Most nonprofit leaders know fundraising and finance are deeply connected. Fewer nonprofits have figured out how to make them work together in practice.
In theory, fundraising brings in the money and finance manages it. In reality, these two functions often operate in silos, using different data, different timelines, and different definitions of success. The result is not just frustration. It is missed funding, burned out staff, and leaders who feel like something is wrong but cannot quite prove it.
In a recent episode of A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, Tosha Anderson sat down with David Cristello, CEO and Founder of Jetpack Workflow, to unpack why this disconnect is so common and so costly.
One of the biggest pain points they discussed is grant utilization.
Many nonprofits assume that once a grant is awarded, the hardest part is over. In reality, utilization is where things fall apart. Grants have different timelines, reporting requirements, and spending assumptions that rarely align with a nonprofit’s fiscal year. Without intentional systems, leaders often discover underspending only after the grant period has ended. At that point, the money is gone and the reputational damage has already been done.
The problem is rarely effort. It is visibility.
Most nonprofits rely on spreadsheets to track grants, programs, and funding gaps.
These spreadsheets often live in silos, are maintained by one person, and break the moment staff turnover occurs. Finance teams are overwhelmed with compliance and bookkeeping. Fundraising teams create their own tracking tools because the financial reports do not answer the questions they need answered.
Leadership is left trying to reconcile conflicting numbers while making high stakes decisions.
This lack of clarity creates a constant sense of urgency and stress. Teams revisit the same conversations quarter after quarter. Leaders hesitate to grow because they are not confident in the data. Fundraisers struggle to show up with confidence because they do not trust the numbers behind the story.
David shared an important insight from the tech world. Leaders do not want more data. They want answers. Financial systems should surface risks, funding gaps, and pacing issues early enough to do something about them. When finance becomes a strategic partner instead of a historical record keeper, nonprofits gain the ability to plan, forecast, and grow with confidence.
The takeaway is simple but not easy. Nonprofits cannot scale sustainably without connecting fundraising strategy to financial reality. That connection requires more than goodwill between departments. It requires systems, shared language, and tools that make clarity accessible to everyone who needs it.
When nonprofits invest in financial transparency and collaboration, they do more than protect their budgets.
They protect their people, their mission, and their ability to serve communities well.
Connect with David Cristello
🌐 Website: https://www.actuallyFI.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcristello/
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