Balancing the Mission Checkbook

Worrying about cash shortfalls is, without a doubt, at the top of the list of stressors for nonprofit directors and finance managers. In this situation, everyone’s dream is to have a stash of cash - a cash reserve account set aside to tap at a moment’s notice to solve the problem. I’m reluctant to endorse a universal standard for reserves, but there are “rules of thumb” and accepted practices calling for nonprofits to hold reserves of three to six months of operating expenses. Well it turns out that this “best practice” is a practice in theory only for many nonprofits.

A study by the Urban Institute, reported in the Washington Post this week, Nonprofits Imperiled By Low Reserves found that 57% of the Washington area nonprofits studies had less than three months of reserves, and 28% had none. The June 2009 Nonprofit Current Conditions Report published by Minnesota Council of Nonprofits found new cash flow concerns caused by slower payments from county and state agencies. Surveys in Minnesota have found that at least 35% of nonprofits anticipate cash flow problems this year and 30% have one month or less of operating reserves. Low reserves and cash flow problems are not restricted to small or struggling nonprofits - it’s a widespread management challenge. The Urban Institute study contained an interesting finding, according to the Post article:

According to the study, larger groups were less likely to have sufficient operating reserves than smaller ones, a finding that surprised researchers. Seventy percent of charities with expenses over $5 million had low operating reserves, compared with 50 percent of groups with less than $100,000 in expenses.

This shouldn’t be that surprising when you do the arithmetic. Imagine that you run a nonprofit with an $8 million annual budget. Maintaining a three month reserve would require a $2 million cash account. That’s (a) a big number and (b) very difficult to build up in the low surplus, service delivery model of most nonprofits. Rather than dwelling on the best practice or target for designated cash reserve accounts, maybe nonprofits need to learn to be more sophisticated managers of cash and its relative, working capital. This financial concept was described well by Ben Cameron of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation last week in a Chronicle of Philanthropy live online discussion, The Changing Role of Foundations.

Ben Cameron:
Most businesses recognize the need for ongoing working capital–it’s the heart of funds that allow a business to make strategic decisions around launching a new program or line of business, investing in a new facility, etc. I have been in discussions with some business executives who have been adamantly opposed to general operating support for arts organizations–thinking it gives organizations free license to be unstrategic and undisciplined–but instantly supportive of flexible working capital. In essence, the purposes are the same–the difference is in how the two terms are heard.

I’ve been advocating for better understanding of Nonprofit Capital for years. In the “nonprofits should be like business” debate, this is the one area where we do have a lot to learn. There aren’t many businesses that strive to hold a three month cash reserve account. That would be viewed poorly, in fact, because it’s an inefficient use of capital.

For peek at how the very largest and most sophisticated nonprofits solve a cash flow problem, read about how Dartmouth Joins Harvard, Princeton in Tapping Credit Markets. Because of the drop in endowments, Bloomberg reported that Dartmouth College just issued $250 million of 10-year notes “for liquidity and general working capital,” according to Julie Dolan, associate vice-president for fiscal affairs at Dartmouth.

Learn to love these words: Working Capital.

For years I’ve wished that the programs of the Small Business Administration (SBA) were available to nonprofit organizations. The SBA is all about strengthening the country’s economy, and as a business banker the SBA was at the top of my list of resources for entrepreneurs as they started and grew their businesses. When I made the change to work exclusively with nonprofit organizations I was disappointed to lose access to those programs. Nonprofits are businesses, after all, with a significant role in employing people and generating economic activity. Minnesota Council of Nonprofit’s Minnesota Nonprofit Economy Report for 2008 reports that nonprofit employees represent about 10% of the states’ workforce, paying $12 billion in wages.

What I’ve missed most were the Small Business Development Centers that offer workshops and one on one help and the SBA loan programs that provide crucial growth funding. In a way, Nonprofits Assistance Fund and other capacity building organizations have filled this role for nonprofits.

Potential Nonprofit Resources

I’m very glad to know that the beginnings of some new resources for growing strong nonprofits are contained within the Serve America Act, passed in the last week in both a Senate version and House version. The President is expected to sign it next week. The amendment that creates a new program for nonprofit capacity building is summarized here by Independent Sector.

Housed within the Corporation for National and Community Service, the bill authorizes $25 million over five years to provide organizational development assistance to small and mid-size nonprofit organizations, in particular to “strengthen small charities around our country, especially where resources are scarce.”

I’m hopeful that we can get these resources out in the community soon, focused on building strong community organizations that know how to balance mission and management. I’ll keep waiting for an SBA loan program for nonprofit businesses. In the meantime, if you are in Minnesota and need working capital or a line of credit, Nonprofits Assistance Fund’s loan fund is here.

Maybe it’s a holdover from my former life as a banker, but I often read the business section of the paper first (yes, I still like to hold an actual printed newspaper in my hand). Lately, of course, there is news almost every day about job cuts at some of the best known national and local companies. Some recent examples are Caterpillar, Starbucks, SuperValu, Best Buy, and M & I Bank. As you can see from this list losses are occurring in all industries. Unemployment in Minnesota hit 6.9% in December and is clearly getting worse.

How does this impact Minnesota’s nonprofits?

When people lose income and important benefits they turn to the state’s nonprofits for assistance with everything from food and shelter, support and counseling, and job search and retraining. As reported in Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ Current Conditions Report published in December 2008, 42% of surveyed organizations reported increased demand for services. But over 50% of the nonprofits also reported actual and anticipated decreases in income.

If service demand goes up and income goes down, where are the reports of job cuts at nonprofits? There have been a few reports locally and nationally including American Red Cross Twin Cities, Neighborhood House, Metropolitan Opera, and Harlem Children’s Zone. I know, though, that there are many more organizations that have already made staff reductions or that will have to make some cuts because of their budget shortfalls. One reason that we don’t read about it every day is the different requirements and expectations for disclosure between publicly traded companies and nonprofits.

But I think that many nonprofits feel that speaking openly about cuts is their “family business” and are afraid that it reflects poorly on management and the board. There is actually an odd dynamic at work now - more calls and emails from recently laid- off corporate people who would like to “explore a shift” into the nonprofit sector. As a “shifter” myself I can’t be too cynical, but I’ve got to tell the truth about their prospects right now. (I encourage volunteering.)

Nonprofits are Businesses

I’m starting to think that nonprofits need to be much more public about their staff reductions. At the same time that the community needs nonprofits to provide more and more help and support, income of all types for nonprofits is declining. Let’s not hide the reality that there will be an impact from these changes. The recession is impacting corporations and nonprofits alike.

For years I’ve been a part of discussions about how the public doesn’t understand how nonprofits work. Now is the time to start the tutorial. By being open we can educate the community about how the business of nonprofits actually works - the complex web of financial and volunteer resources, staff and program costs, and role in the economy as service provider and employer.

I like the logo of the V3 Campaign - Nonprofits Are Businesses. It’s an effort to educate the general public about the economic impact of nonprofit organizations.

What do you think? Is it risky to announce cutbacks and program reductions, or could these news stories ultimately strengthen understanding and support for the sector?

It’s not a surprise that I talk to a lot of nonprofits about the current economic environment. We’re all looking for any insight, advice, and guidance. Recently, I’ve been paraphrasing one of my favorite leadership quotes because it fits the moment perfectly - the Stockdale Paradox.  To paraphrase:

You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.

Vice Admiral James Stockdale was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for seven years. When asked by Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, how he survived, he described balancing hope and realism. Stockdale said that the optimists didn’t survive capture because they told themselves that release was right around the corner and they died “of a broken heart.”

What nonprofits can learn from this philosophy is to maintain the conviction that their work in the community is essential, vital, and will be valued. Carry this passion with you in advocacy, fundraising, and communications as you tell your story and share the impact. At the same time, confront the brutal facts of economic downturn and budget cuts by being disciplined about financial information, contingency budgets (with multiple scenarios) and cautious use of reserves. I’m afraid that the optimists who approach next year with an upbeat attitude that funding will arrive “because it just has to” will be the ones that fail. The survivors will commit to and believe in their mission and be realistic in their decisions.

This is also a good time to leverage the networks in which your organization operates. Nonprofits work together in many ways, and will be called upon to increase network activities for both mission and financial reasons. At the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ Nonprofit Fundraising and Economic Outlook forum this morning several organizations shared their experience working with peers and community to navigate the downturn. MCN also released the Nonprofit Current Conditions Report based on a survey conducted just this month. This report gives us some real time information about the immediacy of the impact of this recession on nonprofits and their clients. All of this information, research, and peer conversations will be important - and remember to be confident, hopeful, and honest.

My first blog entry this year, What about the economy?, posted on January 10, 2008, began with this comment:

“Reading the headlines reflecting concerns and jitters about the direction of the economy is causing leaders of nonprofits to ask how it will affect their organizations. For some people, a state of worry has set in.”

We can now say with certainty that all nonprofit leaders share a deep concern about the rest of this year and the prospects for the next couple of years. In that same blog post I encouraged organizations to understand their income mix and focus on what they could learn about the trends affecting their dominant income sources. Different income sources typically have different triggers and cycles. Foundation grantmaking, for example, changes at a slower pace than individual contributions because foundations calculate their endowment “payout” based on average balances over two years or more, while individuals make giving choices partially based on how confident they feel right now.

A lot has been written, and will be written, about the impact of the economy on nonprofits. Some hopeful news comes from the Philanthropy Journal’s article Past sheds light on recession giving, which notes that overall giving doesn’t drop as much as you might fear. Other stories, however, add to the worry, such as A gloomy giving outlook about corporate giving. I sympathize with the reporters who are writing these stories, though, because the real answer to questions about how the current economic environment is affecting nonprofits is “We don’t know yet.” Every week brings more questions and we all hope that the direction for the future will start to be clearer after the election.

On top of everything else, now is the time for all nonprofits to pay attention to developments that will impact the state budget next year. The forecast doesn’t look good according to the Minnesota Budget Bites blog. State funding dominates for human services, education, and many health care organizations, and it is important for many other nonprofits. This is the time and place to prepare for policy discussions, and you need to be a part of them. It’s easy to stay up to date through the blog and other information and meetings sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

Because of this uncertainty, and the fact that all the indicators look weak, what had been concern has risen to the point of anxiety.  Emily Saunoi-Sandgren, who blogs at the Humphrey Institute’s new pubTalk blog, wrote Much ado about the economy last week looking for signs that these challenges might lead to some bigger ideas and discussions. Yes, it is time for some big discussions (such as the conversation around public policy and the state budget). Unfortunately, the reality for many nonprofits is that they need to be very cautious and careful.

I’m being blunt here, and it makes me feel like a depressing economics professor, but I have a lot of conversations with nonprofits that don’t have a lot of reserves and so their options are limited. So what’s a nonprofit to do?  Here are some fundamental steps you can take:

• Dig in to analyze what income is reliable and what is not.
• Understand the costs of delivering programs and services.
• Keep close track of increases in demand for services and how much of that increase is driven by the same economic factors.
• Scrutinize any plans for expansion carefully until you are confident that the funding is available to fully support the expansion.
• Double check every assumption.

Reading the headlines reflecting concerns and jitters about the direction of the economy is causing leaders of nonprofits to ask how it will affect their organizations. For some people, a state of worry has set in. I can see why. Today, the StarTribune posted this article on their website, “Chairman Bernanke says Fed ready to cut interest rates again as needed.” The article predicts further cuts to key interest rates “to rescue a weakening economy.” Factors cited included the unemployment rate, weak real estate, tightening credit, and high energy prices. What’s a nonprofit leader to do? Anyone who has worked for a nonprofit for more than three years has experience with a tough economy, so many directors and managers will be well prepared to respond to lean times. But how worried should you be right now and what are your concerns? I think it’s worth a review of the causes and effects that may have a direct impact on your nonprofit organization.

The key is to understand your income mix. There are essentially five distinct sources of nonprofit income and each income source expands or contracts depending on different factors in the economy. If you understand the sources of income that are most important to your organization, then you can focus on following movements and trends that will matter. One overall trend to keep in mind is that the “nonprofit economy” tends to lag the general economy by about a year. Here are some ideas for trend watching the economy.

Program service revenue, or payment for directly providing services, is the largest total source of income for nonprofits. Income from contracts for service, especially from government agencies, is determined based on tax receipts and state and local budgets. We know how many reductions occurred a few years ago and most of these sources haven’t rebounded. If this is your primary income source, the keys are the reports from the state and the budget process. You can track these through the Minnesota Budget Project. To survive with contracts, it’s important to understand the true costs of delivering the services (which is probably not the amount you are paid for delivering the services) and having your eyes open about the need for additional subsidy - and where to get it.

Program service revenue that is paid directly by the user of the service - like tuition, memberships, tickets, and fees – is a lot like business income and reacts to market downturns depending on the buying power of your customer. If your service is considered discretionary, like entertainment, then consumer spending is worth tracking by reading the business section of the paper.

If foundation grants are an important component of your income, watch the stock market. Because endowment payouts are calculated in a way that evens out big increases and decreases, there is no reason to expect a big decrease in 2008. However, pay attention to the excellent surveys and analysis from Minnesota Council on Foundation including Grantmaking Outlook and Giving in Minnesota. If the market performs poorly over time, some reductions in grants could develop. Keep in mind, though, that even with the poor market performance several years ago, grants from Minnesota foundations have increased total dollars almost every year (more details in the MCF reports). If your endowment is an important source of income, the same market trends described above apply.

For nonprofits that rely on individual donors it’s a mixed bag of economic news. This recent online discussion about the Outlook for 2008 hosted by the Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights some opportunities for planned giving and large gifts that transcend the economy, and emphasize the importance of relationships and communications in maintaining a building a donor base.

So don’t assume the worst or start a chorus of woe about the poor economy. Yes, there will be challenges, but you can understand how economic trends will affect your nonprofit. Knowledge is power and will help you anticipate and plan for any changes.