Application Guide

How to Apply for Director of Finance

at ScholarMatch

🏢 About ScholarMatch

ScholarMatch is unique because it focuses specifically on first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds, providing comprehensive support beyond just scholarships to ensure degree completion within five years. Working here means directly contributing to educational equity and social mobility through a proven model that combines individualized advising, mentorship, and financial support.

About This Role

As Director of Finance at ScholarMatch, you'll oversee all financial operations for a mission-driven nonprofit, managing budgeting, grant compliance, and financial reporting while providing strategic input to support organizational growth. This role is impactful because you'll ensure financial sustainability for programs that directly help students overcome systemic barriers to higher education.

💡 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, preparing financial updates for the Executive Director, and supervising remote finance staff on month-end closing processes. You'll regularly analyze financial data to ensure resources directly support ScholarMatch's mission of helping students persist to graduation.

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🎯 Who ScholarMatch Is Looking For

  • Has 7+ years of nonprofit finance experience with specific expertise in grant management and compliance for educational or social service organizations
  • Demonstrates hands-on proficiency with ScholarMatch's mentioned systems (QuickBooks Online, Bloomerang, Q-Give) and nonprofit accounting standards
  • Has proven supervisory experience managing finance teams in remote settings with emphasis on workflow optimization
  • Can communicate complex financial information effectively to diverse stakeholders including the Board, Executive Director, and program staff

📝 Tips for Applying to ScholarMatch

1

Quantify your nonprofit finance experience specifically around grant management percentages, budget sizes managed, and compliance successes

2

Demonstrate familiarity with ScholarMatch's mission by referencing their 5-year degree completion goal and how your finance experience supports student persistence

3

Highlight remote supervisory experience with concrete examples of managing finance workflows and performance in distributed teams

4

Mention specific experience with their listed software (QuickBooks Online, Bloomerang, Q-Give) rather than just 'financial systems'

5

Show how you've supported first-generation/low-income student populations through previous nonprofit finance roles

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience managing nonprofit grants and ensuring compliance for mission-driven organizations', 'How your financial leadership directly supports programmatic outcomes (like student persistence rates)', 'Specific examples of improving financial operations or reporting in remote nonprofit settings', "Your understanding of ScholarMatch's unique model combining scholarships, advising, and mentorship"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → ScholarMatch's specific programs beyond scholarships (like advising and mentorship components)
  • → Their recent annual reports or financial statements to understand funding sources and program allocation
  • → Their 5-year degree completion statistics and how they measure student success
  • → The backgrounds of current leadership team and board members
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you manage grant reporting and compliance for multiple funders supporting ScholarMatch's programs?
2 Describe your approach to creating financial reports that help non-finance stakeholders (like program staff) understand budget implications
3 How have you supervised remote finance teams and ensured workflow efficiency in distributed environments?
4 What strategies would you use to align budgeting with ScholarMatch's goal of supporting students through degree completion?
5 How do you stay current with nonprofit accounting standards and regulations affecting educational organizations?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on corporate finance experience without highlighting nonprofit-specific expertise
  • Generic statements about 'supporting education' without connecting to first-generation/low-income student populations
  • Failing to address remote supervisory experience and distributed team management

📅 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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