Your budget isn’t broken because you’re bad at numbers. It’s broken because it was probably built in December, approved in January, and quietly ignored until funders ask to review it. For most small nonprofits, the annual budget is a compliance ritual, not a management tool and that gap between what’s on paper and what’s actually happening in your finances is where real problems take root.
During this TargetED, Alice Ruhnke will give you a framework for turning your budget into something you actually use. You’ll leave with the confidence to make mid-year decisions based on real data rather than gut instinct or wishful thinking.
You’ll learn how to:
recognize the most common budgeting patterns that leave nonprofits financially vulnerable;
read the financial statements that matter most, including your statement of activities, statement of financial position;
build a budget that reflects reality, with honest overhead allocation, appropriate contingency, and a clear distinction between your board budget and your working management tool;
run a monthly budget vs. actuals review to catch variances early and *identify which line items need the closest attention; and,
connect your financial position to your fundraising strategy.
Who should attend:
This session is designed for executive directors, finance leads, and development staff at small to mid-sized nonprofits who want to use their financial data as a management tool rather than a reporting requirement.
After the webinar, you’ll receive:
slides and handouts; and,
a link to the webinar recording
Webinar CFRE
Full participation in this webinar is applicable for 1 point in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.
Can’t attend live and still want to watch the webinar? Want to review the materials after the session?
You will receive an email with the full recording and any handouts within 10 business days after the webinar.
After you register, you will receive the following emails:
A sales receipt for your bookkeeping records
A confirmation email from Zoom with the login credentials
Instructions for other attendees if you registered a group
If you do not receive these emails within 48 hours of registering, please email or call 1-877-784-7268.
GrantStation does not refund registration fees. Fees may be applied to any webinar scheduled within 30 days.
Alice Ruhnke is the President of GrantStation. Having raised over $45 million from federal, state, and private grantmakers, she knows what it takes to get funded. As a former nonprofit program coordinator and director, and Founder of The Grant Advantage, Alice has a deep understanding of the challenges that nonprofits face. Over the last 20 years she’s worked in the trenches with hundreds of nonprofit organizations to improve their capacity to raise funds. Alice is an author and educator with a passion to share her expertise. Her insightful trainings on grant proposal writing and development, community change models, service projects, and measuring outcomes have helped over 4,000 individuals positively impact their communities. Alice earned the Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential in 2025, a distinguished certification that recognizes expertise in grantsmanship through a rigorous, experience-based examination.
Full participation in this webinar is applicable for 1 point in Category 1.B -Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.