The CFO'S Perspective

The list of skills and experience necessary to be a successful nonprofit CFO is long and varied, which can make it seem like a Goldilocks type of situation at first glance. And yet, maybe that isn’t a bad thing! In our line of work, we typically call it something else: balance.

Let’s discuss some of the ways in which this kind of balance is not only helpful for a nonprofit CFO, but critical to their success.

Regardless of size, industry, or location, strong financial leadership is a vital component of any organization’s success. Yet, small and mid-sized companies often forgo hiring a CFO due to budgetary constraints. This is where bringing in a fractional resource can help! An outsourced fractional CFO will perform the same duties as an in-house full-time CFO, but on a more limited time basis.

For those that are not familiar with the term, “fractional leadership” covers anything that is less than full-time. That means a fractional CFO may perform ongoing accounting/finance duties for a set number of hours every week for months or even years while the company grows until it reaches a point where it has enough work to justify the cost of a full-time hire. In this way, a fractional CFO is a great steppingstone as an organization grows or undergoes significant transition. In other situations, a fractional CFO may be brought in to provide short-term business project oversight or to clean up a mess that has resulted from a major accounting issue.

So, let’s look at when a fractional CFO is an absolute must-have.

Today’s executive financial hiring numbers reveal a surprising trend! Recent data shows that the rate of companies hiring externally for their Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role is at a 10-year high. The prevailing theory as to why so many companies are looking outside their organization to hire a CFO is that succession planning for CFOs has been deprioritized in recent years as they have focused on tackling their organizations’ more pressing needs instead. And yet, succession planning remains a critical activity to avoid the disruption and cost associated with needing to look externally for a replacement when an organization’s CFO leaves or retires.

These days there are many facets of technology spending to evaluate – everything from software subscriptions and ongoing infrastructure to new AI investments and increasing security costs. Unfortunately, this landscape can quickly become a cost quagmire for less financially experienced CEOs and business owners. Without a strong background in accounting/finance, these kinds of leaders can become distracted by tech solutions that promise big results and have even bigger price tags.

So, how do you keep technology spending in check? The key is to think like a CFO!

Asking, “How can a financial assessment help us?” is the first step to getting a better handle on your organization’s finances.

A business assessment is a financial checkup that evaluates the efficacy of critical financial functions like reporting and forecasting while analyzing people, processes, and tools. The findings that result can serve as a roadmap for the organization’s strategic planning initiatives.

Executive Summary: Changes happen. Sometimes they come quickly and abundantly. Business executives rely on their Finance Teams to be in front of changes, especially when the impact is big. By proactively preparing for GAAP changes, CFOs can position their business for success. Staying informed, collaborating with experts, assessing the impact, and effectively implementing changing standards are essential to maintaining a smooth-running business operation.

As a CFO or Controller, staying at the forefront of accounting best practices and standards is crucial for maintaining financial integrity, advancing innovation in accounting, and ensuring compliance. In fact, this is a primary requirement for your accounting and finance personnel. And yet, it often goes unspoken and is seldom included in job descriptions and KSA’s (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) for your accounting team. Additionally, there are a ton of professional restrictions that can get in the way of making this a priority, like ongoing time constraints, urgent needs, and special projects.

Running out of cash is not only a sign of poor planning, but it's also one of the biggest reasons that businesses fail. Forecasting your company's cash flow can be tricky because of the many variables that determine how much cash you will need for operations versus the amount available.

“My finance leader is leaving! Now what do I do?!”

In some sense, it’s tempting to offer the platitude, “a debit is a debit everywhere we go!” (which is a colloquial way to suggest that all accounting is created equal). However, while there’s some truth to that fact that every organization replacing a leader will need to take some core actions, you don’t need to drill down very far to realize that each business has unique elements to consider as well. Those unique facets will add complexity to how you respond to the reality of a financial leader leaving your organization.

The following guide will help your organization evaluate how ready it is for turnover in a finance leadership role, offer suggestions for how you can be better prepared in case your executive finance leader leaves, and provide key insights into what to do next if the loss of your financial leader happens suddenly.