I’ll be honest—finance was never my comfort zone. I’ve always been more at home in strategic planning sessions, youth-led spaces, and policy advocacy circles. But last month, I stepped into a world of balance sheets, budgets, and internal controls—and it transformed how I think about leadership.
Here are the big takeaways from my finance course—and why they matter to me as a leader at SRHR Alliance Kenya:
1. Financial health isn’t just numbers—it’s storytelling.
Cash flow tells a story. It reflects not just what we spend, but how responsibly we manage donor funds, prioritize programs, and plan for the future. It showed me that finance isn’t separate from impact—it supports it.
2. Budgets are strategic tools, not just paperwork.
I explored all forms of budgets trying to connect where we lie as the Alliance. I know and clarified that at the SRHR Alliance, we already use a blend of zero-based and activity budgeting, and now I understand why that works: it aligns with how we think—by outcomes and purpose.
3. Internal controls are a leadership issue.
Not just for finance teams. If the tone from the top is weak, even the best systems won’t hold. I was shocked to learn that 70% of people are more likely to commit fraud when an opportunity arises. With our growing workload, I see the need to strengthen our team to minimize risk and burnout.
4. Working capital is a living rhythm.
While NGOs don’t sell products, we still have cash inflows (donor funds) and outflows (staff, programs, vendors). Healthy working capital ensures we can act on time, honor commitments, and deliver impact without scrambling.
5. Finance is a series of decisions, not just compliance.
From choosing assets to exploring whether debt can serve us, to understanding Treasury Bonds and Bills as options for personal and organizational investment—it opened up a new lens of financial growth and resilience.
Final Thought:
I may not be a finance expert, but I now speak the language of sustainability with more confidence. This course reminded me that as leaders, we must stay curious and willing to learn—even about the things we once avoided. Because the future we want to build deserves bold and informed choices.
Leading with Heart and Purpose, Judy Amina
