Chief Financial Officer (CFO) / Treasurer - General Duties

Organizational Context: US-based nonprofit focused on short-term missions, primarily operating in Latin America.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO), who often serves concurrently as the Board Treasurer, is the senior executive responsible for the entire financial health, fiduciary oversight, and integrity of the organization. This role ensures sound financial planning, accurate reporting, compliance with donor restrictions, and effective management of funds both domestically and internationally.

I. Financial Strategy and Planning

1. Strategic Financial Leadership: Collaborate with the CEO and Board to develop and execute the organization’s long-term financial strategy, ensuring sustainability and growth aligned with the mission.

2. Budgeting and Forecasting: Lead the annual organizational budgeting process (operational and programmatic) and provide regular financial forecasts and variance analysis to department heads and leadership.

3. Resource Allocation: Develop financial models and analysis to inform critical resource allocation decisions, assessing the fiscal feasibility and impact of new mission programs or capital expenditures.

4. Cash Flow Management: Proactively manage and project cash flow, identifying short- and long-term liquidity needs for both US operations and international mission disbursement.

II. Accounting, Reporting, and Audit

1. GAAP Compliance: Oversee all accounting operations to ensure adherence to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and specific financial reporting standards for nonprofits (FASB/ASC 958).

2. Internal Controls: Establish, document, and enforce a strong system of internal financial controls to safeguard assets, prevent fraud, and ensure the integrity of all financial transactions.

3. Financial Reporting: Prepare timely, accurate, and comprehensive financial statements for the executive team, Board of Directors, and key external stakeholders (e.g., donors, regulators).

4. Audit and Tax Oversight: Manage the relationship with external auditors, lead the annual audit process, and ensure timely and accurate filing of the IRS Form 990 and required state registrations.

III. Treasury and International Finance

1. Treasury Functions: Manage organizational banking relationships, investment accounts, and any credit facilities. Develop and implement investment policies in accordance with Board directives.

2. International Fund Flow: Manage the logistics of transferring funds to Latin American field operations, ensuring compliance with US anti-terrorism financing laws and local foreign currency regulations.

3. Currency and Exchange Risk: Monitor foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and implement appropriate strategies or tools to mitigate financial risk associated with currency volatility in Latin American nations.

4. Mission Expense Oversight: Develop and enforce strict financial policies related to short-term mission team finances, including expense approval, reconciliation procedures, and final team accounting.

IV. Fiduciary Governance and Compliance

1. Board Reporting (Treasurer Role): Serve as a liaison to the Board, presenting financial reports, budgets, and recommendations to the full Board and Finance/Audit committees.

2. Donor Restricted Funds: Maintain rigorous tracking and reporting systems to ensure all donor-restricted funds (temporarily or permanently) are used strictly for their intended programmatic purposes.

3. Legal Compliance: In coordination with legal counsel, manage financial aspects of international legal standing, including adherence to any host-country tax or accounting requirements related to receiving foreign funds.

4. Ethical Standards: Uphold the highest ethical standards of financial management, ensuring transparency and accountability to all constituents, including donors, volunteers, staff, and beneficiaries.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the CEO/Executive Director; serves as primary staff liaison to the Board Finance/Audit Committee. Core Competencies: Nonprofit accounting, financial modeling, fiduciary responsibility, international transaction expertise, and impeccable integrity.