Building a nonprofit finance function

At Aria CFO Services, we’ve had the opportunity to work with 400+ NGOs—ranging from large to small, with geography spanning urban to rural, with focus on national to grassroots level. If there’s one thing we’ve consistently seen, it’s that finance is often the most under-invested function, especially in the early years of an NGO’s lifecycle. It’s completely understandable. When you’re focused on impact and outcomes, field operations, managing programs, raising funds, and building your team, finance often becomes something you “figure out as you go”. But here's what we’ve learnt. The way you set up your finance function can directly impact your ability to fundraise and build trust with donors, grow, and stay compliant. In that sense, it’s a mission critical function. How it usually starts: One person, many hats In the early stages of most NGOs, one person—usually an accountant—is expected to manage everything. And while it might be manageable for a while, as the organization grows—more