The Organization

Flagstaff Family Food Center

  • Industry: Non-Profit

  •  Size: 35-45 Employees

  •  Partnership Started: February 2020

  • Services Provided:

    • CFO services: budgeting, forecasting, tracking
    • Expense and A/P management
    • Bookkeeping
    • A/R management
    • Payroll

The Challenge

When Flagstaff Family Food Center first partnered with Onward Financial Services, they were experiencing unprecedented growth in response to rising food insecurity across Northern Arizona. This rapid expansion, while necessary to fulfill their mission, created significant financial and other management challenges:

  • Staff Turnover: Frequent changes in finance department personnel created financial inconsistencies along with avoidable turnover expenses
  • Manual Processes: Critical financial information trapped in physical file cabinets created inefficiency and risk
  • Limited Reporting: Basic financial reporting that failed to capture the data needed for strategic decision-making
  • Growth Pressures: Maintaining financial organization while scaling operations to meet community needs

Our Approach

Relationships

  • Built trust through consistent communication with leadership and board members

  • Developed understanding of the Food Center’s unique mission and financial structure and current policies

  • Created collaborative partnerships with auditors and financial stakeholders

  • Provided stability during staff transitions through reliable financial leadership

Processes

  • Implemented comprehensive systems for tracking restricted and unrestricted transactions

  • Created standardized workflows for financial operations that could scale with growth

  • Established clear month-end closing procedures for consistent board reporting

  • Developed streamlined procedures for audit preparation and reporting

Technology

  • Digitized transaction management to eliminate paper-based record keeping

  • Implemented secure expense management software for improved tracking and accountability, no more searching for paper receipts or invoices

  • Integrated solutions that simplified communication and accountability

  • Established clear month-end closing procedures for consistent board reporting in the cloud, no more wondering where reports are

  • Designed professional, easy to read monthly and yearly report packages accessed through secure financial dashboards

The Results

By partnering with Onward Financial Services, Flagstaff Family Food Center was able to spend more time on addressing the food insecurity issues facing Northern Arizona and less time on financial management. Together we have achieved:

  • Clear, Professional Reports: Comprehensive visibility into their financial position enabling confident strategic decisions to support the mission
  • Operational Efficiency: Reduced staff time spent on manual financial management
  • Enhanced Security: Improved protection of financial assets through proper controls and digital tracking
  • Better Planning: Accurate forecasting and budgeting capabilities to support growth
  • Board Confidence: Financial reports, snapshots and custom KPIs that enable informed governance
  • Mission Focus: More time and resources dedicated to serving the community

How We Can Help Your Organization

Like Flagstaff Family Food Center, your organization deserves financial management that supports your growth and mission. Contact Onward Financial Services today to discover how our relationship-centered approach, streamlined processes, and technology solutions can transform your financial operations.