A three-part course from the Nonprofit Financial Commons
A Finance Intensive for Nonprofit Boards and Executive Teams
NFC’s first fee-based course
Prepare Your Board to Make Confident Financial Decisions in 2026
Many nonprofit boards will face financial decisions in 2026 with serious, long-term consequences—at a time when revenue remains unpredictable and incomplete information is the norm. This moment calls for more than technical knowledge; it requires strong stewardship, shared judgment, and the ability to act decisively amid uncertainty.
To meet this need, the Nonprofit Financial Commons (NFC) is offering a focused, three-day course designed specifically for board members and senior staff leaders. This intensive experience will equip leadership teams to interpret financial information, clarify roles and risk tolerance, and use financial insight to guide strategy—without requiring participants to be financial experts.
This is NFC’s first fee-based course. We strongly suggest that at least two team members per organization participate, reflecting the seriousness of the moment and the importance of shared learning and alignment.
Who Should Attend?
✔ Nonprofit board members
✔ Executive directors and CEOs
✔ Finance staff and senior leadership teams
Organizations are strongly encouraged to attend as a team to maximize impact and alignment.
Pricing
Early Bird Rates (before 2/1/2026)
- Small group (1–4 participants): $525
- Full team (5+ participants): $975
Standard Rates
- Small group (1–4 participants): $625
- Full team (5+ participants): $1,095
Secure your spot early.
Space is limited, and this course is designed for organizations ready to engage seriously with their financial future.
What You Will Gain
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Engage confidently in financial discussions—even without deep financial expertise
- Understand their organization’s financial runway, reserves, and risk posture
- Distinguish nonprofit financial realities from for-profit assumptions
- Use financial data to frame strategic decisions and tradeoffs
- Align board and staff roles in moments of financial stress
- Tell a clear, credible financial story to support decision-making and sustainability
Course Structure
Three live, interactive sessions of 90 minutes each — New Dates!
- February 17 | 2:00–3:30 PM ET
- February 19 | 2:00–3:30 PM ET
- February 25 | 2:00–3:30 PM ET
Space is intentionally limited to allow for meaningful interaction and individualized attention.
Pre-reading materials will be provided prior to the course.
Session Breakdown
Session 1: Your Board’s Approach to Finance – Role, Judgment, and Stewardship
This session reframes board finance away from narrow fiduciary compliance and toward responsible stewardship centered on mission and beneficiaries.
Facilitator: Vernetta Walker
Key focus areas:
- What stewardship really means in non-ordinary times
- Balancing courage and caution when the future is unclear
- Clarifying roles, authority, and decision-making responsibilities
- Understanding your organization’s risk orientation
- Using practical examples to examine different strategic choices
Takeaway: A shared framework for how your board approaches financial responsibility, risk, and accountability.
Session 2: Finance Fundamentals – Making Sense of the Numbers
This session demystifies nonprofit finance and focuses on what board members actually need to understand to govern well.
Facilitators: Dana Britto and Peter Farstad
Key focus areas:
- What financial information truly matters—and why
- How nonprofit finances differ from for-profit models
- Understanding cash vs. accrual, deficits, and time horizons
- The five essential financial questions every board should be able to answer
- Reserves, runway, liquidity, and revenue mix
Practical assignment: Participants will apply the five questions to their own organization.
Takeaway: Simple, practical tools to assess financial health—including an easy method to calculate days of cash on hand.
Session 3: Using Financial Information to Make Strategic Decisions
The final session focuses on applying financial insight to real strategic choice.
Facilitators: Ruth McCambridge and Steve Zimmerman
Key focus areas:
- Overview of nonprofit business models and their implications
- Using financial and non-financial data together
- Anticipating risk and testing alternative scenarios
- Applying runway thinking to strategy and impact decisions
Takeaway: Confidence in using financial information as a strategic asset—not just a reporting requirement.
Our Instructors
Why This Course Matters Now
These are not ordinary times. Boards are being asked to make high-stakes decisions without perfect information, and waiting for certainty is no longer an option. This course is designed to help nonprofit leaders act wisely, responsibly, and courageously in the face of that reality.
Course Includes
- 3 Lessons