Financial Sustainability Certificate Program

Description

Course Information:

Don't miss out on this opportunity to participate in the 2026 Financial Sustainability Certificate Program and increase your financial literacy, network with other Vermont & New York professionals, and earn 1.5 CEUs.

As park and recreation professionals, we are privileged to be the stewards of taxpayer dollars. Each and every day we get to spend their money.  What a responsibility!  We hold in our hands the power to impact communities by how we manage these resources, how we spend, how we generate revenues, and how we work to create a financially sustainable future for our organizations and for the field of parks and recreation. 

The Financial Sustainability Certificate Program (FSCP) is a multi-day professional development program designed to strengthen the financial knowledge, decision-making, and long-term sustainability practices of parks and recreation organizations. 

Participants will explore key economic and accounting principles and how they connect to daily operations, service delivery, and organizational strategy. The program provides practical tools and methods for building effective financial sustainability strategies that support resilient, community-focused parks and recreation systems.

The Financial Sustainability Certificate Program is taught by Jamie Sabbach, Founder and President of 110%, and provided in partnership with the Vermont & New York Parks & Recreation Associations. 

What is the schedule?

• May 13 - 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM
• May 14 - 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM
• May 15 - 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Who is the Financial Sustainability Certificate Program for?

Anyone who wants to increase their financial literacy and learn how to create a sustainable financial future for their organization! Ready to make real change?  Bring all your key team players, take full advantage of this curriculum, and build a foundation together!

What does the Financial Sustainability Certificate Program cover?

Over two and a half days, this program will address complex issues including the pressing need to practice financial discipline and acknowledge the responsibility park and recreation professionals have as stewards of taxpayer dollars. Below is a list of some of the main topics covered throughout the program:

• Terms and definitions creating a common language and understanding of finance-centric terminology.
• Review and discussion of current economic, social, and environmental conditions and realities and their influence on decision-making.
• Economic principles and how they align with operations and service delivery.
• Accounting practices commonly used and how they affect understanding an organization’s financial conditions.
• Understanding that budgeting is not an end game.
• Tools and methods for designing relevant and effective financial sustainability strategy for today’s organizations.
• Pricing strategies and considerations.
• Inherent conflicts between ethics and investment/spending choices.
• Economic, social, and environmental theories and how they have and continue to affect today’s investment/spending choices.