A Free Workshop with Tonia Papke
How to Tell Your Organization’s Story Through Budgets and Financial Statements
Funders don’t just read your program descriptions — they read your numbers. For small and emerging nonprofits, knowing how to present your finances clearly and compellingly can make the difference between a grant awarded and a grant declined.
This introductory workshop is designed for nonprofit leaders and staff at organizations in Dutchess, Putnam, and Ulster Counties with annual budgets of $200,000 or less who want to build confidence with their finances.
Space is limited and we will cap registration at 25 participants. Please only have one staff member register per organization.
Takeaways
Participants will leave this workshop with:
- A foundational understanding of nonprofit accounting, tailored to small and emerging organizations.
- Greater confidence reading and explaining budgets and financial statements, even if they have felt intimidating or unfamiliar in the past.
- Insight into what funders look for in financial documents and how financials influence grant decisions.
- Practical strategies for using numbers as part of their organization’s story, not just as compliance documents.
- Clearer communication with boards, funders, and regulators, grounded in transparent and well-presented financial information.
Presenters
Tonia Papke has spent four decades helping nonprofits — including many small and emerging organizations — understand and master their finances. As a consultant and outsourced CFO, she has worked with more than four dozen nonprofits, guiding their leaders and boards through the creation of strong financial systems, report formats, and internal controls that funders and regulators expect.
Tonia knows that for many small nonprofits, financial statements and budgets can seem overwhelming and even seem like a foreign language. Her workshops are designed to address that — guiding nonprofits in including numbers as an integral part of their story telling. She has led workshops on budgeting, financial statements, audit preparation, and funder communications for nonprofit leaders at all levels of financial experience.
She has taught nonprofit financial management at Support Center for Nonprofit Management, Columbia University, Adelphi University, the New School for Social Research, and Westchester Community College. She holds an MBA from Columbia University Business School, an MS in Urban Planning from Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Urban Planning, and Historic Preservation, and a BA in Urban Studies, Magna Cum Laude, from Macalester College.
About the Series
The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley offers a series of capacity-building trainings designed to strengthen local nonprofits through practical skill development, peer learning, and access to expert resources. These sessions help organizations grow more resilient, sustainable, and effective in serving their communities.
Photo: The Support Center
