At CFO Selections, we may work in numbers… but we’re in the business of people. Because behind every financial report is a person making hard decisions, and behind every engagement is a human-to-human connection. In this series, we’re shining a light on those stories — introducing the consultants who guide our clients forward and the leaders who bring those numbers to life.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Raphael Irving was deep in a collective bargaining agreement with no easy answers. He was at a Portland-based Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that was facing a budget deficit, and every decision carried weight.
“When you’re in those rooms,” he says, “you know what you decide is going to affect other people’s lives.”
Payroll made up most of the budget. There wasn’t much room to maneuver.
“Most nonprofits are 65% to 80% payroll,” he explains. “So, when cuts happen, it’s people who feel it first.”
Some nights, the work followed him home.
“There were times I couldn’t sleep,” he says. “Because I knew if I could figure this out, it meant somebody got to stay.”
The work led to a strategic plan that allowed the organization to move forward. For Raphael, that’s always been the point.
“Money is the oil that makes the engine run,” he says. “If you understand the finances, you can keep the mission moving.”
