Financial Management

stock image of building plans and calculator

Business Intelligence  

  • Budget
  • | Maintenance
  • | PPRRSM

Positive Change in PPRRSM This item is protected.

An increased percentage of independent schools report having a PPRRSM reserve.
3 min read

Feature  

  • Facilities
  • | Legal
  • | Planning

Ground Control: Risk in Property Acquisitions This item is protected.

Before purchasing land or accepting a land donation, understand the financial, legal and local implications.
16 min read
prevent fraud accounts payable (1)
  • Accounting
  • | Risk Management
  • | Technology

Automating Accounts Payable to Prevent Fraud

Facing the threat of financial fraud, schools can enhance their financial security by automating accounts payable.
3 min read
building financing

Feature  

  • Debt
  • | Facilities
  • | Financing

If You Finance It, We Will Build It This item is protected.

Despite high interest rates, independent schools are taking on debt to maintain campus and attract students.
10 min read
aux programs feature image

Feature  

  • Budget
  • | Extended Day
  • | Summer Camp

Nonprofit Profit Centers This item is protected.

For some schools, auxiliary programs can significantly help close the gap between tuition revenue and expenses.
13 min read
endowments increase
  • Endowment
  • | Investments

Independent Schools Averaged a 9.2% Return on Endowment Assets for FY2023 This item is protected.

Day schools averaged a 9.5% return, schools with boarding averaged an 8.4% return.
4 min read
prof achievement business updated
  • Accounting
  • | Membership

Announcing the 2023 NBOA Professional Achievement Award Recipients, Part 1

From revolutionizing financial oversight to driving operational excellence, these profiles showcase the dedication and expertise of individuals shaping the future of independent school administration.
5 min read
percent decrease image

Business Intelligence  

  • Budget
  • | Facilities
  • | Maintenance

Trends in the Capital Spending Ratio This item is protected.

Even before the pandemic and recent economic challenges, many schools were not meeting the capital spending ratio to maintain their campuses.
3 min read
stock image of man holding dice
  • Budget
  • | Financial Aid

Betting on Change in Financial Aid

Leaders in independent school financial aid offer their take on the current terrain — plus NBOA’s Financial Aid Fast Facts sheet.
4 min read
investment concept
  • Endowment
  • | Governance

Endowments and Governance: 5 Key Insights This item is protected.

Results from a recent survey reveal best practices for enhancing financial governance and strategies for sustained intergenerational equity.
4 min read
summer camp stock image

Business Intelligence  

  • Budget
  • | Extended Day
  • | Summer Camp

Financial Trends in Auxiliary Programs This item is protected.

Auxiliary programs brought in higher revenues late pandemic (2021–22) than they did pre-pandemic, and with lower expenses.
3 min read
Artificial intelligence

Feature  

  • Accounting
  • | Audit
  • | Legal
  • | Technology

DIY AI: Business Applications (Part 2)

AI has never been more accessible, and it will impact every corner of the independent school business office.
13 min read
Unsung  Paul Silva
  • Membership
  • | Planning

Unsung Hero: Paul Silva, Cushing Academy

Silva's skilled financial management resulted in substantial tuition revenue increases backed by a long-term financial model, ensuring his school’s long-term sustainability.
2 min read
Unsung Robert A. Orenstein
  • Membership
  • | Planning

Unsung Hero: Robert A. Orenstein, Avon Old Farms School

Orenstein's dedicated approach to school finances extends to his work with the broader business officer community.
2 min read
Joan McCabe
  • Debt
  • | Membership

Unsung Hero: Joan McCabe, Pinecrest Academy

McCabe's financial skills resulted in successful debt refinancing, reduced interest rates and enhanced financial stability.
2 min read

Strategies  

  • Boards and Trustees
  • | Budget

A Snapshot of School Finances This item is protected.

This one-pager provides trustees with the information they need to spend their time together on strategy.
5 min read
financial model
  • Budget
  • | Planning

Business Office Basics: The Importance of Using a Long-Range Financial Model

The answer to some trustee questions should always be “Yes” — including, “Does the school have long-term financial projections?”
4 min read
clean energy

Strategies  

  • Budget
  • | Environmental Sustainability
  • | Facilities

Creating a Clean Energy Consortium This item is protected.

Seven independent schools and an arts education center came together to create a hydroelectric power consortium. Annual savings per school are in the tens of thousands.
7 min read
firm foundations

Projections  

  • Budget
  • | Facilities

Firm Foundations Against Inflation

School leaders are finding constructive ways to pursue capital projects despite higher materials costs, supply chain disruptions and rising interest rates.
7 min read
stock image of audit button
  • Audit
  • | Budget

Business Office Basics: Know Your Audit, Part 2

Tips on explaining to the board how the Statement of Activities relates to the operating statement, and on improving the audit note about the flow of Temporary Restricted Net Assets.
5 min read