Nonprofit financial leaders are being asked to do more with less, manage rising risk, and still advance mission with confidence. Dr. Stephanie Rose-Belcher, COO of JMT Consulting, provides a forward-looking conversation on FinTech forecasts and what nonprofit executives must be preparing for now.

Dr. Rose-Belcher reframes finance as the operational backbone of nonprofit leadership, not a barrier. She opens by addressing cybersecurity, urging leaders to view it as a governance, compliance, and financial responsibility rather than an IT task. “This is not an IT issue. This is an everybody issue,” she explains, placing accountability squarely with executive leadership and boards. With donor data, financial systems, and integrated platforms increasingly interconnected, leaders must treat cyber readiness as an enterprise-wide business risk.

From there, the discussion moves to platform strategy. Rather than promoting a one-size-fits-all solution, Dr. Rose-Belcher challenges nonprofit leaders to take ownership of their technology ecosystem. The responsibility, she explains, is not simply to buy tools, but to understand workflows, integrations, return on investment, and the operational change required to realize value. Finance leaders, often serving as what she calls “accidental technologists,” must either develop this fluency or intentionally bring in expert guidance.

Predictive analytics emerges as a defining leadership capability for 2026. Dr. Rose-Belcher encourages nonprofit financial teams to move beyond static annual budgets toward rolling forecasts and scenario planning. By modeling funding shifts, cost changes, and operational risks throughout the year, finance teams can elevate their role from record-keeping to strategic decision support.

Talent constraints also surface as a pressing leadership challenge. With fewer trained accountants entering the field and nonprofit compensation pressures persisting, leaders must focus on skill development, retention, and creative workforce pipelines. Dr. Rose-Belcher shares how JMT is investing in long-term intern programs to strengthen the sector as a whole.

The episode closes with a powerful leadership message: finance teams must act as strategic partners and educators across the organization. “We consider finance the enabler of the mission, not the blocker,” Dr. Rose-Belcher notes—a mindset shift that can transform silos into shared stewardship.

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

We sit down with Keith Mestrich, Senior Advisor of Nonprofit and Foundation Partnerships at Crescent Cares, for a great nonprofit business conversation. As nonprofit leaders step into a new year filled with uncertainty and rapid change, Keith offers a clear message: finance isn’t a back-office function to tolerate—it’s one of the strongest tools a nonprofit has to stay steady, make smarter decisions, and keep programs moving when conditions shift.

Keith shares that early in his nonprofit CFO journey, he drew a firm line about how the role should operate: “As the CFO, I’m a full partner, just like any of your other programmatic partners are.” That idea sets the tone for the discussion. When finance is treated as an equal partner—connected to program strategy, staffing, and planning—leaders gain visibility into what’s possible, what’s risky, and what’s sustainable. Keith also explains why finance is often sidelined in the sector: many nonprofit executives rise through program excellence and suddenly inherit budgets, banking, insurance, and reporting—without ever being trained for the business mechanics.

From there, the conversation shifts to technology decisions that can protect both time and dollars. Keith uses a simple example that lands with almost every organization: paper checks. Moving payments and processes into modern systems can increase speed, reduce cost, strengthen tracking, and lower exposure to fraud. He also points to the growing potential of analytical tools and AI to strengthen forecasting—helping leaders anticipate cash-flow pinch points and plan ahead instead of reacting late.

Scenario planning becomes another centerpiece, and Keith keeps it approachable: you don’t have to create a plan for every possible situation. Focus on two major categories—key personnel changes and major financial impacts—and walk through what you would do if something shifted quickly. He emphasizes that this is a management responsibility, while boards should ensure it’s happening and revisited regularly.

Finally, Keith reframes risk management as something that supports confident leadership, not fear. As he puts it, “The bad guys know that our sector isn’t as sharp… They target us.” Reviewing insurance, cyber readiness, and coverage levels isn’t glamorous—but it’s part of protecting the mission with the same care you bring to programs.

#TheNonprofitShow #Nonprofitboards #NonprofitFinance

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show

In the nonprofit world, “funding” is often treated like a finish line. But in this conversation, Gloria Dixon—Executive Director and Director of Philanthropy at the BECU Foundation—frames it as something more useful: a long-term business relationship built on trust, clarity, and shared accountability.

Gloria begins with BECU’s origin story, rooted in cooperative problem-solving: in 1935, Boeing employees pooled money in a tin box so colleagues could buy the tools they needed to work. That same “people helping people” ethos still shapes how BECU shows up today—through products and services, employee volunteerism, and philanthropic partnerships designed to strengthen community financial health.

From there, the discussion moves into what many nonprofits are feeling right now: shifts in funding, rising uncertainty, and the need to adjust strategy without losing momentum. Gloria makes the business case for longer-term, larger-dollar commitments—because multi-year stability gives nonprofits room to plan, staff, and deliver outcomes instead of living in perpetual fundraising churn. She explains trust-based philanthropy as a power shift that respects expertise closest to the work: “We have to trust them to do the work…give them the funding they need… and then just get out their way so they can do the best work.”

That mindset shows up in BECU Foundation’s approach to grants. Instead of long, technical applications, Gloria’s team prioritizes conversation and relationship—practical for a small staff overseeing partnerships with nearly 300 nonprofits annually, and aligned with how trust actually gets built. Reporting expectations, she explains, vary by the size and structure of the partnership—light-touch for small, one-time support, and more defined reporting for multi-year agreements.

Perhaps the most refreshing business lesson is Gloria’s view of “competition.” In her words: “There is no competition, never.” The goal isn’t brand ownership—it’s maximizing community outcomes. BECU also adds value beyond checks: their name can signal credibility to other funders, they share partner insights across philanthropic networks, and they even play matchmaker—connecting senior executives to nonprofit board opportunities when leadership talent is needed.

Find us Live daily on YouTube!

Find us Live daily on LinkedIn!

Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_Show

Our national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!
12:30pm ET 11:30am CT 10:30am MT 9:30am PT

Send us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: HelpDesk@AmericanNonprofitAcademy.com
Visit us on the web:The Nonprofit Show