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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For many nonprofits, cybersecurity feels like a luxury they simply can’t afford. But according to Michael Nouguier, Partner of Cybersecurity Services at Richey May, ignoring cybersecurity can end up being far more expensive than proactively investing in it.

Michael dismantles the myth that strong digital security comes with an unaffordable price tag. In fact, many nonprofits already have powerful security tools built into systems they’re already using—yet few take advantage of them. “What’s almost as good as free,” Michael explains, “is something that you’ve already been paying for and didn’t know that you could leverage.”

From free services offered by federal agencies like CISA to deeply discounted nonprofit rates from companies like Microsoft and Google, this conversation uncovers a path to digital protection that doesn’t require massive budget increases. Michael urges nonprofits to start by auditing what they already use. Whether it’s Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, most platforms include underutilized features like multi-factor authentication, access control, and data encryption.

These protections aren't just theoretical—they’re essential. As Michael points out, “You don’t know what to protect if you haven’t actually done an assessment to understand where those risks are.” He encourages leaders to seek out risk assessment tools—many of which are available at no cost—and build a strategy around known vulnerabilities, not guesswork.

The conversation also takes a practical look at automation, which reduces labor costs by removing repetitive security tasks. Many nonprofits mistakenly believe they’re starting from scratch when in reality, they already have a baseline of protections in place—they just need to activate them. Michael shares examples of simple, low-cost ways to improve security posture, including free policy templates and vulnerability scans.

Additionally, he challenges nonprofits to shift their mindset around vendor relationships. Too many organizations fail to ask whether vendors offer nonprofit pricing or security guarantees—questions that could drastically reduce both risk and cost. And when vendors are breached, it’s often the nonprofit that must explain the damage to stakeholders, regardless of fault.

Throughout the session, with host Julia Patrick, the underlying message is clear: cybersecurity isn't about fear—it's about preparedness and resourcefulness. The greatest danger lies not in doing too little, but in assuming you’re too small or stretched to do anything at all.

00:00:00 Welcome and introduction of Michael Nouguier
00:01:30 Why cybersecurity is more expensive to ignore
00:03:10 How accounting firms became cybersecurity leaders
00:05:45 Budgeting vs risk: where to start
00:06:40 Leveraging existing tools like Microsoft and Google
00:08:20 Understanding identity and access integration
00:09:45 Why multi-factor authentication matters
00:11:30 Free services from CISA and others
00:14:10 Asking for nonprofit discounts on software
00:16:25 Why every nonprofit needs

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Dr. Pierre Berastaín, Regional Director at the Centre for Public Impact, invites us into a powerful conversation about leadership, cultural humility, and living with integrity across lines of difference. With warmth and depth, Dr. Berastaín shares how personal identity can be a source of strength in leadership—not something to minimize or check at the door.

"We all lead from a cultural lens, whether we name it or not," Dr. Berastaín explains. "The danger isn’t bringing your culture into leadership—the danger is bringing it in unconsciously and expecting it to be the norm for everyone."

Dr. Berastaín’s personal journey fuels his systems change work. His role at CPI—a nonprofit incubated by Boston Consulting Group—blends macro strategy with community-rooted implementation. The goal: reimagine how governments and public institutions serve people, especially those pushed to the margins.

At the heart of this discussion is an honest reckoning with cultural difference and a plea to bring one's full self into leadership. “Cultural humility isn’t about shrinking yourself,” he shares. “It’s about knowing yourself well enough to make room for others.”

The conversation explores what it means to acknowledge culture without stereotyping, the impact of asking, “What are you?” and how silence—intended to be safe—can sometimes feel like erasure. Dr. Berastaín advocates for “relational warmth before analytical interest,” encouraging listeners to shift from tokenizing curiosity to reciprocal connection.

He also offers practical tools for introspection: therapy, spiritual grounding, and forming a “personal board of directors” who challenge and support growth. These elements, he says, are vital in cultivating not only emotional intelligence but the capacity to lead with vision.

By the end of the chat, with host Julia Patrick, it’s clear that Dr. Berastaín’s leadership is not performative—it is personal, deliberate, and anchored in truth. And he challenges all of us to ask: What are we carrying into the room?

This episode is a must-watch for nonprofit professionals, board leaders, and changemakers looking to lead with depth and humanity in today’s increasingly complex world.

00:00:00 Guest intro: Dr. Pierre Berastaín
00:01:30 What is the Center for Public Impact?
00:03:45 Pierre’s story: identity, ancestry, and lived experience
00:05:15 From direct service to systems change
00:07:00 Cultural humility and leadership lens
00:09:20 The beauty and burden of collectivist values
00:11:00 Personal growth through therapy and accountability
00:13:30 Aligning personal and organizational values
00:16:00 When to acknowledge cultural differences
00:18:00 The problem with silent observation
00:20:00 “What are you?”—Responding to coded curiosity
00:25:00 Stories, lineage, and reclaiming culture
00:27:45 Wrapping up: Leadership with integrity

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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