FAMILY PLANNING COUNCIL
“Everyone is working as a team…”

 
Melissa Weiler Gerber
Executive DirectorWhen Melissa Weiler Gerber was named Executive Director of the Family Planning Council, she assumed leadership of an organization undergoing significant change. The previous director was leaving after a tenure of more than 30 years, the organization was relocating to new offices and the external environment was rapidly evolving with recessionary forces battering the entire nonprofit sector. Meanwhile, the political climate around family planning shifted significantly, making it vulnerable to attack as more and more social service programs received funding cuts.

“It is a challenging time to lead a reproductive health agency,” says Weiler Gerber, who came to the Council from WOMEN’S WAY. “Family planning used to be seen as a separate and less controversial issue than abortion.  Now, the lines intentionally have been blurred in political debates, putting family planning funding at risk.  And then there are the economic issues: funding for all public health services is being cut, with uncertainty about these funding streams heading into health care reform implementation in 2014.   The landscape for all health care providers is changing dramatically, and particularly for ‘safety net’ providers like those in our network.”

One of Weiler Gerber’s first priorities was undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the Council’s financial picture that would later anchor a strategic planning process to assess possible scenarios for the Council’s future.  A Samuel S. Fels Fund New Director’s Grant, which enables new executives to launch their priority initiatives, enabled Weiler Gerber to engage Your Part-Time Controller. The YPTC project involved conducting an overarching assessment of the Council’s fiscal processes and better integrating the fiscal services department functions into the organization’s more visible program activities.

YPTC associates began conducting interviews with staff, board members and the audit team to shore up the financial processes and integrate them with other departments. “In the nonprofit world, people often focus on the program side but the fiscal infrastructure is critical. It must be of the highest caliber if programs are to be sustainable,” she says.

YPTC’s Jerilyn Dressler was brought in to conduct interviews, focus groups and the assessment and to implement changes. Martha Harrison served as interim controller – and was subsequently hired by the Council as the project wound down. All fiscal operations – from payroll to staffing needs to banking relationships – were reviewed. “Your Part-Time Controller helped us develop the discipline we needed,” she says.

“A key reason why we’ve made strides is because the YPTC team has made a good case to program staff as to why a customer service-focused fiscal department supports them. Another key role YPTC has played has been in helping our board to perform its fiduciary responsibility more effectively. They make sure our finance committee sees current, accurate data in order to make quality financial presentations to the full board. As a result, everyone is working as a team to understand the fiscal processes of the organization.”

Weiler Gerber adds, “One of the things that most impressed me was how quickly Martha was able to take stock of the situation, apply a level of discipline, and get buy-in from, and gain credibility with, the rest of the staff.”

That all this occurred in the midst of such overwhelming transition is equally impressive.  “Our organizational changes were coupled with a rapidly-changing environment and a shrinking pool of resources to fund our work. Your Part-Time Controller’s role has been critical in helping us maneuver through this time of change.”

“We made a commitment to provide more useful and timely information to the board, and Your Part-Time Controller helped us fulfill that pledge. With YPTC’s help, we’ve made tremendous strides in a relatively short period of time. It’s been a great experience.”