Budgeting & Finance

BDO FMA

BDO FMA is dedicated to helping nonprofits and foundations strengthen their financial and operational health. Emerson Collective will provide funding for the cost for a team member from your organization to attend a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) Essentials or Advanced workshop. Three-day, in-person courses are offered in several cities. A virtual, live, seven-week webinar course is also available.

The specialized hands-on curriculum encompasses basic and intermediate nonprofit accounting. It includes in-depth training on more advanced issues, such as internal controls, and budgeting for nonprofit organizations.

Subjects and focus areas:

• Financial Reporting

• Budget Development

• Governance

• IRS Form 990

Because of the content of these courses, we recommend that the team member who attends be focused on the financial or operational health of your organization.

Please note:

• There are no prerequisites for the Essentials course (while the Essentials course is required before a participant enrolls in the Advanced course). All finance- and operations-focused team members are welcome to enroll, regardless of prior experience levels.

• Though the courses culminate in an exam and certification, these components are entirely optional. We recommend signing up for a CNAP course even if a team member is not interested in formal credentialing. If a team member is interested in the formal certification, the exam’s governing body—Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional—requires proof of 18 or more months of experience in a fiscal-management capacity at a nonprofit organization prior to certification.

FUNDING

Emerson Collective will provide funding for one (1) workshop registration, taking place in 2025, up to $995 (this will allow you to choose between the virtual course for $795 or the in-person course for $995).

If you choose to attend an in-person course, note that we do not provide funding for travel, hotel, or ancillary costs.

NEXT STEPS

• Sign up for one CNAP Essentials or Advanced workshop offered by BDO FMA, either virtual or in person. We will provide funding for up to $995 for this course, which must take place in 2025.

• Pay for the course using your organization’s funds. Grants are directed to the organization, not an individual; please manage accordingly.

• Please click here to submit for funding.
  
  
  
  
  

FINANCIAL RESILIENCY PRIMERS

To help support partners exploring choices around cash flow operations and banking institutions, we have partnered with BDO FMA on two resource documents. 

"Strategies for Cash Management"

• A primer on resilient cash flow operations.

• This resource shares guidance to help you effectively manage your cash to meet both your operating and security needs. 

• The primer also contains additional tools, like a guide to develop a cash reserves policy and a template to project organizational cash flows.

"Assessing Your Banking Relationships" 

• A primer on evaluating banking relationships.

• This resource shares an overview of types of banks to consider, questions to ask when evaluating a banking partner, and how to assess your bank exposure.

Each primer also includes links to additional references and resources.