Meet Katie Cashion, Our Newest Fractional CFO
We're excited to welcome Katie to the Thrive Nonprofit Partners team!
Katie has spent nearly two decades helping churches strengthen their financial health and run more effectively. She works alongside executive leaders to build financial strategy, improve operations, and give them clear financial insight so they can make sound decisions and plan for the long term.
Her experience covers multi-site churches, budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting, policy development, operations, and major capital projects. With a Bachelor's degree from Liberty University, she's practical and focused on solutions, and she knows how to turn numbers into next steps.
What sets Katie apart is her heart for the local church. She grew up as a pastor's daughter and has spent much of her career serving ministry organizations, so she understands the pressures and the calling your team carries. She leads with faith and integrity, and she cares about the balance every church has to strike: managing money well while keeping people and purpose at the center.
That's what Thrive is all about. We're thrilled to have Katie on board, and we can't wait for you to meet her.
When One Budget Isn't Enough
Whether your new fiscal year starts in January, July, or somewhere in between, you may be building next year's budget now or soon. For many organizations, one well-built budget is exactly right.
But some seasons call for more. When giving is shifting, enrollment is uncertain, a major gift hasn't landed yet, or a big decision is on the table, a single set of numbers can leave leaders reacting instead of leading.
That's when scenario budgeting can be valuable. Instead of one budget, you build a few versions side by side, for example:
- Conservative: based on what giving and revenue are actually doing right now.
- Growth: a realistic step up you can explain and defend.
- Stretch: what becomes possible if things go really well.
The key is to hold your core expenses steady across each one. That changes the conversation from "what do we want to spend?" to "what are we planning for, and what does each outcome mean?"
When are multiple scenarios worth it?
- Revenue is uncertain. Giving trends are shifting, a large grant is pending, or enrollment could swing either way.
- A big decision is coming. A new hire, a building project, or a ministry expansion deserves a look at more than one possible future.
Planning ahead is about stewardship. When you've already thought through the hard version of the year, you can lead through it with clarity instead of panic.
Year-end giving. Your biggest giving season is here. November and December bring in a big share of most organizations' annual giving. Code gifts clearly now (fall event, year-end appeal, general giving) so next year's budget is built on what actually happened.
Cash runway. Watch your cash, not just your budget. A budget shows what you plan to spend; a 13-week cash forecast shows whether the money will be there when you need it. If slower winter months are coming, this is the view that prevents surprises.
Personnel costs for 2027. Staff costs are your biggest line item. If raises or staffing changes are part of your next budget, now or soon, start with a pay philosophy before you pick a percentage: how you'll pay fairly, keep good people, and still stay within what you can afford.
"I think back to conversations and I was questioning whether or not you guys would bring the value that we needed to our organization, and I was so wrong."
Tracy Terrill, President, Shepherd's Ministries International
We get so focused on the work that we forget to stop and share the impact. Your donors want to see what their generosity made possible, and year-end giving season is the perfect time to show them.
In this month's Lab, Denise will walk through a simple listen, capture, communicate framework. You'll learn how to gather real stories from your community, ask permission to share them without making it awkward, and put them to work in three places: annual reports, thank-you notes, and recaps. You'll leave with a storytelling plan on your calendar, not just an idea. Because vision always creates pro-vision.
Courage to Speak Truth
We're your partners, not people pleasers. Our loyalty is to your mission and your people, so when the numbers tell a hard story, we tell it plainly, with empathy and grace.
That might mean showing your board the conservative budget alongside the hopeful one, so leaders can see the real gap before they vote. It might mean advising against padding expenses just to make a budget look balanced. Or it might mean making sure the cash numbers in your board report reflect what's actually available to spend, not just what looks good on paper.
Hard conversations are easier when someone has the courage to start them. We'd rather help you face a difficult truth today than watch it become a crisis tomorrow.
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32
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