This course is designed to give students an understanding of how budgeting and financial planning are used in the management of organizations for which money is the means to the end, but not the end itself. Students will acquire the basic skills needed to develop, understand, and analyze various types of budgets and financial documents. In addition, students will learn how those skills can be put to use in evaluating many of the key policy issues faced by leaders and budget managers. This course will not require any high level math, although it is, inherently, a numbers class and students will use their basic quantitative and Excel skills. Although the specific materials and examples discussed throughout the course will be drawn primarily from mission-based organizations (i.e. government and not-for-profit organizations), the skills and analytic techniques learned in the class will be applicable to any type of entity.