Bridgestar - An Initiative of the Bridgespan Group

About the Nonprofit Chief Financial Officer

These articles have been specially selected to give an overview of the role of the nonprofit chief financial officer (CFO) and all its complexities. As you contemplate becoming a CFO yourself or hiring one for your organization we hope these tools and resources are a useful guide.

The Nonprofit Chief Financial Officer
In this era of increased scrutiny of financial performance and reporting, greater accountability to the public trust, and rapid growth in the size and complexity of individual organizations, many nonprofits are focusing on the chief financial officer (CFO) function. What exactly are the roles and responsibilities of the nonprofit CFO? What unique challenges do nonprofit CFOs face and what are their keys to success? How do the challenges and success factors vary depending on the size and type of organization?

CFO Career Paths

Jessica Zander: Wearing Multiple Hats at The Steppingstone Foundation
Jessica Zander, Director of Finance and Administration at The Steppingstone Foundation, wears more than a few hats in this $4 million organization, an experience typical of many CFOs of smaller nonprofits. 

Mike Dunn, CPA: Consolidating Financial Operations at Outward Bound Inc.
Mike Dunn used his experience merging three geographically dispersed family-owned businesses to become a key player in the consolidation of seven independent, regional Outward Bound schools into one national organization.

Phil Cunliffe: Transitioning from Money Management to Helping the Poor and Disenfranchised
Phil Cunliffe, a successful investment manager, was surprised to find how much he loved the interim leadership role he’d assumed at a small nonprofit. He became the director of financial services at the $17 million nonprofit St. Anthony Foundation in 1998 and has been helping people who are poor or disenfranchised ever since.