What are the characteristics of the ideal nonprofit CFO?
We asked a focus group of six nonprofit EDs to describe the ideal nonprofit CFO. They listed the following traits (in no particular order): • Is knowledgeable, detailed, and precise. • Can educate the ED patiently about the organization’s finances and their implications and keep the ED engaged in financial matters. • Is able to educate program staff patiently about their program finances and to keep them accountable for financial performance. • Is passionate about the mission of the organization. • Is very nice but very strong; is not overly aggressive. • Performs other duties (e.g., human resources, technology, legal, and facilities) as needed. • Works well across variety of functions, programs, and people. • Understands nonprofits, budget models, and contracts in depth. • Builds strong relationships with funders and, if possible, brings preexisting funder relationships to the organization. • Communicates in a transparent fashion. • Exercises good judgment in the midst of much ambigui
