How to Interpret Financial Statements in the Boardroom

Every board member must possess at least a basic understanding of the financial statements to make decisions that satisfy his or her duty of care. 

Jolene Fraser and Michele Epstein at Eisner Amper, will walk you through how to evaluate decisions and direction of the organization effectively through reading the following information:

• Statement of financial position (balance sheet),
• Statement of activities (income statement),
• Cash flow forecast,
• Actual results compared to budget, and
• Operational figures (for example, cost per unit of service).

When engaged in planning, board members also need to analyze trends, information about the external environment and its impact on the organization, financial projections, capital projects, multiple budget scenarios, and new programs under consideration.