Not-for-profit Finance Week | This Week’s Blog | Upcoming Events | Finance Tips From Julie | Fancy a Coffee?
Hi there – thanks for checking out my latest Good Governance Newsletter!
Because you are here, I know you understand the importance of good governance and effective leadership within our not-for-profits, and I know that you want to do everything YOU can to guide your organisation in the right direction.
And to support you with that, through my Good Governance Newsletters, I aim to bring to you valuable information and updates, happenings and events, and my favourite tips and tricks, to help you do just that!
So go grab yourself a cuppa, and take a moment out of your day to check out what I have to share with you this week…
Read on for:
- Not-for-profit Finance Week with Our Community
- My latest Blog – A Bit About Me: My Life as a Digital Nomad
- What’s Coming Up – September & October
Wednesday 3rd September – Webinar: 10 tips for Better Strategy Planning
Thursday 4th September – Training: Valuing our Volunteers
Thursday 2nd October – Training: Strategy Planning for NFPs - Finance Tips from Julie – Understanding Financial Ratios: A Simple Guide for NFPs
- Connect with me – Want to be part of my 50 Coffees challenge?
I’m so glad you have found me and all the resources I share via my newsletters and emails.
I am sure I will have something to help you in the not-for-profit work you do, whether it be as an Executive, a Board member, or a grass-roots community volunteer.
So dive on in and let me know what caught your eye this week!
Regards
Megan
NOT-FOR-PROFIT FINANCE WEEK IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!
Not-for-Profit Finance Week is a celebration of ideas, knowledge and financial capacity-building for the $100 billion Australian not-for-profit sector.
Brought to you by the good people at Our Community, Not-for-Profit Finance Week kicks off this year on Monday 8 September and runs through to Thursday 11 September.
The aim of Not-for-Profit Finance Week is to increase the profile of the not-for-profit sector, bolster the financial capacity and sustainability of the sector, and provide support for the staff, board members and treasurers carrying out the important task of overseeing the finances.
This year’s program involves a week of information-packed FREE webinars and all the details can be found HERE.
I hope you are able to take advantage of this great opportunity to boost your organisation’s financial capabilities!
MY LATEST BLOG
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good road trip! How about you?
So I thought in this week’s Blog I’d share A Bit About Me and let you in on my secret life as a Digital Nomad (don’t let my office zoom background fool you 😉).
So if you fancy hearing about when I ran away from COVID, or my running webinars in the middle of the night from Europe, check out the article HERE, and I do hope it gives you some inspiration to try out life on the road yourself sometime.
If you want to read more of my blog articles, or listen to some podcasts I have spoken on, then check out my back catalogue of Blogs & Pods HERE.
Enjoy!
WHAT’S ON IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER
Looking for quality, accessible, and affordable training for your NFP Board?
Then check out my Online Learning offerings coming up in September and October!
🟡 3 September: 10 tips for better Strategy Planning webinar.
Come along to this FREE webinar to hear my top tips for great Strategy Planning, and set your organisation up for success.
Wednesday 3 September, from 11 am – 12 pm (AEST/Melbourne time).
Click HERE for further information and to book yourself in.
🔴 4 September: Valuing our Volunteers online training session.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of so many NFPs. Come along and learn about best practice volunteer attraction, management, and retention.
Thursday 4 September, from 5.30 pm – 8 pm (AEST/Melbourne time).
Tickets are just $167 per person.
Click HERE for further information and to purchase your tickets.
🟢 2 October: Strategy Planning for NFPs online training .
Together we’ll do a deeper dive into this important topic, and unpack and explore the key components I include when facilitating an end-to-end strategic planning process for an organisation.
Thursday 2 October, from 5.30 pm – 8 pm (AEST/Melbourne time).
Tickets are just $167 per person.
Click HERE for further information and to purchase your tickets.
For the full calendar of my online Events, click HERE to find out more.
FINANCE TIPS FROM JULIE
Julie Doyle is my business finances guru, and this week she is generously sharing some of her wisdom around Understanding Financial Ratios: A Simple Guide for NFPs.
This week Julie says:
Keeping an eye on your NFP’s financial health doesn’t have to be complicated.
Financial ratios are simple tools that help measure stability, efficiency, and sustainability—giving your team further confidence in any financial decision-making.
Here are some key financial ratios to track:
1. Liquidity Ratio – Can We Pay Our Bills?
This ratio checks if your organisation has enough short-term assets (like cash) to cover short-term debts (like unpaid invoices).
Formula: Current Assets ÷ Current Liabilities
Goal: A ratio above 1 means your NFP has a good financial cushion.
2. Program Expense Ratio – Shows what percentage of your spending goes directly to programs rather than overhead.
Formula: Program Expenses ÷ Total Expenses
Goal: Higher percentages mean more money is going toward your mission.
3. Fundraising Efficiency Ratio – Measures how much money is raised for every dollar spent on fundraising.
Formula: Fundraising Expenses ÷ Total Contributions
Goal: The lower, the better—meaning you raise more while spending less.
4. Net Income Margin Ratio – Are We Financially Sustainable?
This ratio checks if your organisation is running at a sustainable level by measuring how much income is left after covering all expenses.
Formula: (Net Income ÷ Total Revenue) x 100
Goal: A positive percentage means your organization is bringing in more than it spends.
5. Donor Retention Rate Ratio – Are We Keeping Our Supporters?
Measures how many donors continue to support your NFP over time.
Formula: (Donors at End of Period – New Donors) ÷ Donors at Start of Period
Goal: Higher percentages mean loyal donors and strong engagement.
6. Lifetime Value of a Donor Ratio – What’s a Donor’s Long-Term Impact?
Estimates how much a donor contributes over time.
Formula: (Average Donation x Average Number of Donations) x Average Retention Time
Goal: Higher values indicate strong donor relationships and financial sustainability.
Using These Ratios Effectively…
Combine them with other financial and non-financial data for a full picture.
Compare your results to industry benchmarks to see how your organisation stacks up.
Then use these insights to guide decision-making on fundraising, expenses, and long-term planning.
By tracking these simple financial ratios, your NFP can stay financially healthy, use resources wisely, and maximise impact in your community!
If you have a NFP finance query you would like Julie to talk about via my Good Governance Newsletter, just email it to me on megan@mjbconsulting.net.au.
CONNECT WITH ME DURING MY ’50 COFFEES’ CHALLENGE!
🚀☕️ I’m currently on a bit of a Mission!
50 meaningful coffee conversations with professionals from the not-for-profit sector, across Australia and New Zealand, both online and in person.
Why? To strengthen our networks, gain fresh insights, and explore new ways to champion effective NFP governance and leadership together.
If you’re passionate about the not-for-profit sector too, and committed to shaping its future through strong governance, then let’s chat!
I’m looking forward to connecting with both familiar faces and new contacts – online and face-to-face, over the coming months.
And I’d love you to join me for one of these 50 coffees – because the best conversations happen over a cuppa! ☕️💼
Reach out to me on megan@mjbconsulting.net.au and let’s make a time for our coffee catch up.
I hope to see you soon!
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