Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership
Looking for your next nonprofit job? Want to lead a nonprofit organization? Dr. Patton McDowell (www.pmanonprofit.com) brings the best in nonprofit career development to each episode, helping you find the perfect nonprofit opportunity and guiding you along the path to senior leadership in the philanthropic sector. Patton brings 30 years of nonprofit leadership, coaching and consulting experience, and shares best practices for individual and organizational success based on his work with over 250 nonprofit organizations and their staff and board leaders. Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership features more than 120 interviews with nonprofit leaders and philanthropy experts, as well as deep-dive solo episodes and other special editions. Hit subscribe, and accelerate your journey on a nonprofit career path that can change your life. Learn more at: https://www.podpage.com/your-path-to-nonprofit-leadership/
Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership
351: Five Finance Skills Every Nonprofit Leader Needs (Stephen Newland)
351: Five Finance Skills Every Nonprofit Leader Needs (Stephen Newland)
SUMMARY
Many nonprofit leaders step into their roles with deep passion for mission, but far less confidence when it comes to finance. In this episode, Stephen Newland, founder of MoneyPath FP&A, breaks down five essential finance skills every nonprofit leader must develop to lead with confidence, reduce risk, and sustain impact. Stephen explains why financial uncertainty is so common in the sector, how organizational growth often triggers financial overwhelm, and why leaders can no longer rely on a simple “there’s money in the bank” mindset. He introduces the idea of cash flow as organizational oxygen, and shares practical ways to forecast cash, use the budget as a strategic tool, and prepare for both downside risk and upside opportunity. The conversation also tackles one of the most persistent nonprofit tensions - restricted versus unrestricted funding - and offers clear guidance on how to tell the financial story in ways boards and donors actually understand. Stephen closes with a powerful reminder: financial confidence doesn’t start with spreadsheets - it starts with curiosity.
ABOUT STEPHEN
Stephen Newland, CMA is the founder of MoneyPath FP&A, where he provides fractional CFO services to growing nonprofits—most often in the $1M–$10M revenue range. He helps nonprofit leaders save time, reduce financial stress, and make confident decisions through better forecasting, reporting, and financial storytelling. Stephen’s background includes corporate finance, startup advising, and leading a large-scale financial education program—experience that shaped his ability to translate complex financial concepts into practical, mission-aligned leadership tools.
RESOURCES & LINKS
- MoneyPath (free tools, cash flow templates, nonprofit discounts)
- Stephen Newland on LinkedIn
- Book recommendation: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Follow the Podcast
- Learn more about the PMA & Armstrong McGuire merger!