Solving the Staffing Challenges in Higher Ed Finance

The financial stakes in higher education have never been higher. Donors want more transparency, boards are asking tougher questions and campus leaders depend on clear, timely data to guide critical decisions. For foundations and booster clubs, meeting these rising expectations is becoming harder every year.

At the same time, the ground is shifting beneath them. Increased donor scrutiny, new compliance requirements and evolving rules around federal funding and athlete revenue sharing are adding layers of complexity to finance teams that are already stretched thin. The result? Accurate, timely reporting has become essential to sustaining trust and supporting strategic growth. For many finance teams, the challenge isn’t recognizing what needs to be done; its finding enough people, time, and expertise to do it.

The Challenge: Financial Complexity Meets Staffing Pressure

While the work has become more complicated, staffing has not kept pace. Many colleges and universities are facing budget pressure and headcount reductions. Others are asking already-lean teams to take on more strategic projects without building capacity. On top of that, the market for skilled accountants with higher ed experience is tight. NACUBO consistently lists supporting and retaining finance staff among institutions’ top issues.

It’s especially difficult to find professionals who can not only manage the books but also communicate clearly with senior leadership, boards and donors. Even when schools do find the right candidate, turnover remains a constant risk. These challenges make it harder to maintain continuity and create an environment where key processes are overly manual or depend on a single individual.

Limited Visibility Slows Decision Making

Late or incomplete reports force campus leaders to make high-stakes decisions in the dark, relying on outdated numbers and gut instinct instead of clear insight. When finance teams are stretched thin, reporting becomes reactive. Opportunities are missed, spending goes unmonitored and donor expectations go unmet.

This lack of visibility isn’t just a reporting issue. It impacts how money is spent, how programs are evaluated and how effectively the institution can respond to change.

A Smarter Approach to Financial Operations

For many organizations, improving financial operations lightens the load on overextended teams and creates processes that don’t fall apart when one person leaves. That includes automating outdated processes, building stronger internal controls and making it easier to deliver clear, timely financial information to stakeholders.

Access to specialized expertise also plays a key role. Questions often arise that sit just outside the core accounting function, like whether a donor benefit creates unrelated business income or how to handle payroll taxes for a one-time event. When those questions come up, having someone who can provide a simple, well-informed answer saves time and keeps things moving.

Audit preparation is another area where efficient processes make a difference. Audit season doesn’t have to feel like a fire drill. When documentation is consistent and reconciliations are current, the process runs smoothly — saving staff stress and showing auditors a clear, organized picture year-round. And audit firms often express appreciation when internal accounting is handled by professionals who understand their needs and expectations. Clean, well-organized records and accurate financials keep the process on track.

In lean teams, one person often wears too many hats: cutting checks, reconciling accounts and approving expenses. That overlap may be unavoidable, but it creates risks no organization wants to face. One way to solve that is by building a model that introduces more depth, more review and more structure, even if it means looking beyond traditional in-house staffing.

These goals are achievable, even for organizations that feel stuck in reactive mode. Here’s how two different organizations addressed these common challenges and built stronger, more stable financial operations.

Case Study 1: Foundation Gains Confidence Through Stronger Structure and Reporting

Each audit season felt like a scramble for a mid-sized higher education foundation responsible for millions in donor-restricted funds. Reports were pieced together manually, restricted account balances were harder to track, and staff worried that expenses might not line up perfectly with donor intent. With just a few people handling the books, turnover or even vacation time threatened to derail operations.

The foundation’s leadership recognized the risks. They wanted donors, board members, and the institution’s leadership to feel confident that every dollar was accounted for, but their small team didn’t have the tools or processes to make that possible.

Determined to change, the foundation took control. They rebuilt their chart of accounts, restructured their fund framework and introduced practical workflows that reduced manual effort. Review steps and automations were added to strengthen internal controls and ensure transactions were coded and approved consistently.

The results have been transformative. Today, the foundation can produce timely, accurate reports that give leadership and the board the visibility they need. Donors know their gifts are being stewarded properly, and audits run more smoothly with clean, organized records. Most importantly, the foundation’s leaders have more time and confidence to focus on advancing their mission, not troubleshooting financial processes.

Case Study 2: Booster Club Replaces Inconsistent Staffing Model with Scalable Support

For years, a collegiate athletics booster club struggled to keep its finance function steady. Despite the repeated hiring efforts, turnover kept disrupting operations. Payments were delayed, reconciliations fell behind and reporting was inconsistent. Leaders wanted to answer donor questions with confidence, but too often they lacked the visibility to do so.

The challenges didn’t stop there. Donor transactions captured in the ticketing platform had to be re-entered into the accounting system, creating opportunity for errors and wasting valuable staff time. Tracking sport-specific restricted funds was a constant headache. And as fundraising expanded into complex areas like NIL initiatives, leadership worried about compliance exposure without the right expertise in place.

Rather than continue down the same path, the booster club made a pivotal decision: They would break the cycle and build a more reliable, scalable support model. With dedicated financial resources, they ensured that disbursements, reconciliations and reporting were no longer left to chance. Leadership championed system upgrades that integrated donor data directly into the general ledger, eliminating manual re-entry and boosting accuracy. The booster club’s executive director and athletic department’s athletic director also embraced automated dashboards that gave real-time insight into sport-specific funds and donor activity.

By choosing a smarter approach, the booster club transformed its financial operations. Reporting is now timely and consistent, donor conversations are grounded in reliable data, and compliance risks are addressed proactively. Most importantly, leadership no longer worries about turnover disrupting progress. Instead, they have the confidence and clarity to focus on what matters most: building stronger relationships with donors and ensuring sustained support for student-athletes.

It’s Time to Streamline

Both the foundation and booster club proved that finance challenges don’t have to hold organizations back. With the right structure and support, they moved from reactive operations to confident leadership, from strained staff to scalable systems, and from uncertainty to trust with donors and stakeholders.

If your team is facing similar challenges, you don’t have to go it alone. The James Moore higher education and collegiate athletics CPAs and consultants partner with foundations and booster clubs to help stabilize operations, strengthen compliance, and unlock better financial insight. Let’s talk about how we can help you put your mission back at the center of your work.

All content provided in this article is for informational purposes only. Matters discussed in this article are subject to change. For up-to-date information on this subject please contact a James Moore professional. James Moore will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within these pages or any information accessed through this site.