LAUNCH Chattanooga: Strategic Financial Partnership to Power Growth and Impact

The Challenge
As a growing nonprofit organization, LAUNCH Chattanooga didn’t require a full-time CFO, but needed high-level financial guidance to support day-to-day operations and long-term planning. With bookkeeping and audit relationships already in place, LAUNCH sought a partner who could connect the dots—helping manage those partnerships, develop budgets and cash flow projections, and communicate clearly with their board of directors. At the same time, their team needed expert support to navigate a complex and competitive funding landscape.

The Approach
Prospera Strategies stepped in as a fractional CFO, providing strategic financial leadership without the cost of a full-time executive. We worked with LAUNCH to build annual budgets, manage cash flow, and prepare financial reports for board meetings. On the funding side, we developed and executed a grants strategy—from identifying viable opportunities to writing letters of intent, submitting proposals, and managing reporting requirements.

Beyond finances, our partnership extended to broader organizational strategy. We serve as a sounding board for new initiatives, help manage data systems like Salesforce, and support LAUNCH’s food entrepreneurship programs. We’ve co-developed curriculum for the Food Incubator and provided coaching and training on financial topics for both clients and team members.

The Outcome
With the right strategic support in place, LAUNCH has been able to focus on what matters most—empowering entrepreneurs and building a more inclusive local economy. By bridging the gap between vision and execution, our work behind the scenes has helped position their team for sustainable growth and deeper community impact.