People

Vanessa Wassenar

CEO

Creating Resilient Schools

Vanessa Wassenar is CEO of Creating Resilient Schools, working primarily with schools and nonprofits in times of change, whether administrative/leadership, financial, accreditation, strategic and closure. She has worked in academic, educational and scientific administration around the U.S. and in the U.K. for more than 40 years.

Online Courses

Budget Meets Mission: School Finance for Non-Business Leaders

Understand the independent school business model, learn to be a good steward of your school's financial resources and work more collaboratively around financial issues.
Engaging in Difficult Conversations with Employees

Learn to engage with employees in an empathetic manner while still clearly conveying important information and safeguarding your school from liability.
Human Resources Fundamentals for Independent Schools

Learn how to address day-to-day human resources challenges such as evaluation and termination, FMLA, the ADA and employee classification.
Leave Law Boot Camp

Learn about best practices related to employee leave and how federal leave laws intersect and overlap.
Long-Range Financial Modeling

Learn how to customize and manipulate NBOA's Long-Range Financial Model, a powerful financial planning tool for your school.
Measuring Financial Health with the Composite Financial Index

Calculate your school's Composite Financial Index (CFI) score — a tool trusted in higher education for decades — and learn how you can use the score and its 4 underlying ratios to think strategically about your school's financial strengths and weaknesses.
Nonprofit Accounting Fundamentals for Independent Schools

Learn the fundamentals of nonprofit accounting and reporting by exploring governance structures, internal control strategies, financial statements and compliance essentials.
Payroll Best Practices for Independent Schools

Learn about best practices related to payroll including employee classification and overtime pay, deductions and taxability and the complexity of calculating a faculty member’s final paycheck when they leave mid-year.
Safeguarding the Future: Enterprise Risk Management

This course will equip school leaders to identify, document and strategically manage the risks facing independent schools. It covers the principles of enterprise risk management (ERM) and provides tools and resources to institute an ERM program.
Stewarding Donor Dollars: Financial Principles for Contributions

Learn best practices related to gift reporting, compliance and donor stewardship, as well as how to develop a successful and strategic partnership between the financial and development functions at your school.
Strategic HR Leadership

Learn to develop and communicate your school's personnel management strategy and to be responsive to a changing market.
The Business and Art of Financial Aid

Learn tactical best practices related to the financial aid process to enhance the strategic partnership between the business and admissions offices and ensure long-term success.
Wage and Hour Boot Camp

Learn the ins and outs of wage and hour law, including the aspects that are unique to educational environments.

Past Webinars

Optimizing the Auxiliary Workforce: Compliance, Culture & Sustainability This item is protected

January 9, 2026

This webinar invites school leaders to rethink auxiliary staffing — across summer, afterschool, enrichment and other programs — as a lever for sustainability, compliance and culture-building.
The Fine Art of Handling Conflict for Business Officers This item is protected

December 5, 2025

This webinar will equip attendees with practical strategies to navigate disputes with clarity and confidence, and offers actionable insights on handling complaints and resolving conflict in ways that foster collaboration and strengthen relationships.
Tuition, Trends, Trouble: What College Closures Signal for Independent Schools This item is protected

November 21, 2025

Explore financial sustainability for independent schools by analyzing college closures. Learn strategies to navigate risks and build resilience based on what may be gleaned from higher ed’s warning signs.
Small School, Big Solutions: Navigating Mission, Money and Innovation This item is protected

November 7, 2025

The financial reality of a school can deeply inform its mission. Discover how a small school's inherent need for innovation sparks powerful, scalable solutions for schools of all sizes to be nimble when resources are limited.
Durable Campus Planning: Aligning Vision with Strategic Purpose This item is protected

October 24, 2025

Learn how The Governor’s Academy aligned educational priorities with campus development in a new campus planning process that engaged the school community. The resulting plan now guides the adaptive reuse of facilities and enhanced academic programs.

Net Assets Articles

Healthy Alternatives: ICHRA Plans This item is protected

January 9, 2026

As health insurance premiums rise, some schools are adopting alternatives to fully insured plans, including ICHRAs, MERPs and MEWAs.
2026 Updates To Mileage Rates, Contribution Limits and Charitable Giving This item is protected

January 8, 2026

Annual adjustments from the IRS and Treasury as well as changes in labor law will impact operational costs at independent schools.
Byte Size AI: Experimenting In House This item is protected

January 6, 2026

Ari Hausman is using generative AI to negotiate better contracts and more quickly develop financial presentations, and surmises it will fill software gaps in the future.
Leading with Purpose: Five Reflections from CEO Notebook in 2025

December 16, 2025

Authentic leadership, data-informed planning and easier ways to manage risk were among the top themes for the year.
Best of Net Assets Magazine 2025

December 15, 2025

From salary transparency to AI governance, these 13 standout Net Assets articles cover the most pressing issues for independent school business offices.

FEATURED

Plan Smarter with the Fully Updated and Expanded NBOA Long-Range Financial Model

The upgraded LRFM helps you model tuition, staffing, and revenue over 10 years. Build confidence in your school’s financial decisions—before they’re made.

RECENT DISCUSSIONS

NBOA CAREERS

Chief Financial and Operating Officer

The Hotchkiss School
Associate Head for Finance and Operations/Chief Financial Officer

The Masters School
Associate Head of School

Near North Montessori School

VISIT CAREERS

Vanessa Wassenar

Online Courses

Budget Meets Mission: School Finance for Non-Business Leaders

Engaging in Difficult Conversations with Employees

Human Resources Fundamentals for Independent Schools

Leave Law Boot Camp

Long-Range Financial Modeling

Measuring Financial Health with the Composite Financial Index

Nonprofit Accounting Fundamentals for Independent Schools

Payroll Best Practices for Independent Schools

Safeguarding the Future: Enterprise Risk Management

Stewarding Donor Dollars: Financial Principles for Contributions

Strategic HR Leadership

The Business and Art of Financial Aid

Wage and Hour Boot Camp

Past Webinars

Optimizing the Auxiliary Workforce: Compliance, Culture & Sustainability This item is protected

The Fine Art of Handling Conflict for Business Officers This item is protected

Tuition, Trends, Trouble: What College Closures Signal for Independent Schools This item is protected

Small School, Big Solutions: Navigating Mission, Money and Innovation This item is protected

Durable Campus Planning: Aligning Vision with Strategic Purpose This item is protected

Net Assets Articles

Healthy Alternatives: ICHRA Plans This item is protected

2026 Updates To Mileage Rates, Contribution Limits and Charitable Giving This item is protected

Byte Size AI: Experimenting In House This item is protected

Leading with Purpose: Five Reflections from CEO Notebook in 2025

Best of Net Assets Magazine 2025

FEATURED

Plan Smarter with the Fully Updated and Expanded NBOA Long-Range Financial Model

RECENT DISCUSSIONS

NBOA CAREERS

Chief Financial and Operating Officer

Associate Head for Finance and Operations/Chief Financial Officer

Associate Head of School

Become an NBOA Member