​In the nonprofit world, nirvana is achieved through financial sustainability. We’re talking about a level of sustainability that most organizations only dream about: fully funded operating reserves, available lines of credit, multiple revenue streams, and a full understanding of when the money flows in, how to leverage it, make it grow, and how it is best spent.
 
Financial sustainability creates its own beautiful cycle. It breeds proactive leadership, strategic direction, and organization growth. Why? Because social impact leaders with a comprehensive understanding of their financial operations can confidently communicate, empower and build trust with their stakeholders. And, trust leads to increased financial support. [6 Step Guide to Build Donor Trust]
 
This high-performing type of organization is 100% possible! We know because we’ve seen countless organizations transform, including many of our clients.
 
So, where does a nonprofit start?
 
Here’s a model of the 4-part system that our CEO, Chantal Sheehan uses to help nonprofits achieve financial sustainability. It’s a cycle. It’s a system. The flow creates continuous improvement and continuous analysis.
 
Let’s break it down… 

​Simply put, stewardship is nurturing, supporting, and taking care of something. Its time spent thinking, planning, talking, and taking action to ensure long-term viability.
 
Ask yourself. Does your team steward your financial operations as much as other organizational activities? Think about how much time your team spends each week on fundraising? How much time do you spend cultivating donors? How much of your time is spent chasing donations and grant money? 50% of your week? 70%? Maybe even 90%?
 
Now, how much time do you spend analyzing how those hard-fought dollars are used? Do you have regular meetings with your team about finance? Do department or program heads talk about budget in real-time and regularly? In most cases, the time spent on financial management (stewardship) is not even close to the time spent raising the funds. It’s time to change that dynamic and take one huge leap closer to financial sustainability.
 
“Sustainability starts with a commitment to apply the same principles and stewardship to finance as we apply to fundraising and donor relationships.” – Chantal Sheehan, Blue Fox CEO

The use of modern financial technology is a critical support mechanism for financial stewardship. Tech platforms have come a long way in the last decade. They are more cost-effective and affordable than ever, and it’s time for nonprofits to get on board. Using financial technology appropriately is no longer just a plus for nonprofits… it’s a must. FinTech or bust! [Our Favorite Back Office Technology Solutions]
 
Some reasons why social impact organizations should adopt or seek out best of breed financial technology:

• Built for ease of use
• Automation of monotonous and error-prone accounting data entry
• Transition to a new platform is much less painful than it used to be
• Cross-platform integration is widely available
• Cloud-based* platforms provide access to data anywhere, anytime (and no down-time when disasters strike)
• Cloud-based* platforms offer continuous updates and improvement at no additional cost
• Digitized audit trails
• Enhanced internal controls

 
* Side note on “cloud-based”: Let’s get coffee if you think we’re talking about actual clouds here :)

​Data. It’s not just a word for nerdy back-office folks crunching numbers. Data is a word used by proactive smart leaders. Data is what gives nonprofit executive directors, CEOs and board members the ability to make reasoned, educated decisions. Data is the pencil that draws the blueprints for strategic planning. If your last organizational decision was made by intuition, why not generate some data to check yourself and provide evidence? Data breeds buy-in too.
 
When it comes to collecting data, our CEO always says, “Garbage in, garbage out.” If your FinTech is working for you the way it should be, avoiding bad data should be straightforward. But here are some operational decisions for your team to consider to ensure your data is squeaky clean:

• What data needs to be measured?
  • Accounting data
  • Donor data
  • Member retention
  • Sponsor satisfaction
  • Program participation
  • Program impact
• What’s the right frequency to measure and discuss data?
• Accountability: who is in charge of producing the data?
• Accuracy: How can you check it? 

​Now that your data gleams, it’s time to use it to generate insights. Data tells you what happened. Insights tell you why something happen, why something failed to happen or what might happen next. Insights result from analysis and discussion. One of the best ways to analyze and discuss data is to make it visual whenever possible.
 
Here are some tools that make financial data visual and encourage your team to generate insights to aid in organizational decision making:  

• Comparative financial statements
  • This year vs last year
  • This month vs last month
  • This month vs last month vs this month last year
• Ratios (Click to Download Blue Fox’s Magical Nonprofit Financial Ratio Matrix)
  • Current Ratio
  • Months of Cash
  • Reliance
  • Fundraising Efficiency
  • Self-Sufficiency
  • Program Efficiency
• Dashboard style reports
• Infographics
• Simple charts

 
Once you’ve taken your data from snooze-fest to wow-fest, you’ll notice a fairly immediate shift in how your team discusses it. Insights will begin to reveal themselves, giving you the capacity to make informed decisions and strategic moves as needed. 

It’s time to close this loop of continuous improvement and analysis. Let’s talk about, plan for and become proactive (a.k.a. steward) about your financial situation to put your organization in a more sustainable position.
 
Data and the insights they reveal show you what financial risks and opportunities exist. Now, relate those to your external and internal environments. Determine what changes you can make now so that your organization is stronger and better able to mitigate risks. Think about how these new insights should inform changes to your current fundraising initiatives, revenue goals, operational plans, and program strategies. Then plan for a rainy day. Shore up any potential cash flow weak spots by acquiring a line of credit and creating an operating reserve (5 Key Elements Your Operating Reserves Policy Needs). Do this year after year, and you will watch your organization shift from reactive to proactive, and sustainability will follow.
 
As always, if your team could use support implementing this system at your nonprofit, Blue Fox is her to help! Give us a call at (321) 233-3311 or email hello@yourbluefox. Feel free to learn more about our philosophy, clients, services and our team before you make that call. Now, let’s get to work!

By: Blue Fox CEO, Chantal Sheehan and Marketing Guru, Chelsea Clementi

I’m over it.
 
COVID-19.
The deaths.
The sickness.
The fear.
The grief.
The politics.
The injustice.
The media.
The government screw ups.
The lockdowns.
The conspiracy theories.
The economy.
The unemployment rate.
The PPP.
The food supply.
The feeling of loneliness.
The worry. About everything. All the time.
The hoarding.
The sickness.
The deaths.
Oh look, murder hornets.
WTF.
 
I’m so over this s#!t. I know you are, too.
 
That’s why I’ve decided it’s time to break up with COVID-19.
 
As leaders and business owners, we have a job to do. Yes, we must acknowledge and accept the reality we now find ourselves in, but we can’t afford to lose touch with each other and perhaps more importantly, ourselves. We can’t afford to sacrifice today and tomorrow’s opportunities because a virus just gave the world a horrible, epic swirlie and we’re glued to a device watching things fall apart.
 
It’s time to break up with COVID-19.
 
This is a defining moment in time, no doubt. How will this moment come to define you?
 
Remember: we have work to do. We must get up every day, lead our teams, take care of our families, and provide services and support to communities and people who rely on us. (And hopefully, find toilet paper somewhere in between.)
 
Need inspiration, or a reminder of why your work matters? Here’s a sample of the amazing things our clients have been up to – also known as why we get out of bed every day:

• STARability, Naples, FL: A quick, effective pivot to virtual programming for adults with developmental challenges gets picked up by the news [VIDEO]

 

• Zawadisha, Kenya: 12 women make 1,500 masks for their community in 2 weeks [INSTAGRAM]

 

• Together Bay Area, Berkeley, CA: A simple survey of their members – land trusts, conservation organizations, natural resource managers, and indigenous groups – turns into huge advocacy leverage. Their 24 members estimate Together’s coalition could advance investments in green infrastructure to the tune of 10,500 new jobs across 10 Bay Area counties, improving the environment and access to nature for 7.7 million people [PDF]

 

• Nyaka, Michigan/Uganda: Releases first full-length documentary – award winning, truth-telling, INSPIRING, and streaming free [VIDEO-40 min]

 
What are you up to? Let us know and we’ll give you a shout out, too. We’re in this together.
 
Still in bed? Still feeling blue?
 
Let’s throw all the damn clichés in here at once and snap the hell out of it:
 
Stay positive.
Breathe.
Just keep swimming.
Be in the moment.
Enjoy the little things.
Hug someone.
Or tell someone you wish you could.
Fix something you can fix.
Clean something you can clean.
Make a good meal.
Then give it to someone else.
Rethink your career.
Consider your long-term plans for your business.
(Make a long-term plan for your business.)
Plant a garden.
Plant a tree.
Talk to your neighbors.
Walk.
Run.
Cycle.
Breathe again.
Dream big.
Innovate.
Cogitate.
Adapt.
Improvise.
Thrive.
 
You’ve got this.
 
Here are some of our favorite resources right now for moving on and moving out of crisis mode.
 
Those of us who successfully break up with COVID-19 and end our internal toxic relationship with all that it brings will be better for it in the end. I know that sounds trite, naïve even. But it’s a hallmark of human experience that when disaster or tragedy strikes, we evolve in response. The exceptional among us turn horror into beauty, discord into order, and brokenness into wholeness.
 
Join me. Say sayonara to this stupid virus.
 
Become a stronger, better, more flexible, adaptable, sustainable person, and then empower and support those around you to do the same.
 
I’m with you.
 
Virtual Hugs,
Chantal

​Be transparent.
Build trust.
Strengthen relationships.
Raise more money.
Repeat.
 
There you have it: the secret to nonprofit success!
 
If only it were that simple, right?! The most successful development professionals and their nonprofits spend years building trusting relationships with their donors. Trust is not easily earned and it’s as fragile as glass. But did you know that new research shows that financial transparency is key in the trust-building process? Donors who see the financial impact that their funds make on your mission are more likely to give again.  So, why do so many nonprofit organizations only share financial data internally? Did you know that sharing financial data with donors can change the fundraising game for your organization?
 
Here’s the research to back it up: the Give.org Donor Trust Report and research by GuideStar prove a positive correlation between organizational transparency and donor giving.  When the first goes up, so does the other.
 
So, what does it mean to be transparent? What can you do to infuse transparency into your organization?
 
Our team at Blue Fox created a step-by-step guide to guide you through this transformative process. And our recommendations are not as abstract as you might think.
 
Here’s what we know: Donors want to see the impact of their dollars. They need to know each and every penny (hey, that’s our mascot’s name!) is leveraged to its fullest. They want all the feel goods that come from giving to their passion. So, let’s show them!
 
Here’s what you do…
 
6 Steps to Build a Transparent Nonprofit Organization:
 
Step 1:
ORGANIZE: Your Financial Systems & Information
Honesty is the best policy. This is especially true when it comes to the financial data you share with your board members, staff, committees, donors and the community as a whole. Only share financial information if you’re 100% sure it’s accurate. Start here:

• Make sure your books are up to date.
• Streamline processes to ensure anyone with access to financial information is entering data in a consistent and accurate way.
• Consider hiring an outsourced accounting firm (like us) to seamlessly manage your back office or to simply complete an comprehensive review of your financials (You can bet that GuideStar’s team will be doing a deep dive review of your financials if/when you apply for their Seal of Transparency).

 
Step 2:
TEACH: Educate Your Staff & Board
Whether you realize it or not, your entire internal team (staff and board members) are walking, talking promoters and fundraisers for your organization. It’s time to educate them on the innerworkings of how the organization operates, the current state of the financials and future needs. Educated employees are empowered employees. Now that your financials are squeaky clean, use them to mobilize your team:

• Review financial statements at staff meetings (you’ll be shocked how this can motivate people)
• Use dashboard style reports at board meetings to get their attention.
• Analyze financial information with your team to reveal what the data is telling you

 
Step 3:
PROVE: Your Credibility, High Standards & Stewardship
You’re on the way to financial stewardship excellence and it’s time to prove it. Disclaimer: this step may take some time but it’s worth it. Keep your eye on the prize and remember that checking these boxes will build the foundation for your new level of transparency. This is the step where you generate the powerful content for your future public relations efforts (steps 5 and 6).
 
(1) Certifications, accreditations and memberships are a sure-fire way to boost your credibility and legitimacy (a.k.a. trust) in the eyes of donors.

• GuideStar Seal of Transparency
• Mission-aligned accreditations
• Memberships with professional alliances
• Personnel certifications (Ex. Nonprofit Leadership Alliance NCP)

 
(2) Schedule a brainstorming and analysis session with your team. It’s time to build a financially data-driven list of your organization’s accomplishments and future goals. What do we mean by data-driven? Use your financial data to frame your story (percentages, numbers, benchmarks). Some of these might seem basic, but many organizations overlook them:

• Our fundraising events cost $____ per attendee
• We are 85% funded to launch XYZ new program
• Our overall budget grew by X% last year allowing us to serve X# of more…
• If we want to bring in $____ in money next year, it means either raising program fees to ____ or getting XX donors to give at $____ level or higher

 
Step 4:
ALIGN: Your Funding Needs & Systems
Okay, so you’ve got ducks in a row internally. You know where you’ve been and are excited to tell the world where you’re going, with data to back it up! But, wait! There’s one more step before you can package the information and shout it from the roof top. Make sure to coordinate your fundraising efforts with your marketing messages. Ask yourself these questions:

• What are your most pressing funding needs based on your data?
• What funding requests in the pipeline will appreciate your new transparency-based communications? Do not miss this opportunity to ask for support!
• Do your donors receive follow-up communication after making a contribution and how can you integrate transparency-related messages?

 
 
Step 5:
DEVELOP: Your Key Messages & Marketing Collateral
It’s time to call in the marketing team! (If you don’t have one, consider trading sponsor visibility with a local agency.) This is when you compile your data-driven information, accomplishments, accreditations and certifications in an easy-to-digest manner (everything from step 3). Here are some suggestions:

• Write a press release
• Create an infographic
• Create graphics
• Write blurbs and summaries
• Create a visually-appealing annual report

 
BRING IT HOME: Your primary messaging goal is to show that you’re a financially responsible, trustworthy organization that uses every dollar raised to provide services to your community. Always bring your messages back to how donors are making an impact. Use the data to tell a story and don’t be afraid to pull some heart strings.
 
Step 6:
PROMOTE: Publish, Send, Schedule, Post, Share, Spread the Word!
It’s time to publicize the whole kit-and-kaboodle. You’ve prepared all of your data-driven key messages and connected them to fundraising appeals. Now it’s time to spread the word:

• Share information on your website
• Send your press release
• Communicate with email subscribers
• Integrate your messages into event announcements
• Hold an event to celebrate a major accomplishment
• Schedule social media posts
• Weave messages into fundraising collateral
• Update signage (for high traffic and even-based nonprofits)

 
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! It takes massive effort and commitment from the very beginning to become a more transparent nonprofit. But the reward is worth the work. Take these steps one-by-one. Eat that elephant in bite size pieces. And, when you’re finished, donors will see your organization as a highly trustworthy and impactful place to invest.
 
And remember, our team of nonprofit financial gurus can provide back office support along your journey. The best time to ask us for help is the very beginning (step 1). Whether you need bookkeeping services or help with financial analysis, Blue Fox is here to help.
 
Your financials have a story to tell. Let’s start listening and telling that story!
 
Authors:
Chantal Sheehan, Founder & CEO, Blue Fox
Chelsea Clementi, Director of Marketing, Blue Fox

Nonprofits everywhere equate fundraising with tireless event planning, digital crowdfunding, relationship building, and writing grants. But we would offer that before your staff gets to work, the finance and development teams should have a solid understanding of the organization’s financial position. That information can help light a fire with the staff and board, shape your giving goals, and inform the messaging of your appeals.
 
So, we put together this handy checklist to help you get your financial house in order before you launch your next fundraising initiative. We’re pretty sure this is the first list of its kind – so enjoy and let us know how we can help!

CLICK HERE to download the goods!

If you’re like us, your daily inbox is jam-packed with newsletters and educational opportunities from like-minded social impact leaders. These spectacular humans work around the clock to foster positive change in their communities. Then, somehow, find time to share their story with fellow nonprofit enthusiasts. We tip our hat to them!
 
Here are just a handful of our favorite nonprofit resources this month:
 

• (TRENDS) The Top 5 Fundraising Trends in 2020
• (WEBINAR) 5 Ways to Transform Your Year-End with a Donor Management System
• (ARTICLE) Why January Is the Most Important Time for Donor Retention
• (WEBINAR) Let’s RAP – Creating a MAJOR GIFT Relationship Action Plan
• (MYTH BUSTER) 3 myths about creativity that are probably holding you back

 
 
Thanks for stopping by to read our picks for top nonprofit news this month! If you’re interested in hearing more from us, subscribe to our newsletter today!
 
About Blue Fox: Our team provides customized, boutique financial and back office services for social impact organizations. Services range from standard bookkeeping and payroll services, to coaching and consulting, to comprehensive virtual CFO services. Our mission is to disrupt the traditional accounting model through technology, innovation, and a radically client-focused approach that truly empowers nonprofits and social enterprises. For more information call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.YourBlueFox.com. 

Melbourne, FL (December 19, 2019) – Chantal Sheehan, Founder and CEO of Blue Fox was recently named a speaker for NTEN’s 2020 Nonprofit Technology Conference (20NTC). The conference will take place March 24-26 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland.
 
Dubbed by her clients as a nonprofit numbers guru, Sheehan will speak on how to have meaningful financial conversations with a nonprofit board of directors using the latest and greatest financial technology. Her presentation, 4 Strategies for Meaningful Money Conversations with Your Board, will introduce actionable strategies for nonprofit executives to use in the board room: financial dashboards, reporting tools and visual conversation starters.    

[Related: How to Wow at Your Next Board Meeting: 4 Tips for Meaningful Money Conversations]
 
She explains, “Discussing financials with your board can be stressful. You’re often met with blank stares, irrelevant questions or surprise concerns. There has to be a better way. A better way to guide financial conversations. A better way to present the data. A better way to tap into the knowledge, experience and leadership that sits around your board room table. And, a better way to show your board that you are responsibly steering the ship.”
 
With over 2,000 attendees, NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference gives nonprofit leaders the opportunity to learn how technology can help them more efficiently serve their communities and create change. Organizers explain, “20NTC is designed to help you reinvigorate your work and bring that renewed passion back home.”
 
Sheehan is a nonprofit organizational leadership expert and financial management coach with over 15 years executive-level experience across the private and public sectors. She guarantees 20NTC attendees a fast-paced session loaded with takeaways.
 
As an avid blogger she spices up the topic of financial management in publications for Bill.com, Bloomerang, and Hive. Her company blog at www.yourbluefox.com features content aimed to educate and empower nonprofit and social enterprise professionals. From QuickBooks hacks to advice on how to talk finance with a board of directors, the Blue Fox blog has it all. 
 
A recovering nonprofit executive director herself, Sheehan started Blue Fox in 2015, and the company has doubled or tripled in size each year in response to high demand.  For more information about Blue Fox call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.yourbluefox.com.
 
###
 
ABOUT BLUE FOX: Blue Fox provides customized financial and back office services for social impact organizations (nonprofits and social enterprises). Services range from standard bookkeeping and payroll services, to coaching and consulting, to full-blown virtual CFO services. The Blue Fox mission is to disrupt the traditional accounting model through technology, innovation, and a radically client-focused approach that truly empowers nonprofits and social enterprises. For more information call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.yourbluefox.com.

When Bill.com calls to interview your CEO, you jump at the opportunity! Especially when they mention that your CEO is viewed as an industry-leading financial services provider and they want to share her expertise. And, now we’re blushing!
 
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE:
Blue Fox, AI, and Maximizing Value for Accounting Clients
 
Our CEO, Chantal Sheehan has first-hand experience with the challenges that nonprofit face and has structured Blue Fox services to support those unique challenges. In this interview, she explains how Blue Fox takes advantage of Bill.com’s AI-powered Intelligent Virtual Assistant to most efficiently serve clients.
 
One of our favorite quotes from the interview is when our CEO, Chantal Sheehan said, “We focus on leveraging technology like AI so that we can apply human time where it counts for clients.” This is part of the Blue Fox philosophy and why we work so hard to provide the latest and greatest technology solutions for our clients.
 
If your nonprofit or social enterprise is looking to professionalize your back office operations, give us a shout any time at (321) 233-3311 or hello@yourbluefox.com.

CFO. Chief Financial Officer. Head Honcho of All the Numbers.
 
If you’ve ever met one, your mental picture of a traditional CFO is likely one of a middle-aged white guy wearing glasses, khakis, and a button down shirt hunched over a computer with paperwork all over his desk. Let’s call him Bob.
 
We’re happy to report that, while Bob lives on in many businesses, a growing trend in finance is about to disrupt the C-suite for good. Enter the outsourced, virtual CFO, or vCFO.
 
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, vCFOs may be called outsourced, part-time, or fractional CFOs. Google those terms and be amazed at the number of results. We think that 2020 will be another banner year for outsourced CFOs everywhere, so we thought it might be time to break it down for you.
 
Here’s what you need to know:
 
(1) WHO
vCFOs may either be a firm or an individual. Usually they are CPAs, senior accountants or bookkeepers, or other experienced and educated individuals who’ve held CFO or senior finance or accounting roles in the past. Likely female (more than half of all accountants in the US are women), these folks are highly skilled numbers nerds who can fill the CFO role just as well as (better than?) Bob.
 
(2) WHAT
What does an outsourced CFO do? She may be charged with a variety of tasks including bookkeeping, accounting, month-end closes, payroll, and financial reporting. But the real leverage in a vCFO is the strategic guidance and financial planning she provides. Interpreting financial data in a way that makes sense to other members of the C-suite is job #1. The rest of the job is to take a proactive approach to finance with sustainability in mind. A vCFO helps organizations streamline its financial systems and processes, develop strategic budgets, manage financial risk, raise capital, and figure out exactly what is needed to get from where your business or nonprofit is today to where you would like it to go.
 
(3) WHY
A growing number of nonprofits and social enterprises turn to vCFOs for these reasons:

• They need the expertise that a CFO provides, but they don’t need it full-time.
• Resource constraints make hiring a qualified in-house CFO impossible. (Sorry, Bob. You just cost too much.)
• With so many vCFOs out there, you can find one whose niche is nonprofits or social enterprises and know that they will be experts in the challenges your specific industry faces.
• Unlike a new hire, professional vCFOs are used to jumping into a business mid-stream, so the time it takes for your investments in that role to yield results is 1-3 months instead of 6-12.
• Unbiased, impartial advice is a hallmark of the vCFO. Unlike an in-house staffer, vCFOs make decisions based on data and expertise. Their singular agenda is to make your organization sustainable and successful.

 So to sum up, you can get the expertise you need at a fraction of the cost.
 
(4) WHEN
When to hire a vCFO is something we’ll cover in a future blog, but a different type of when question we get about Blue Fox is: when can we call you? The answer is: anytime. One big bonus of a vCFO is that, in most cases, they are available to support you, ask questions, present at meetings, and generally do whatever you need them to do anytime. 100% uptime, to poach a tech industry phrase. That’s because vCFO firms like ours pair a bookkeeper and a senior accountant on each client’s work. You can always reach someone on your virtual finance team and you’re never left in the lurch. Again, our singular agenda is: support you and your organization to the best of our ability at all times.
 
(5) WHERE & HOW
This is an easy one – outsourced CFOs can be remote and tend to deliver their services through cloud-based technology. It’s actually the recent evolutions in cloud-based accounting tech that make what we do possible – 10 years ago, the tech just wasn’t there. But now we can work with any client anywhere at any time. As a vCFO client, that also means you can pick from the nation’s top service providers, rather than just your local market. You can source vCFOs who specialize in your industry, and they can work for you from anywhere. Video and conference calls bridge the communications gaps, and our cloud-based tools allow us to securely exchange data and provide live, real-time accounting information all day long.
 
Hopefully, now you can see why one of 2020’s hottest business trends will continue to be the rise of the virtual CFO. Your nonprofit or social enterprise can be an early adopter. Start the new year off with fresh and clean books, and the leverage a vCFO can provide to ensure you lead with 20/20 vision for this year and beyond!

Author: Blue Fox Founder & CEO, Chantal Sheehan

If you’re like us, your daily inbox is jam-packed with newsletters and educational opportunities from like-minded social impact leaders. These spectacular humans work around the clock to foster positive change in their communities. Then, somehow, find time to share their story with fellow nonprofit enthusiasts. We tip our hat to them!
 
Here are just a handful of our favorite nonprofit resources this month:
 

• (CONFERENCES) Top 8 Nonprofit Conferences for 2020
• (IT'S PERSONAL) Four Tips to Boost Your Personal Resilience While Doing Nonprofit Work
• (QUICK FACTS) 5 Quick Facts About Artificial Intelligence that Nonprofits Shouldn’t Ignore
• (REPORT) Snapshot of Today's Philanthropic Landscape
• (WORKBOOK) Nonprofit Marketing Best Practices Workbook

 
Thanks for stopping by to read our picks for top nonprofit news this month! If you’re interested in hearing more from us, subscribe to our newsletter today! 

WHY YOU NEED OPERATING RESERVES
 
The news is full of warnings about the next economic downturn and possibly even a recession. Is your nonprofit ready? Is your financial house in order? Is your capital position and structure strong enough to withstand the ebbs and flows of our economic system?
 
Recession aside, does your organization have enough moolah in reserves in case your air conditioner goes out (a catastrophic event in our sunny state of Florida)? And if your funds are used for an unexpected occurrence, will you still have the ability to deliver services in your community? This article is all about shoring up your ability to sustain operations when the unexpected happens (like when your office temp is 88 degrees) internally or externally.
 
First off: do you have an operating reserves policy? If so, when is the last time your leadership team reviewed the policy? If it’s been a while read on as we guide you through the process of building an operating reserves policy, and the implementation and ongoing oversight of that policy. 
​
[ALSO READ: 5 Key Elements You Need in Your Operating Reserves Policy]

According to Propel Nonprofits, “An operating reserve is an unrestricted fund balance set aside to stabilize a nonprofit’s finances by providing a cushion against unexpected events, losses of income, and large unbudgeted expenses.” Likewise, an operating reserve policy is meant to, “define and set goals for reserve funds, clearly describe authorization for use of reserves, and outline requirements for reporting and monitoring.”
 
Our team at Blue Fox hears comments like this all the time, “Yes, we have a policy. I think my operations coordinator found a sample on some website. We presented it to our board a couple years ago and they approved it right away.”
 
Oh boy do comments like that scare us!
 
Look, it’s helpful that your nonprofit found a sample policy on the interwebs for free. But that’s all it is – a sample. A starting point. The very first step in the process.  Your organization is not like others. Your cash flow is different. The diversity of your income varies. And your liquid assets are unlike that of the organization that wrote the sample. Your operating reserve policy should be as unique as your organization, plain and simple.
 
So, let’s talk about the best practices for starting an operating reserves policy. And don’t hesitate to call on the Blue Fox team for advice and support along the way. We want all the organizations in our den to achieve fiscal sustainability and security. We can help assess your financial position today and provide some benchmarks to help you make decisions as you set up your operating reserves for tomorrow. 

HOW TO START AN OPERATING RESERVE
 
As with most strategic decisions, the first step is to broach the conversation with your board and/or finance committee. Your treasurer, in particular, is a good first call. If you already have a policy in place, request a call to discuss revising/refinement of the policy. Most boards are eager to have this discussion because they understand the importance of a rainy-day fund.
 
Once you have board buy-in the next step is to get your collective arms around how much you want to allocate to reserves. When times are good and the bank account is flush it can be tempting to allocate TOO much. (Especially if your organization suffered during the Great Recession.) On the flip side, some leaders skew to saving too little. We want to Goldilocks this thing and get it juuuust right. How?
 
In order to determine the target reserve amount, you’ll want to take a look at your organization’s historic “burn rate” – i.e. how much you spend each month to keep the lights on, pay your staff, and, critically, deliver on your mission. How far back you should go to determine your burn rate can vary, but a good rule of thumb is to look at your average monthly spending for the last 12-24 months. Most accounting software should be able to produce a profit and loss report broken down by month for any given period. That’s the report you want to start with.
 
As you review the data, you’ll next want to back out/offset your expenses by any unusual expenditures that occurred within your report time period. For example: if your organization went through a website redesign over a 6-month period in the last year and it cost $60k, you’re going to want to subtract $60k from the total expenses during that period. The idea here is to back out expenses that won’t be normal and recurring.
 
The next step is to settle on how many months of expenses you want to (or are able to) set aside. Smaller organizations may be comfortable with 1-3 months, or even just enough to cover 1 pay period. Large organizations may take a more aggressive approach to saving and shoot for 12+ months of reserves. No more than 2 years of operating expenses should be held in reserve.
 
We find the sweet spot for most nonprofits is 6-9 months of expenses.
 
Once you have an amount in mind and the data to back it up, propose it to your board/treasurer/finance committee and discuss. With their blessing you can move forward with developing a policy.

TIP: Don’t move any money or add “operating reserves” to your books as a line item until you have an operating reserve policy approved by the board!

 
BEST PRACTICES TO LEVERAGE YOUR RESERVES: THE POLICY ITSELF IS THE KEY
The first step in deriving leverage from your operating reserves is to structure a board approved operating reserve policy for its use. If you have a sample, great. If not, you can easily find one online through a search. We recommend the staff/leadership develop a policy draft and then pass it to the board/finance committee for review, feedback, and approval.
 
We recommend that your policy should have these 5 key elements in order to be fully and appropriately leveraged!

​Once your policy is drafted with solid answers to these questions, you’ll want to put it back in front of your finance committee/board for review and discussion. Policy approval should be unanimous. All board members should be on the same page with this strategic use of capital! If consensus is hard to find, keep working until you get there. What you don’t want is a dramatic, painful moment when you eventually have to use the funds. So bring everyone together on this from the get-go.
 
When you get approval, go ahead and move that money (if you have it) or formalize your procedures for building the fund. Be sure to add the operating reserves to your accounting general ledger, too, so it’s clearly there for all to see.
 
Operational touchstones like operating reserves aren’t sexy, we know. But there is no doubt that, as with our own individual savings accounts, we feel better when we know that emergency fund is there. We feel empowered to move ahead with our lives and financial decisions. We feel confident in our ability to deliver the critical services and support that we do to all our stakeholders and clients. 

If you need assistance starting or updating your operating reserves policy, Blue Fox is happy to consult with your leadership and we will even take those pesky tasks like bookkeeping, payroll and tax prep off your hands. We do that too! Give our friendly team a call any time at (321) 233-3311 or email hello@yourbluefox.com.

Authors: Blue Fox CEO, Chantal Sheehan and Blue Fox Director of Marketing, Chelsea Clementi