How do I support a fundraise from the finance side?

Being handed the finance side of a raise without knowing how to support it is a common, uncomfortable spot. The work looks like a closed world with its own language. But underneath, your job is simpler than it feels: give the founders and investors numbers they can rely on and answers they can trust. Start with what a raise actually needs from finance. A clear picture of where money goes, a model that shows the plan, and clean answers to the questions investors ask most: how much runway, what drives growth, where the risk sits. You don't have to invent this. You have to prepare it, carefully and honestly. Ask the person leading the raise one question: what are the three numbers investors will care about most? Then go make those three numbers solid and easy to explain. Understanding grows from doing one real piece, not from waiting until you feel ready.