True to Purpose
Kate Morgan became CEO of Oolambie because she knew disability services: the people, the programs and what good support looked like. But nobody ever taught her to read the numbers.
about a 2 hour read
When funding changes expose problems that have been building for years, Kate finds that Oolambie is losing money. Some services cost far more than anyone realised, and the budget for the year ahead bears little resemblance to what is coming. If nothing changes, there are eleven months of cash left.
Kate and her board have some difficult decisions to make. What should they protect? What needs to change? How much can they afford to lose on a service that matters? And when does staying true to purpose mean having the courage to stop doing something that’s always been part of who Oolambie is?
This is the story of a small not-for-profit learning to use its numbers well enough to answer those questions. Along the way, Kate and her board work out why a surplus and cash aren’t the same thing, and why a not-for-profit needs both. They find where the time and money are really going, change some of the everyday things that waste both, and start using the numbers to make decisions about the future, not just to tell them what has already happened.
Who it’s for
CEOs and board members of not-for-profits, particularly those who don’t come from a finance background.
About the story
The places and people in this story are fictional, although the events draw on the author’s real experience across a number of organisations. The NDIS in the story is fictional too. It’s based on real reforms, simplified and adjusted to suit the story.
Prefer an ebook?
On iPhone or Mac, open the file in Books. On Android, use Google Play Books. On a Windows laptop, the online version is easiest.