Blackbaud

JULY 18, 2025

This guide covers the fundamentals that your finance team needs to know during every stage of the grant so you can handle it confidently from award to closeout. Understanding the Grant Lifecycle for the Finance Office Government grants follow a predictable journey, and the finance team plays a mission-critical role at each stage.

Government

Grant Professionals Association

JULY 29, 2025

Often, the finance department handles the process, leaving grant managers unaware until after the fact. Does it clearly explain why each budget item is necessary? Make sure finance, program staff, and leadership all understand the proposal and budget inside and out. How are you planning for your next grant audit?

IT

Blackbaud

APRIL 7, 2025

Like your K12 private school budget. A well-crafted budget is essential for aligning financial resources with the strategic goals of your private school, and with the right processes and tools, it doesnt have to be stressful. Your school may have multiple budgets, each with a different purpose.

Budget

Blackbaud

JANUARY 24, 2025

It helps you better understand your donors, keep them engaged, and work more efficiently with your finance, marketing, programs, and leadership teams. Integrating finance and fundraising makes reconciliation easier and helps improve donor stewardship. Volunteer management platforms: Keep all your volunteer information in one place.

CRM

Grant Professionals Association

JUNE 27, 2025

Organizations often view post-award management as the responsibility of finance or program teams. It enables you to anticipate funder expectations, shape internal systems, and contribute strategically to your organization’s readiness, success, and growth in mission and capacity.

Award

Blackbaud

DECEMBER 23, 2024

When your nonprofit is just getting started, your budget for an accounting system is likely very close to $0. And this data rolls up into your organizational budget to give you a holistic view of your finances. When You Know Youre Ready to Switch Free and low-cost options helped you get started.

Finance

Assel Grant Services

DECEMBER 8, 2024

While board members play an important role in assuring agency finances and grant funds are treated ethically, they are also partially responsible for resource development that is, ensuring their organization has the resources needed to fulfill its mission. Understand the issues that could impact their nonprofit agencys finances (e.g.,

GPC

Wild Apricot

JUNE 16, 2025

It works well for groups that aren’t yet ready to incorporate or don’t plan to become a formal nonprofit. Disbursing payments : They pay vendors, staff or reimburse expenses according to your project’s budget. The agent handles the finances but doesn’t control your work. You’re looking for basic help with finance and compliance.

Logic Model

The Fundraising Coach

JANUARY 17, 2025

From tight budgets to limited staffing, these hurdles can make even the simplest event feel overwhelming. Budget Constraints Tight finances can make it difficult to secure venues, hire vendors, and provide high-quality experiences for attendees. A refreshed team performs better and creates a more positive atmosphere.

Budget

DoJiggy

JANUARY 8, 2025

Here are some tips to keep your finances organized: Set a Budget Determine the costs of your event, including venue, marketing, supplies, and any other expenses. A clear budget prevents overspending and ensures profitability. Track Income and Expenses Financial software like QuickBooks can be used to monitor transactions.

Fundraising

Allied Grant Writers

DECEMBER 25, 2024

Budget Details how funding should be allocated. Budget A detailed account of the financial resources needed, including direct and indirect costs. To delve deeper into managing finances related to your proposal, explore our article on budgeting for grants. Objectives Outlines the goals the grant aims to achieve.

Grant Writing

Blackbaud

JULY 28, 2025

In this article, you’ll learn about the different types of audits nonprofit finance teams commonly work on and the most common nonprofit audit mistakes for each, giving you a better understanding of how to avoid these mistakes for your next audit. Say a key finance employee leaves, taking years of unwritten knowledge with them.

Finance

Blackbaud

JULY 21, 2025

Your nonprofit’s finance team is juggling restricted funds, grants, and project-specific donations, all while trying to prepare reports, stay compliant, and keep the organization’s mission on track. They’re designed for businesses, not nonprofits, and force finance teams to use workarounds that introduce inefficiencies and gaps in oversight.

AI

Blackbaud

JULY 8, 2025

Limited budgets, complex grant requirements, and fluctuating revenue streams can make managing finances a significant challenge. For organizations on very tight budgets, even part-time services might strain financial resources. Nonprofit leaders often grapple with achieving their mission while maintaining financial stability.

Finance

Grant Writing Made Easy

MAY 20, 2025

Instead of scrambling for details every time, youll have the essentials ready to go. Financial Information: Latest budgets, audited financial statements, and cost breakdowns. Budget Narrative A standard explanation of costs that can be tweaked for different applications.

Grant Writing

Blackbaud

MAY 12, 2025

Navigating the budget approval process in nonprofit organizations can sometimes feel like a maze full of frustrating dead ends. By addressing these pain points in the nonprofit budget approval process, you can ensure that financial decisions are made quickly, transparently, and in alignment with organizational goals. Who approves what?

Budget

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 9, 2025

The pros know this and form a strike team early a small but mighty group that includes: Budget and finance staff (get them moving immediately on match, line items, and cost-sharing). Budget experts to finesse match and cost allocations. So suit up, strike team at the ready, and get that first draft moving.

Federal Grants

Blackbaud

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

The first thing you should do as a finance professional is audit your spreadsheets because you dont know how adept your people, or predecessors, are at Excel. Avoid being a bottleneck when your programs team need an update on how much budget is left on a specific grant. Do a spreadsheet audit at least once a year.

Software

Pamela Grow

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Because your organization cant turn a profit by definition, the goal of tracking your finances is to demonstrate to donors, funders, the government, and the community that youre using your funding responsibly to further your mission. Internally, this report is most useful for budgeting.

Liability

Big Fundraising Ideas

APRIL 22, 2025

However, their impact extends far beyond finances. The Role of Fundraising inSchools Public schools often face budget constraints in the USA, making fundraisers critical for bridging financial gaps. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 90% of public schools rely on fundraising to supplement their budgets.

Fundraising

Wild Apricot

JULY 24, 2025

We’ll share a few smart, manageable steps (no big budget or marketing team required). E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust This matters a lot for nonprofits working in sensitive areas like health, finance, education or social justice. Ready to bring all of this advice to life?

AI

Seliger + Associates Grant Writing

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

I shared an office with the Finance Director, who was a rabid Reagan Republican. We sat in stunned silence as this dude ticked off the many proposed budget cuts to federal discretionary grant programs (our “mother’s milk”). If you need help, S + A is tan, fit, and ready to rock ‘n’ roll. Boy was I wrong. We be Mr.

Grant

Blackbaud

JULY 17, 2025

But if your finance team is constantly wrestling with unwieldy spreadsheets, miscommunications, and systems that refuse to play nice, those frustrations quickly grow into lost time, missed opportunities, and morale that nosedives. Red Flags in Your People Your team is your finance function’s beating heart.

Finance

Blue Avocado

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Commitment to putting in the necessary effort is crucial; I look for those ready to invest their time and energy into achieving our shared objectives, demonstrating resilience, perseverance, and a proactive attitude. It might be a good idea to get a few people on the board with commercial real estate experience, finance/lending folks, etc.

Ethics

Blackbaud

MARCH 7, 2025

As leaders in nonprofit finance, it’s our job to be prepared for the inevitability of change. We build a budget that is fair, balanced, and built on evidential history, but flexible ready for whatever hiccups and bumps come along. Im sure everyone is mildly familiar with budgeting. Why Do Nonprofit Budgets Change?

Budget

Blackbaud

MAY 6, 2024

Like a good recipe, your nonprofit budget requires high-quality ingredients, easy-to-follow steps, and a knowledgeable cook or two to put it together. But when you have all the pieces—accurate data, a clear process, and a finance team to put it together—you can make a three-course meal look easy.

Budget

Blackbaud

AUGUST 20, 2024

There are several exciting times of the year for nonprofit finance professionals—budget season, audits, year-end close. They will discuss the importance of having both your development and finances teams involved in donor stewardship. Reporting is a key part of any finance professional’s role.

Finance

Candid

MARCH 25, 2024

But before you start seeking a grant, ask yourself: Is your organization really ready? Before you get started Here are some basics you should be aware of before applying for grants: First, getting a grant is a labor- and time-intensive process. You may need to present your overall operating budget and audited financial statements.

Grant Readiness

Blue Avocado

NOVEMBER 6, 2023

Is your organization’s CFO ready to put together a grant proposal budget that will make an impact with potential funders? The post The Art of Grant Budgeting: A Guide for Nonprofit CFOs appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Budget

Blackbaud

APRIL 4, 2024

Let’s face it—budget planning can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for nonprofits. Most organizations face frequent budget cuts, which creates organizational uncertainty and a scramble for new funding options. Analyzing your budget this way also allows you to understand the ROI of each program.

Finance

Blackbaud

MAY 23, 2024

Before agreeing to take on federal funding, your organization should thoroughly understand the financial implications, including how funds will need to be tracked, how staff and contractor time and effort will need to be recorded, what program costs are allowable , and how they will be communicated and tracked with program staff and finance staff.

Grant Readiness

Peak Proposals

APRIL 3, 2023

Grant proposals have at least two parts: the project narrative and the budget (aka cost proposal). There may not be a division of responsibilities between the cost and narrative proposals at a small nonprofit, leaving the project lead (or the grant writer) to both write the proposal narrative and prepare the budget.

Budget

Blackbaud

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

Relying on core policies that include both finance and program offices improves collaboration because everyone knows what their roles are and where the directive comes from. Tip 10: Make sure everyone understands the reporting cadence and process for tracking the budgets vs actual, reviewing invoices, and indirect cost monitoring.

Government

Blackbaud

MAY 27, 2024

It’s budget season, and the spreadsheet chaos has begun. You want to document your process to save yourself valuable time next budget season. You want to be able to easily report on budgets in a variety of accurate, clear ways without too much fuss, and know what was approved versus what’s been modified. What if it raises more?

Budget

Grant Professionals Association

JUNE 13, 2023

Is your organization grant-ready? When it comes down to it, grant readiness comes from preparation in three main areas: Resources, Collaboration, and Alignment. Grant readiness and effective grant stewardship takes collaboration at all levels. Are your budgets up to date? COLLABORATION: Get Your Team on Board.

Grant Readiness

Blackbaud

DECEMBER 20, 2023

Working with a lean budget means even the slightest unexpected expense can create a stressful situation. From creating a financial cushion to clearly managing your financial reporting, your finance team can create a strong foundation to help you weather whatever the new year has in store.

Indirect Cost

Just Write Grants

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

Whether it's assembling a new wardrobe, setting up a study schedule, or even just organizing that backpack, getting ready for the academic year ahead is more than a chore - it's a ritual. With our digital school bells ringing, it's time to attend a masterclass in nonprofit finance. Think of this as your vocabulary list for the year.

Finance