FIRM – Financial Reporting and Management

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

FIRM is a partnership between the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and The Nonprofit Roundtable aimed at improving the financial knowledge and sophistication of nonprofits in Montgomery County. DHHS provides funding for the program and participates in the curriculum development and delivery. Participants attend a two-day intensive workshop and three two-hour follow-up sessions over a one-year period. The DHHS portion of the curriculum during the initial two-day course teaches participants about the contracting and invoicing processes at DHHS and discusses how contracting with public entities like DHHS differs from relationships with non-public entities. Over 200 leaders from 80 organizations have participated in FIRM since its inception, and an additional 30 organizations are registered to participate in Fiscal Year 2014. About 75 percent of these organizations hold County contracts. Participants rate the training highly, giving the content a 4.6 out of 5.0 rating in exit surveys. Most significantly, several organizations have come back to FIRM when there has been staff turnover as a resource for training and developing new financial leaders.