Sound financial administration plays only a supporting role to an organization’s true purpose, yet it is a critically important one. Financial mismanagement can damage and even destroy an institution, whether it be a nonprofit, parish or church ministry.

Our goal is to demystify finance and enable students to use financial tools and develop financial strategies that will help their organizations weather economic storms and thrive in an ever-changing environment. Students who complete this course will be able to understand and use the tools of budgeting and financial management to fulfill the missions of their organizations and to make sound personal financial decisions.

This course will address the following topics: a contextual overview of nonprofit and for-profit sectors; governance best-practices; strategic planning as the cornerstone of financial budgeting; operating and capital budgets; tracking actual performance against budget; cost-benefit analysis; time-value of money; capital markets and cash management; personal financial planning. Students completing this course will: (1) gain an understanding of the key differences between nonprofit and for-profit organizations; (2) ratify and implement governance best practices; (3) tie successful financial management to a nonprofit’s mission; (4) build, execute, and track operating and capital budgets; (5) better understand the capital markets; and (6) develop sound practices regarding their own personal finances.