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Sample “Red-Yellow-Green”
Financial Leadership Self-Evaluation

The gray boxes indicate how the executive director of a violence intervention program ranked herself around 10 key indicators.

Category	Getting Started	A Work in Progress	Key Competency	Comments	Action Plan
Personal Leadership	I do not yet consider myself the financial leader of this organization.	I am trying to consider myself the financial leader of this organization.	I absolutely consider myself the financial leader of this organization.	I do now consider myself the financial leader of DV, but I wasn’t really ready for this until recently.	Continue to role-model financial leadership; seek feedback from my management team and board.
Priorities	The financial health of this organization is not yet one of my top priorities.	The financial health of this organization is becoming one of my top priorities.	The financial health of this organization is absolutely one of my top priorities.	As a program person, I tend to focus on the clients versus the organization’s money.	Ask for help from my finance manager and board treasurer; seek feedback.
Information Sharing	I do not yet share financial information with staff, and I regularly raise both programmatic and financial issues for consideration at our meetings.	I am working on sharing financial information with staff, and I regularly raise both programmatic and financial issues for consideration at our meetings.	I absolutely share financial information with staff, and I regularly raise both programmatic and financial issues for consideration at our meetings.	I do raise financial matters in our meetings, but it’s hard to get folks focused. I think we have a way to go in creating meaningful financial reports for both board and staff.	Work with finance manager to design meaningful reports for both staff and board.
Board of Directors	I do not yet ensure that my board of directors discusses our financial situation at every board meeting.	I am working toward ensuring that my board of directors discusses our financial situation at every board meeting.	I ensure that my board of directors discusses our financial situation at every board meeting.	The board demands that I discuss our financial situation at every board meeting.	Work with board members to refine key financial questions and ensure available data.
Teamwork	I have not yet surrounded myself with enough financially savvy staff, consultants, and board members to feel confident that we have the necessary financial guidance for our organization.	I am trying to surround myself with enough financially savvy staff, consultants, and board members to feel confident that we have the necessary financial guidance for our organization.	I absolutely have surrounded myself with enough financially savvy staff, consultants, and board members to feel confident that we have the necessary financial guidance for our organization.	I have a great finance manager and board treasurer. Sometimes they find it hard to communicate with the program folks and I need to play translator. We’re working on this.	Work one-on-one with program staff to develop finance skills.
Financial Knowledge	Without consulting financial statements or budgets, I cannot yet readily name our core programs and offer a good estimate of how much we’ll spend on each this year.	Without consulting financial statements or budgets, I can almost name our core programs and offer a good estimate of how much we’ll spend on each this year.	Without consulting financial statements or budgets, I can readily name our core programs and offer a good estimate of how much we’ll spend on each this year.	We have two programs: a shelter for victims of domestic violence ($850k) and support groups for women who are currently victims or at risk of violence ($400k).	Ensure that program staff are equally fluent with program budget as with their annual program plan.
Financial Performance	I do not yet know which of our core activities generate surpluses and which lose money.	I almost have a handle on which of our core activities generate surpluses and which lose money.	I absolutely know which of our core activities generate surpluses and which lose money.	For the longest time, we thought that our funding sources covered the costs associated with our key programs. We’re learning this isn’t entirely true.	Continue to analyze our cost allocation structure.
Investment in Infrastructure	I do not yet feel as comfortable investing the organization’s resources in a great bookkeeper as I do in a great program staff person.	I feel almost as comfortable investing the organization’s resources in a great bookkeeper as I do in a great program staff person.	I absolutely feel as comfortable investing the organization’s resources in a great bookkeeper as I do in a great program staff person.	I came to this organization as the manager of the shelter, and I have seen firsthand what our clients go through. I’m learning that the finance office is critical to our ability to deliver services—but it’s new for me!	Ask for help from my finance manager and board treasurer; seek feedback.
Funder Accountability	I am not yet ready to share our financial data with our funders and stakeholders.	I am almost ready to help our funders and stakeholders understand how we use financial resources to accomplish our mission.	I absolutely want our funders and stakeholders to understand how we use financial resources to accomplish our mission.	As I come to understand that our funders do not provide sufficient resources to cover our core programs, I am eager to share this information with them.	Schedule face-to-face meetings with key funders.
Establish a Culture of Transparency around Money	The staff and board do not yet know for sure that I value financial transparency.	The staff and board are beginning to understand that I value financial transparency.	The staff and board absolutely know for sure that I value financial transparency.	I have an open door and open “books” policy. While anyone can ask to see information at any time, some of our data is not clear, so it doesn’t always answer all of the questions.	Keep the door open!

Sample “Red-Yellow-Green” Financial Leadership Self-Evaluation

Sample “Red-Yellow-Green”
Financial Leadership Self-Evaluation