Introduction to Finance

Bank A
Assets
Liabilities
Reserves
$2,000
Deposits
$10,000
Loans
$8,000
Government or Not-for-Profit Organizations
Opportunities
The federal government is the largest employer in the United States. 
In addition, state and local governments also hire thousands of work-
ers across the nation. Not-for-profi t organizations, such as hospitals, 
employ numerous workers with backgrounds in business and fi nance. 
Many job seekers, however, never consider that government and 
not-for-profi t organizations need the same fi nancial services as busi-
nesses do. Therefore, jobs available in this fi eld often go unnoticed. 
All federal and state jobs are listed at your local state employment 
services offi
ce and online at http://usajobs.opm.gov/. You may also 
contact your state or regional Federal Employment Information Cen-
ter for more information on federal jobs (your state or federal repres-
entative will know how to get in touch with these offi
ces).
Jobs
Financial manager
Financial analyst
Financial planner
Responsibilities
A 
fi nancial manager
manages cash funds, makes asset acquisition 
decisions, controls costs, and obtains borrowed funds. A fi nancial 
manager with either a government or a not-for-profi t organization 
must also stay abreast of current legislation and public and private 
grant opportunities.
A 
fi nancial analyst
assesses the short- and long-term fi nancial 
performance of a government or not-for-profi t organization.
A 
fi nancial planner
uses fi nancial analysis to develop a fi nancial 
plan.
Education
Knowledge of economics and fi nance is necessary for these jobs, 
and an understanding of the executive and legislative process is 
helpful. In addition, a primary way in which government and 
not-for-profi t groups obtain funds is by getting grants. Therefore, 
strong research and writing skills for grant proposals also are 
essential.