do you see the job of a non profit financial management as getting easier or more difficult in the future?

Answer 1

Easier. Nonprofits are one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.

Answer 2

Definitely more difficult. There is greater scrutiny of non-profit finances than ever before, with the addition of watchdog websites such as guidestar.com and others. Funders large and small want to know more detail about where their money is going and how much of it is going to the cause vs. administrative costs. They also increasingly restrict their gifts to go to certain programs or areas of the non-profit, creating more internal record keeping and reporting to ensure the money is spent accurately. As the financial manager, you have to organize and disseminate more information with very limited resources. The finance area of a non-profit will be smaller than that of a for-profit, but people expect the same sorts of reporting to emerge. And, it must be transparent, accurate and timely. I don't necessarily think more scrutiny is a bad thing for society and the non-profit, but for the financial manager, it raises the stakes.

Answer 3

I hole-heartedly agree with aecintx. I currently work in the non-profit sector and many of the new Sarbanes-Oxley regulations are applicable to non-profits. Although these regulations were designed for for-profit corporations (from the findings of investigations into Enron, Tyco, and the like) it is nearly a foregone conclusion that they will be mandated for non-profit entities at some point.

Answer 4

More difficult.
Nonprofits often depend on the govt for their operating revenue.
You know what happens when the govt gets involved.