Today we’d like to introduce you to Marvin Webb.
Hi Marvin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started as a modern dancer, training at the Martha Graham School and dancing in its second company, which toured domestically. I went on to earn my MFA in modern dance, and through graduate school and guest artist work, I performed in works by Doug Varone, Ralph Lemon, Martita Goshen, and Bebe Miller. My last dance company role was with Liz Lerman.
When I moved on from dance, I earned an MBA in HR and marketing. I fell in love with processes and policies through HR, started dabbling in nonprofit finance, fell in love all over again, and went back for an MS in Accountancy. I moved to Bethlehem toward the end of that last degree. You can never be overeducated, can you?
I rose through the ranks to become CFO of an $8M nonprofit, then launched my own consulting practice as a fractional CFO/CHRO for social justice nonprofits. I don’t do bookkeeping or hiring; I do strategic finance and HR: the finance that shows you whether you’ll run out of money in the next 12 months and how to manage your cash flow so you don’t, and the HR that helps you see the justice frame in your policies and retain your staff without spending a lot of money.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
From the inside, it felt smooth because I was in the middle of it. From the outside, I’m sure it looked like I was out of my mind. My parents certainly thought so when I left the Midwest with $500 and a dream of becoming a modern dancer. But it happened! When I told my fellow dancers I was retiring to go into nonprofit finance and HR, they thought I was crazy too. That worked out as well.
When I told my husband, who had always encouraged me to hang out my own shingle, that I was finally doing it? There was a little fear in his eyes, but he trusted me. Today I have 13 clients and a waiting list. I always find a way to make it work.
We’ve been impressed with Marvin Webb Micro Consulting (MWMC) and Nonprofit Operations (NPO) , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Marvin Webb Micro Consulting (MWMC) is my fractional CFO/CHRO practice, providing strategic finance and HR for social justice nonprofits. Nonprofit Operations (NPO) is a firm building tools and structures to support nonprofit financial leaders.
MWMC helps nonprofits understand their cash flow: how their revenue, expenses, and bank balance fit together, and what that means for the months ahead. I also advise organizations on their annual audit and how to use it as a fundraising tool, not just a compliance exercise.
NPO currently offers two things. The first is a job board with a difference: every organization that posts a role is analyzed using 10 data points drawn from its last three years of Form 990 filings, so candidates can see the financial picture behind the position before they apply. The second is our annual research report, which draws on those collected 990s to surface the trends and warning signs nonprofit financial leaders should be watching in their own organizations.
What were you like growing up?
I went to Catholic schools from preschool through college, attended a Methodist church from birth through college, and was paid to sing in an Episcopal choir on Sundays for a little spending money in high school. So I grew up with a bit of a Christian mashup.
I loved Legos, playing 45s, and climbing trees. I also grew up thinking vegetables came out of a can. What was I thinking? By the way, I still play with Legos, just the adult sets, like the Claude Monet and Gustav Klimt sets. Musically, I loved Gladys Knight, the Four Tops, the Temptations, and Earth, Wind & Fire, to name a few. I always loved a good product jingle. Thank you, Barry Manilow. My favorite shows were Soul Train, Soap, and The Carol Burnett Show. I was never a Hardee’s kid, but McDonald’s and Sonic? Absolutely.
I was an easygoing kid and tried hard to stay out of trouble because my parents were quite strict.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nonprofitoperations.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marvin-webb/
- Other: https://www.marvinwebbmicroconsulting.com/
