EACI 2025 Interest Form

EACI 2025 Interest Form

The Equitable Access & Capacity Initiative (EACI) is a collaborative effort, delivered in partnership between BDO, Forefront, and IFF, to support Illinois nonprofit organizations in managing government funding. EACI also aims to assist nonprofits in building more holistically healthy financial systems and practices that support impactful program delivery.

Eligibility

501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations including fiscally sponsored projects located in Illinois
Organizations should be currently managing or considering applying for government funding
Organizations that have not previously received one-on-one support through EACI will be prioritized

View the recorded Info Session: https://vimeo.com/1058029193/e380c90263

About the Offerings

Please note: organizations can express interest in up to three offerings. Participation is limited to one offering per organization. All offerings are free of charge to participants.

Financial Management Cohort: Beginning in April, participate in five virtual training sessions with a cohort of nonprofit peers and receive five individual coaching hours to implement your learning.
Technical Assistance Projects: Work with a BDO Nonprofit & Grantmaker Advisory team to address a specific challenge or build a new process or tool. Scoping calls for select organizations will be held in April.
Coaching: Receive 5 hours of customized one-on-one support with a consultant from the BDO Nonprofit & Grantmaker Advisory team. Scoping calls for select organizations will be held in April.
Clinics: Participate in a two-session, interactive, virtual workshop to develop a practical plan, tool, or template ready to be implemented at your organization. A Cash Flow Clinic will be held in May and a Scenario Planning Clinic will be held in June.

Organizations who submit the interest form by March 14th will be prioritized, though applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Please note this form will not save your progress. We recommend drafting answers in a separate document, if needed.

Thank you for your interest and please reach out to Lilia Hoberman at lhoberman@bdo.com with any questions!

Organizational Background

Organization Name*

Please submit only one application per organization. If multiple applications are received we will review only the first received.

Organization EIN OR name and EIN of fiscal sponsor

Contact Name*

Email Address*

Organization Website*

Organization Annual Expense Budget*

Organization Staff Size*

Please indicate paid full-time equivalents.

Organization Zip Code*

What counties in Illinois does your organization serve?*

Participating organizations must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or fiscally sponsored project and be currently managing or considering applying for government funding.*

Yes, my organization is currently managing government funding and meets these requirements.

Yes, my organization is considering applying for government funding and meets these requirements.

No, my organization does not meet these requirements.

Who is currently in a financial management role at your organization? Please include their titles and high-level financial management responsibilities, including any external/outsourced providers and fiscal sponsor, if applicable.*

EACI Support Offerings

Upon selecting your First Choice option, additional information and application questions regarding that option will appear. You are welcome to explore the options and return to this section to select your top three choices. Organizations will be selected for up to one opportunity, pending interest and availability.

First Choice*

Please indicate the offering you feel is the best fit for your organization.

Select

Second Choice: If not selected for our first priority, we are interested in:*

If we aren't able to provide you with your first choice, we will consider your second choice.

Select

Third Choice: If not selected for our first or second priority, we are interested in:*

If we aren't able to provide you with your first or second choice, we will consider your third choice.

Select

Please tell us about your organization's goals for improving your fiscal management (separate from fundraising goals). What are 1-2 changes (big or small) that you would like to see in your organization's financial management practices in the next few years?*

Examples may include building the team's comfort with nonprofit finance, strengthening internal controls, learning new approaches to budgeting, or implementing improved financial monitoring.

Cohort

We will be offering two cohorts in April and May 2025. Cohorts are a great fit for organizations looking to build their leadership team's comfort with nonprofit finances and learn the foundations of understanding nonprofit financial health, planning/budgeting, reporting, and operations and internal controls.

Nonprofit organizations in the cohorts will:

• Participate in a series of financial management workshops

• Complete a Self-Assessment and review with a BDO coach

• Receive one-on-one financial management coaching support from BDO

Cohort 1 Virtual Training Dates (in CT):

• Tue, Apr 22nd 10am-12pm

• Tue, May 6th 10am-12pm

• Tue, May 20th 10am-12pm

• Tue, Jun 3rd 10am-12pm

• Tue, Jun 17th 10am-12pm

Cohort 2 Virtual Training Dates (in CT):

• Wed, April 23rd 10am-12pm

• Wed, May 14th 10am-12pm

• Wed, May 28th 10am-12pm

• Wed, Jun 11th 10am-12pm

• Wed, Jun 25th 10am-12pm

Cohort Preference*

Participants are expected to attend all virtual trainings.

Select

We encourage organizations to participate in the cohort as a team, including representatives from Finance, Development, and Programs. Who from your organization would participate in this cohort?*

Please include names, titles, and email addresses.

Coaching or Technical Assistance Project

Provided by BDO’s Nonprofit & Grantmaker Advisory consultants, customized one-on-one support is offered in the form of a hands-on technical assistance project or a series of coaching calls designed to guide organizational leader(s).

Topics addressed through coaching or technical assistance may include development of cost allocation plans, creation of cash flow projections, development of policies and procedures, structuring financial reports, realigning staff roles and responsibilities, financial leadership coaching, and other services related to developing an infrastructure for effective grants management.

Challenge to be addressed*

Please briefly describe the challenge you hope customized one-on-one support would address in helping your organization prepare for successful application and/or manage government funding.

Are there any milestones or important deadlines related to the challenge you'd like to address?*

For example, budget projects may be influenced by the fiscal year and Board of Directors meeting schedule.

Cash Flow Clinic

This clinic will take participants through a step-by-step process to project future cash flow, with an emphasis on the cross-functional team collaboration necessary to create and update projections. Participants will populate a cash flow projection template which reflects their accounting structure and begin to forecast results for the current fiscal year. Key focus areas for this clinic will include:

• The importance of maintaining sufficient liquid operating reserves

• Key liquidity metrics and benchmarks to calculate and monitor for your organization

• Creating and updating rolling cash flow projections as part of your financial planning and monitoring process

Intended Audience: Small to medium sized nonprofits that do not have sufficient cash flow planning practices in place and would benefit from being introduced to a cash flow tool.

Clinic Dates:

• Session 1: Thu, May 15th 10am-12pm CT

• Session 2: Thu, Jun 5th 10am-12pm CT

We encourage organizations to participate in the cohort as a team, including representatives from Finance, Development, and Programs. Who from your organization would attend the clinic?*

Please include names, titles, and email addresses.

Scenario Planning Clinic

In this clinic, we’ll explore business model and get to strategic clarity to develop a framework for financial projections. Organizations will be introduced to scenario planning, and how to reflect potential growth or contraction possibilities. Key focus areas for this clinic will include:

• Getting strategic clarity and understanding expense drivers

• Determining revenue drivers and thinking through scenarios

• Creating and utilizing scenario planning tools as part of the financial planning and monitoring process

Intended Audience: Small to medium sized nonprofits that have strong program based budgeting and annual planning practices as a baseline, but are looking to develop scenario planning skills and tools.

Clinic Dates:

• Session 1: Tues, Jun 10th 10am-12pm CT

• Session 2: Thu, Jun 26th 10am-12pm CT

We encourage organizations to participate in the cohort as a team, including representatives from Finance, Development, and Programs. Who from your organization would participate in this cohort?*

Please include names, titles, and email addresses.

Closing

Is there anything else you’d like us to know about your organization and its needs at this time?

You may also use this space to share other suggestions for how EACI may support organizations in the future.

Send me a copy of my responses

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