Learning Circles: Organization Assessment Form

Program Overview

Learning Circles is an intensive capacity building initiative supporting nonprofits as they move from learning to application. It integrates the following modalities:

Expert-led in-person and virtual sessions
Individual organizational coaching
Peer collaboration

The Power of Financial Storytelling

Join us for a hands-on, cohort-based Learning Circle led by nonprofit financial experts from BDO’s Nonprofit and Grantmaker Advisory team. Designed for nonprofit leaders navigating new and existing challenges, this program helps participants better understand and communicate the organization’s financial story. Through in-person and virtual workshops, peer engagement, and one-on-one coaching, organizations will learn how to understand and interpret key financial metrics more strategically, align staff and board leadership around critical decisions, and strengthen long-term planning in support of greater resilience.

What you’ll walk away with:

A clearer understanding of their organization’s financial health and the confidence to interpret financial performance and identify key financial risks or decision points.
Tools and considerations for long-term planning and resilience, including business model recalibration, revenue diversification, and scenario planning.
A greater alignment between executives, staff, and board members around financial oversight and collective ownership of the organization’s financial strategy.
The ability to create and communicate a strong financial story that translates financial information into clear, strategic messages for staff, board members, funders, and other stakeholders.

Who should attend:

This Learning Circle is designed for nonprofit staff who want to better understand how to generate, read, and interpret “the numbers” in a way that strengthens their ability to tell the story of the organization’s finances. The organization should identify 2 representatives to attend the in-person workshop, with one being the lead finance staff member. Additional staff representatives may include:

Executive Directors/Presidents
Operations Leadership or additional Finance Staff
Development Lead
Program Leadership responsible for monitoring financial performance
Board Treasurer/Chair

Dates & Times:

The Cohort will run between September 2026 – February 2027:

September 29, 2026 (10:00-4:00PM) (in person) – Understanding and Telling Your Financial Story
November 18, 2026 (2:00PM-4:00PM) (virtual) – Planning for the Long Term*
December 8, 2026 (2:00PM-4:00PM) (virtual): Governance: Stewarding Your Financial Story*
Coaching: Each organization will have access to at least 2 hours of financial management coaching.

*Virtual workshops subject to minor changes

Location: Manhattan, TBA

Program Expectations

Each organization is expected to:

Attend and actively participate in the scheduled Learning Circle sessions (in-person and virtual). While we understand that occasional conflicts may arise, participants are expected to attend the full series whenever possible.
Schedule and participate in individualized technical assistance/coaching sessions.
Engage in peer learning and group discussions throughout the cohort.

Pricing (includes all sessions for up to 2 staff members):

Nonprofit New York Members: $30 per organization
Non-members: $50 per organization

Thank you for your interest in this Learning Circle. To help ensure participants receive the greatest benefit from the program, we ask all prospective participants to complete this brief assessment before receiving access to the registration and payment page. The Nonprofit New York team reviews all responses to assess program fit and, when applicable, may follow up with additional questions before confirming registration.

Yes, I read and agree to the program requirements above.

Organization Information

Organization Name

Please select your organization's NTEE category/primary activity:

Enter your organization's annual expenses (i.e. operating budget size):

How many full time staff are employed by your organization? (Include only full-time, paid staff. Do not include volunteers, board members, or open positions).

How many part-time staff or volunteers work at your organization?

The Power of Nonprofit Financial Storytelling

Contact Information for Lead Finance Staff

First Name

Last Name

Job Title

Work Email

Phone Number

Contact Information for Second Staff Member

First Name

Last Name

Job Title

Work Email

Phone Number

1. For the following questions, please select the answer that best matches your current experience with financial management at your organization, from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
We have a clear understanding of our organization's recent financial performance (i.e., recent surplus or deficit results).
We have a clear understanding of our organization's level of financial reserves and cash.
We have a clear understanding of the amounts and types of capital (i.e. reserves) our organization needs to weather unexpected circumstances and provide operational stability.
We have a clear understanding of our organization's business model (i.e. what drives our revenue and expenses).
We have a clear understanding of the true cost of our programs and how each program contributes to our overall financial health.
We can confidently explain our financial health to appropriate stakeholders.

2. Who is involved in your regular, monthly finance responsibilities? (select all that apply)

If "Other" please specify.

Closing

What do you hope to get out of this program?

Is there anything else you would like us to know about you or your organization?

Thank you for completing this form. The Nonprofit New York team will review your submission to ensure the Learning Circle is the right fit for your organization and that the individualized coaching and technical assistance resources are allocated in a way that best supports participating organizations. If we need additional information, a member of our team will reach out to you. Otherwise, once your self-assessment has been reviewed, you will receive a link to complete your registration and payment.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to programs@nonprofitnewyork.org with the subject line "Learning Circles".