Cash Flow Waterfall Chart Template
A cash flow waterfall shows opening balance, every inflow and outflow by category, and closing cash in a single view. CFOs and finance teams use it in board reporting, lender presentations, and treasury reviews to show exactly how cash moved through the period.
Sample data
Copy this into the editor to get started. Replace the labels and values with your own numbers.
| Category | Value ($K) |
|---|---|
| Opening Cash | 1200 |
| Customer Receipts | 3800 |
| Supplier Payments | -2100 |
| Payroll | -900 |
| Capital Expenditure | -450 |
| Loan Repayment | -200 |
| Closing Cash | 1350 |
How to read it
The opening and closing cash bars sit on the baseline. Inflows appear as upward bars, outflows as downward bars. The closing bar shows the net result — if it's higher than opening, cash increased. If lower, the business consumed cash. The individual bars tell you exactly which activities generated or consumed the most cash.
When to use it
Board and investor reporting
Boards and investors track cash closely. A waterfall makes it immediately clear whether the business is generating or consuming cash, and which activities are driving it.
Lender and covenant reporting
Banks and lenders often require cash flow reporting. A waterfall chart alongside the statement makes the narrative clear — they can see at a glance where cash went and whether the business is managing it well.
Monthly treasury reviews
Finance teams use cash flow waterfalls to monitor liquidity and spot patterns — which outflows are growing, whether receipts timing is improving, and how much runway remains.