Email from NJ State Council on the Arts

Join New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Nonprofit Finance Fund, and other nonprofit leaders for a Webinar Watch Party series on key financial management concepts for arts nonprofits! Covering everything from cash flow planning to financial storytelling, this series is meant to give nonprofit arts leaders a comprehensive understanding of the techniques they need to run effective organizations for the long haul.

In these 90-minute virtual group sessions, participants will watch all or portions of a chosen webinar, while an NFF consultant will be present to answer questions, facilitate group discussions, and walk through accompanying workbooks so participants can dig deeper into each topic as we go. In a low pressure atmosphere, participants will benefit from both real-time access to an NFF consultant as well as more focused attention to the themes and concepts most relevant for their respective organizations.

Each session will be approximately 90 minutes. This series will be held through June 11, 2025.

Watch Party materials will be provided upon registration. Join us for the full series, or drop into the sessions most relevant for you and your organization!

February 12, 2025 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Understanding Your Mission/Money Mix

To make informed decisions, nonprofit leaders must understand how their programs contribute to both financial and mission objectives. You will use NFF’s Program Economics Analysis to see how your mission can inform financial decisions, explore where well-placed subsidies can maximize your organization’s impact, and determine how to adapt your programs in response to the current moment.

March 19, 2025 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Managing Risks and Opportunities

Nonprofit leaders are most adaptable when they understand their organization’s financial risks and the resources required to manage them. NFF will cover how an organization’s capital structure supports financial resilience and how to strengthen capital structure during times of uncertainty. NFF will also introduce the concept of “full cost” – a concept that we will explore in greater detail in the following session.

April 9, 2025 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Financial Leadership for Boards

Board members can better serve nonprofits when they are well-versed in financial management and understand their roles as stewards. This webinar reviews how boards can help guide nonprofits to think about the “big-picture:" identifying strengths, gaps, opportunities, and risks; understanding financial health and performance; and supporting an organization during a crisis.

May 14, 2025 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Partnerships and Collaborations

Nonprofits are exploring new ways to work with like-minded organizations. In this webinar, you will learn how to recognize the conditions for successful collaborations, evaluate mission alignment, assess prospects, and facilitate productive conversations with potential partners. NFF will cover the difference between partnership and collaboration, strengths and full costs in partnerships and collaboration, value propositions for collaboration, partnership and collaboration finances, and potential barriers to forming new partnerships.

June 11, 2025 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Telling Your Financial Story to Different Audiences

Nonprofit leaders must know, own, and effectively articulate their organization’s financial story. By communicating this story well, leaders build trust and credibility, contextualize financial reports, connect finances to mission, and advocate for their organization’s needs. In this webinar, NFF will guide you through the process of crafting a compelling financial story for your organization with budgets, dashboards, financial statements, and other materials. NFF will also offer techniques for getting to know your various audiences, positioning your financial story for each of your audiences, and engaging your board and other stakeholders during times of crisis.

PLEASE NOTE: Each session requires its own registration.

Questions about the Watch Party Series? Contact Tammy Herman at tammy.herman@sos.nj.gov or 609-292-4435 (NJ Relay 711).

To learn more about offerings for artists and arts organizations, sign up for our monthly Opportunities for the Field email.

If you require additional accessibility services, contact State Arts Council Access Coordinator Lindsay Dandeo two weeks prior to the event date: lindsay.dandeo@sos.nj.gov | 609-984-7020 (NJ Relay711)

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey. The Council believes the arts are central to every element we value most in a modern society including: human understanding; cultural and civic pride; strong communities; excellent schools; lifelong learning; creative expression; and economic opportunity.

To learn more about the Council, please visit www.artscouncil.nj.gov.

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