Summary
The ultimate goal of a Sarbanes Oxley-like focus on nonprofit organizations' financial function could be to take advantage of a key organizational resource capable of making a larger contribution. Creating stronger, more-efficient, mission-focused nonprofits requires an exploration of the relationship between the financial function, embodied by the CFO, and the programmatic function. The CFO is in a unique position to contribute to the organizational big picture. The CFO may be the only person, other than the executive director, who makes decisions, forms perspectives, or analyzes data based on information from the entire organization. To synthesize, create, and articulate the financial and organizational big picture, the CFO may have to draw on possibly dormant skills, capabilities, and interests. Given the potential conflict between the finance and program areas, positive outcomes for one department don't necessarily mean positive outcomes for the other -- or for the organization. The author's personal experience leads to him to the conclusion that the programmatic and financial functions of nonprofit organizations need to work closely together.
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Extract
Nonprofit Cfos
The advent of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) era in nonprofit governance is often interpreted to mean a phalanx of bookkeepers accurately accounting for every organizational penny, and keeping all interested parties informed in a timely manner. Unfortunately, if that performance measurement determines whether new legislation or organizational financial oversight is successful, then an interesting opportunity will have been missed. Viewed more broadly, the ultimate goal of a SOX-like focus on nonprofit organizations' financial function could be to take advantage of a key organizational resource capable of making a larger contribution. Creating stronger, more-efficient, missionfocused nonprofits requires an exploration of the relationship between the financial function, embodied by the CFO, and the programmatic function.
The 'Big Picture' OutcomeNonprofit organizations want to fulfill...See the full content of this document
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