What Is a Controller and Does My Nonprofit Need One?

You started your nonprofit to make a difference. Not to figure out what your numbers mean.

But at some point, you looked at your financial reports and thought, "I have no idea if we are in good shape or not."

That is a sign you may have outgrown your bookkeeper. And it may be time to talk about a controller.

A bookkeeper records what happened. A controller tells you what it means and what to do next.

So what does a bookkeeper actually do?

A bookkeeper keeps your records clean. They track your income, log your expenses, and make sure the numbers are entered the right way. They are great at keeping things organized day to day.

But a bookkeeper is not trained to look at the big picture. They are not asking questions like "Are we going to run out of money in 60 days?" or "Is this grant being tracked the right way?"

And what does a controller do?

A controller is the person who takes all of those numbers your bookkeeper puts in and makes sense of them. They watch over your whole financial operation. They spot problems before they get big. And they make sure your board, your donors, and your grant funders can trust what they see.

Think of it this way

Your bookkeeper is like someone who fills in the scoreboard. They write down every point scored during the game.

Your controller is like the coach who reads the scoreboard and decides what play to run next.

Both matter. But if you only have someone filling in the board with no one reading it, your nonprofit is flying blind.

5 signs your nonprofit needs a controller

• Your board asks financial questions you cannot answer with confidence

• Your monthly reports look different every time and are hard to follow

• You have grant money that needs to be tracked separately and you are not sure it is being done right

• You are always surprised by your cash balance and never know what is coming

• Audit time feels like a fire drill every single year

• Your nonprofit is growing and you feel like the finances are not keeping up

But I can not afford a full time controller

Most nonprofits between $300K and $3M in revenue cannot. And that is completely okay.

That is exactly why outsourced controller services exist. You get all of the skill and oversight of a controller without paying a full time salary. You only pay for what you need, when you need it.

Outsourced controller services give your nonprofit big business financial oversight at a price that makes sense for your size.

What this looks like for your nonprofit

When you work with an outsourced controller like Revamp Your Finances, here is what changes:

Your board meetings stop feeling stressful because your reports are clean and clear. Your grants are tracked the right way so you are always ready if a funder asks. You know your cash position at all times. And when audit season comes, you are already prepared.

Most importantly, you stop spending your energy worrying about the money and start spending it on your mission.

Ready to get your nonprofit's finances under control?

Revamp Your Finances works with nonprofits doing $300K to $3M. Let's talk about what your organization needs. Contact me at 317-983-3980 or at markus@revampfinances.com