this story well, leaders build trust and credibility, contextualize financial reports, connect finances to mission, and advocate for their organization’s needs. In this webinar, NFF will guide you through the process of crafting a compelling financial story for your organization with budgets, dashboards, financial statements, and other materials. NFF will also offer techniques for getting to know your various audiences, positioning your financial story for each of your audiences, and engaging your board and other stakeholders during times of crisis. (Video 6/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Strategic Budgeting and Scenario Planning

To effectively plan for the future, nonprofit leaders must imagine possible scenarios and determine how their organizations would respond. This webinar will show you how to incorporate scenario planning into your budget, allowing your team and your board to understand budget implications for various “what-ifs” and create plans of action. NFF will help you quantify the unknown, develop budget scenarios for possible future crises, identify key drivers of change, assess revenue and expense variability, and prepare for both best- and worst-case scenarios. (Video 7/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Understanding Your Mission/Money Mix

To make informed decisions, nonprofit leaders must understand how their programs contribute to both financial and mission objectives. You will use NFF’s Program Economics Analysis to see how your mission can inform financial decisions, explore where well-placed subsidy can maximize your organization’s impact, and determine how to adapt your programs in response to the current moment. (Video 8/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Managing Risks & Opportunities

Building long-term financial health requires an understanding of different types of organizational financial risks. This webinar will show you what skills are needed to manage risks and build sustainability and adaptability. NFF will help you set up a long-term plan by identifying key focus areas like liquidity (adequate cash to meet month-to-month needs), adaptability (flexible funds that allow for managing risks, growth, or change), and durability (funds to address a variety of future needs to deliver mission over long-term). (Video 9/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Understanding Full Cost

Full cost refers to the true cost of doing business for nonprofits, including total expenses, working capital, and reserves. In this webinar, NFF will walk you through the full cost of operating your organization and communicating that cost to funders. We’ll define the components of full cost, provide language that names and claims nonprofits’ full cost needs, offer guidance for prioritizing your organization’s hidden costs, and share tips for discussing full cost with key stakeholders. (Video 10/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Partnerships and Collaborations

Nonprofits are exploring new ways to work with like-minded organizations. In this webinar, you will learn how to recognize the conditions for successful collaborations, evaluate mission alignment, assess prospects, and facilitate productive conversations with potential partners. NFF will cover the difference between partnership and collaboration, strengths and full costs in partnerships and collaboration, value propositions for collaboration, partnership and collaboration finances, and potential barriers to forming new partnerships. (Video 11/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook


Financial Leadership for Boards

Board members can better serve nonprofits when they are well-versed in financial management and understand their roles as stewards. This webinar reviews how boards can help guide nonprofits by thinking big-picture in identifying strengths, gaps, opportunities, and risks; understanding financial health and performance; and supporting an organization through times of crisis. (Video 12/12)

Download the slides  |  Download the companion workbook