It’s more than just training, it’s a cohort of peer support.

Building your leadership foundation.

Financial decisions impact every aspect of a nonprofit’s operations and are key to achieving your mission.

Effective nonprofit financial leadership is much more than simply tracking revenue and expenses. It requires a diverse set of skills and experiences, including budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and a thorough understanding of your organization’s finance model. There are a variety of finance models available to nonprofits, so how do you know the one that is right for your organization?

Assessing your organization’s finance model is one area of focus for Nonprofit Financial Leadership Academy, a 7-week course designed by seasoned nonprofit professionals for new executive directors, executive directors needing to refresh their financial leadership toolkit, program and development directors, and emerging organizational leaders. 

Each week we discuss a different topic and present an interactive forum to understand nonprofit financial management concepts and practices. You will dig into effective strategies for nonprofit financial planning and management. You can read the course outline here.

What you’ll learn:

  • Become a financial leader

  • Overcome your fears about managing your organization’s or department’s finances

  • Learn how to make strategic financial decisions

  • Make connections with other nonprofit professionals

  • Develop financial equity in decision-making and where you spend your resources

  • Clarify roles and responsibilities of executive and board leadership

  • Complete an assessment of the financial health of your organization

What you get

  • Seven 3-hour live classes.

  • Participants have access to their training videos for one year.

  • Cohort attendees, in addition to the class presentations and recordings of the classes, participants also receive a financial toolkit that contains over 100+ resources, samples, templates, and much more.

  • Weekly office hours give participants a space to problem solve and workshop applying class learnings.

Get Started

Who is a financial leader?

Nonprofit finance touches every aspect of our work and everyone at a nonprofit has a role to play. This academy is designed for all levels of financial experience and leadership levels within an organization. Participants include:

  • Executive Directors

  • Program Managers and Directors

  • Program Staff

  • Development Staff

  • Board Members

  • Future Nonprofit Leaders

The ideal candidate for NFLA is an Executive Director or senior staff member with a role in managing your nonprofit’s finances but who doesn’t have a formal finance background. The ideal candidate also wants to grow professionally and deepen their understanding of the finance function of their organization.

“DEI was not in our budgeting conversation two years ago. I hadn’t realized we had to budget for it.”

~OCADSV Training Participant

Graduate Credit Opportunity

Graduates of the Nonprofit Financial Leadership Academy (NFLA) can now earn graduate credit toward Pacific University’s Master of Nonprofit Leadership (MNL) program. NFLA completers are eligible for 2 graduate credits through Pacific’s Credit for Prior Learning pathway.

If you’ve ever thought about pursuing an advanced degree in nonprofit leadership, this is your moment. Pacific’s MNL program offers flexible online learning, small cohorts, and a curriculum built around real-world impact.

Learn more: https://www.pacificu.edu/nonprofit-leadership