Calm, Clarity, Cash Flow: Nonprofit Financial Survival Tools for Today

Paul Preziotti, CPA and partner at Johnson Lambert, joins co-hosts Julia Patrick and Meico Marquette Whitlock to provide a grounded, real-time financial snapshot of the nonprofit sector in 2025. As Paul begins, “Each month, it’s like, oh, that happened… now that happened,” capturing the fast-moving nature of today’s funding landscape.

The hosts and guest explore lessons learned from past crises and how nonprofits must evolve their planning models, including annual board and staff financial trainings, contingency-based budgets, and integrating cash flow analysis into strategic decision-making. Paul emphasizes that scenario planning is not a one-time task, but an organizational mindset: “You can’t do this overnight… you need to build in review time at all levels—starting with the board.”

The conversation digs deep into scenario planning—why it’s essential, and how it gives nonprofits a flexible roadmap when the future is uncertain. Gone are the days of assuming government funding is reliable. Preziotti says, “Even if your agency isn’t one of the ones in the news, I think you have to think about a scenario in the future where that funding doesn’t exist.”

The trio also address the communication gap between finance professionals and non-financial staff or board members. Paul and Meico discuss creating a budgeting culture that empowers all roles with the right knowledge and confidence to engage in financial discussions—without fear of judgment—adding that staying calm and building a supportive tone at the top helps organizations weather instability with resilience.

Outsourcing is presented as a flexible and cost-efficient solution, especially for smaller nonprofits. Whether outsourcing payroll, the CFO role, or just the budget process, it’s all about customizing help where it's most needed e.g.tailoring financial communication for diverse board members, using dashboards, infographics, or narrative reporting as appropriate.

00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:01:52 Meet Paul Preziotti from Johnson Lambert
00:03:14 Nonprofit Budget and Funding Uncertainty in 2025
00:05:22 Why Scenario Planning Matters for Nonprofits
00:07:18 Lessons Learned from COVID and Natural Disasters
00:08:54 What Non-Financial Board Members Should Know
00:11:14 How Smaller Nonprofits Can Manage Scenario Planning
00:12:00 Outsourcing Financial Roles as a Cost-Saving Strategy
00:14:50 Building a Culture of Budgeting and Communication
00:17:23 Training Financial Staff to Communicate Clearly
00:21:02 How to Communicate Finances to the Board
00:23:35 What Boards Should Really Focus On Financially
00:25:44 How to Stay Calm During Financial Uncertainty
00:28:16 Sector-Wide Warnings and Final Thoughts

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