Application Guide

How to Apply for Director of Finance

at ScholarMatch

🏢 About ScholarMatch

ScholarMatch uniquely focuses on supporting first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds through comprehensive, individualized services to help them earn bachelor's degrees within five years. Working here means directly contributing to educational equity and social mobility, with a mission-driven culture that values both student success and operational excellence.

About This Role

As Director of Finance at ScholarMatch, you'll oversee all financial operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and strategic alignment with the organization's mission. This role is impactful because you'll manage grant funding that directly supports student scholarships and programs, while providing financial leadership that enables sustainable growth and mission fulfillment.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve reviewing grant expenditure reports, meeting with program directors to align budgets with student support services, supervising finance staff on month-end close processes, and analyzing financial data to inform strategic decisions about scholarship allocation. You'll balance compliance tasks with strategic planning, ensuring every dollar supports ScholarMatch's mission of college access and persistence.

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🎯 Who ScholarMatch Is Looking For

  • Has 7+ years of hands-on nonprofit finance experience, specifically with grant management, fund accounting, and compliance reporting for educational or social service organizations
  • Demonstrates proven supervisory skills in managing finance teams, with experience in performance management and workflow optimization in a remote or hybrid setting
  • Is proficient with ScholarMatch's specific financial systems (QuickBooks Online, Bloomerang, Q-Give) and can quickly adapt to their existing tech stack
  • Combines technical accounting expertise with a genuine passion for educational equity and first-generation student success

📝 Tips for Applying to ScholarMatch

1

Quantify your nonprofit finance achievements with specific metrics (e.g., 'managed $X in grant funds with 99% compliance rate' or 'reduced monthly close time by Y%')

2

Explicitly mention your experience with QuickBooks Online, Bloomerang, and Q-Give in your resume - these are required systems

3

Highlight any experience with college access programs, scholarship management, or educational nonprofits in your application materials

4

Demonstrate your remote work proficiency by describing how you've successfully managed finance teams and operations remotely

5

Tailor your application to show how your financial leadership can support ScholarMatch's specific goal of helping students graduate within five years

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience managing nonprofit grants and ensuring compliance with donor restrictions', "How you've promoted financial literacy or built financial capacity within previous organizations", 'Your approach to strategic budgeting that aligns financial planning with programmatic goals and mission impact', 'Examples of supervising finance teams and improving processes in a mission-driven environment']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → ScholarMatch's specific programs and services (like their college coaching, scholarship opportunities, and mentorship programs)
  • → Their funding sources and partners (check their annual report or 990 form for financial structure)
  • → Their organizational values and recent initiatives mentioned on their website or social media
  • → The challenges first-generation college students face and how nonprofit support impacts graduation rates
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you ensure accurate tracking and reporting of restricted grant funds that support student scholarships?
2 Describe your experience managing the annual budgeting process for a nonprofit and how you involve program staff
3 How have you promoted financial literacy or improved financial processes across an organization?
4 What specific experience do you have with QuickBooks Online, Bloomerang, and Q-Give integration?
5 How would you approach financial forecasting and planning to support ScholarMatch's goal of helping students graduate within five years?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on corporate finance experience without highlighting nonprofit-specific expertise
  • Not demonstrating specific knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles and grant management
  • Failing to show how your financial skills connect to mission impact and student success outcomes

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to ScholarMatch!

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