Master Your Nonprofit Numbers 101 - Foundations Track
East Side Edition
Sep 15, 2026 8:00am — 2:00pm
About the 101 Foundations Track
For nonprofit staff and Board members who are ready to lead with financial confidence. No accounting background required, no judgement about where you are starting from. Just practical financial education built specifically for the way nonprofits work.
The Master Your Nonprofit Numbers series is here to change the way you lead with numbers. You’ll get:
- Five immersive, in-person workshops designed for nonprofit leaders at every stage, covering everything from financial systems and budgeting to board governance and fundraising strategy
- Expert instruction from experienced nonprofit leaders
- Practical tools and worksheets you can use immediately with your real financial data, not hypothetical exercises
- A dedicated board session where your board members join you to align on financial oversight, fiduciary responsibilities, and shared leadership
- A cohort community of peers who are doing the same work, facing the same challenges, and growing alongside you
- Lifetime access to the Master Your Nonprofit Numbers online course
All free of cost to your organization
Apply Now
Who the 101 Track is For:
The Foundations Track is designed for nonprofit executive directors, staff members, and Board members from organizations located on or serving Buffalo’s East Side who want to feel more confident understanding and using their financial information. It is especially helpful for leaders who are newer to nonprofit financial management, have inherited systems that need care and attention, or want a clearer foundation for making financial decisions that support their mission.
Strong organizations need strong financial practices behind the scenes. This track helps leaders build the knowledge, tools, and confidence to steward resources well, strengthen organizational sustainability, and lead with greater clarity. As part of Oishei’s Organizational Power work, Master Your Nonprofit Numbers supports East Side organizations in building the infrastructure they need to sustain their work and continue showing up for community over time.
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This program has strengthened me personally so that I can be a better leader and a more valuable contributor to the executive team, so that we can have a greater impact on the community and those we serve.
Joy Tedeschi /Belmont Housing Resources for Western NY
MYNN 101 Program Overview
Session Time & Location:
All sessions will run from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM.
All sessions are held in person at:
Roswell Park Community Outreach and Engagement Center
907 Michigan Ave
Buffalo, NY 14204
December 9 Fundraising & Financial Strategy
The final session brings in expert guest speakers on the topics that connect financial health to fundraising success. This is an open session, based on participant interest. Past topics have included major gifts strategy, grant writing and funder relationships, board fundraising roles, and earned income. The specific speakers and topics vary by cohort. This session is designed to send you out with both the financial foundation you built over the program and a clear sense of how to grow the resources that sustain it.
December 2 Lead with Confidence (Board Session)
This session is designed for you and your board members together. Board members attend the full day. We will cover what fiduciary responsibility actually looks like in practice, how board members should read and respond to financial reports, what your Form 990 communicates to the public, and how to prepare for an audit without the annual scramble. A guest speaker joins for a focused segment on board financial leadership. By the end of the day, your ED and board members will leave aligned around your organization's financial picture and each other's roles in protecting it.
November 17 Plan with Confidence
A budget is not a constraint. It is a strategic tool that aligns your money with your mission. In this session, you will assess how well your current budget reflects your organization's priorities, build a cash flow forecast so you can see cash crunches before they arrive, and make intentional decisions about which revenue streams to grow, maintain, or let go. We will also tackle true costs and indirect rates, so you know what your programs actually cost and how to negotiate with funders who push back on overhead. You will leave with a forward-looking financial plan and the language to defend it.
October 22 Read Your Financial Story
Your financial reports are telling you something. This session teaches you how to listen. We will walk through your Balance Sheet and Income Statement together, calculate the key metrics that reveal your organization's true financial health, and practice communicating your numbers in plain language your board and funders can actually understand. We will also cover restricted funds and grant management, so you know exactly where your restricted dollars are and how to keep them clean. By the end of the day, you will be able to pick up any financial report and know what questions to ask.
September 15 Build Your Foundation
Strong financial leadership starts with what is underneath the numbers: the right people doing the right tasks, clean bookkeeping habits, and systems that actually work. In this session, you will map your organization's financial workflow, identify where gaps and risks exist, and assess whether your accounting software and chart of accounts are set up to support your work. You will leave with a clear picture of where your financial infrastructure stands today and a practical plan to strengthen it.
We're currently accepting applications.
Part of
Master Your Nonprofit Numbers
East Side Edition
Aug 7, 2026 9:00am
An investment in strengthening the organizational infrastructure of nonprofits rooted in and serving Buffalo's East Side.