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Organization Overview

Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) is a Colorado-based nonprofit organization focused on advancing economic and racial equity for low-income and working-class communities.

Founded in 2020 as the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project, CEDP has expanded into a large-scale integrated services organization providing housing stability, legal support, economic advocacy, homelessness prevention, debt defense, disaster response, and financial assistance programs.

The organization now serves more than 1,000 individuals per month across Colorado and has distributed over $230 million in emergency assistance. Its model has been recognized by The White House, HUD, and the Urban Institute as a best-practice approach to housing and economic defense systems.

Role Overview

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as a senior executive leadership role responsible for financial sustainability, operational excellence, compliance oversight, and strategic financial planning across the organization.

This role combines executive financial leadership, nonprofit operational management, public grant compliance oversight, FP&A leadership, audit management, and finance team development responsibilities.

The CFO will help guide CEDP through a complex and evolving nonprofit funding environment while supporting continued organizational growth and program expansion.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

Develop long-term financial strategy focused on organizational sustainability and resilience.

Translate complex financial information into actionable insights for executives, board members, funders, and stakeholders.

Partner with executive leadership on organizational decision-making and strategic planning.

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

Lead annual budgeting and multi-year financial planning processes.

Build forecasting, variance analysis, and cash flow management systems.

Identify financial risks and provide strategic financial guidance across the organization.

Accounting, Grants & Compliance

Oversee grant accounting and reporting across 20+ public and private grants.

Ensure compliance with government funding requirements and financial regulations.

Lead interim and year-end audits with external auditors while maintaining clean audit outcomes.

Maintain compliance with federal audit standards and GAAP accounting requirements.

Operational Finance Leadership

Develop scalable accounting, reporting, forecasting, and operational finance processes.

Manage month-end close procedures and financial reporting cadence.

Drive operational improvements, cost efficiency initiatives, and process standardization.

Stakeholder and Relationship Management

Maintain relationships with:

• External auditors
• Government agencies
• Banks
• Funders
• Board members

Communicate organizational financial performance and insights to internal and external stakeholders.

Team Leadership & Development

Lead and develop the finance team.

Establish accountability, ownership, and operational excellence standards within the finance function.

Support talent development, delegation, and team performance management.

Ideal Candidate Profile

10+ years of progressive finance leadership experience.

3+ years in CFO or executive-level finance leadership roles within nonprofit or mission-driven organizations.

Strong experience with:

• Public funding
• Multi-grant accounting
• Government compliance
• Financial audits
• Regulatory oversight

Strong strategic planning, forecasting, budgeting, and financial analysis capabilities.

Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Experience leading and developing finance teams.

Advanced proficiency with:

• Excel / Google Sheets
• QuickBooks
• Financial reporting and analytics platforms

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA designation
• Affordable housing sector knowledge
• Experience with loan capital raising
• Grant and proposal writing experience
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation

• Base salary: $192,000 annually
• Additional $2,000 annual language differential for qualifying bilingual employees
• $720 annual technology stipend or company-issued phone option

Benefits

• Flexible time off
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k)
• Professional growth opportunities
• Mission-driven organizational culture

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