Former long-time business officer, recent interim CFO, and founding member of NBOA Jim Pugh shares wisdom he has collected in his decades of service to independent schools.
This is the eleventh article in the series. The answer to some trustee questions should always be “Yes” — including, “Does the school have long-term financial projections?”
One of the responsibilities of the trustees is to exercise due diligence. The head of school and the CFO regularly field questions from trustees which are expected to have “yes” as the answer. Does the school have a whistle-blower policy? Does the school’s liability policy cover the student trip to Thailand? Is there a cash management policy? Will the school solicit competitive bids for the major roofing project? The list of these questions goes on and on.
At one time or another, a trustee on the finance committee may ask you (the CFO): “Is there a long-range financial projection?” Looking five or ten years down the road is important when considering current financial matters. The projection is especially important when your school is working on a new strategic plan. A summary of the financial model should be an appendix in the strategic plan.
Engaging a Model
There are numerous ways to go about developing a long-range financial model.
It is also possible to create your own model. This Excel file is an example. Excel has excellent flexibility for designing such a model, and it is easy to make revisions as the school’s circumstances change. Another benefit of building the model yourself is that it helps you understand the flow of financial data in your school.
This model includes nine years of data:
three years of historical data
the current budget year
five years of projected data
Some schools take out their projection ten years or longer. I find that ten-year projections for operating and fundraising revenue are speculative and unreliable. On the other hand, projections for debt strategy and capital renewal that go out 10 years or longer are appropriate.
In this model, a school’s financial structure is divided into five major components. Small schools may not need this much detail.
Operating (including enrollment, tuition and financial aid)
Fundraising
Endowment
Plant (including construction projects)
Debt
Key Financial Indicators
The above Excel model includes a chart which tracks key financial indicators over the nine years. The chart serves three purposes:
It helps you spot errors as you build the model.
The chart lends itself to an effective presentation. You can copy screen shots of the most important charts into a PowerPoint deck.
It helps you identify unintended outcomes in the school’s financial plan.
What Assumptions Will You Make?
Whatever type of long-range model you choose, you should consider the purpose for which you are using it. This will affect the assumptions and variables you use in the model.
A momentum model is based on the school’s current operations and its immediate financial plans. This model shows the outcomes if the school continues with its current way of doing business.
An aspirational model incorporates longer-range goals such as those of a strategic plan. This model is a good way to stress test the strategic plan.
There are many ways to approach the creation of a long-range financial model. The important thing is to have one that works for your school. When someone at the trustee meeting asks whether the school has such a model, it is nice to answer the question with a reassuring, “Yes.”
This article originally appeared in NBOA's Net Assets magazine as part of Jim Pugh's Business Office Basics series, we have made minor alterations for an international school context. Sage Consultancy strongly recommends membership of NBOA for international schools as a great resource for school leadership.