It should include some typical sources of revenue and expenses, which saves you time on listing everything out. If any of the sources don’t apply to you, you can just delete them—likewise, you can add anything that’s missing. About three to six months before the end of the fiscal year, an organization starts developing a proposed budget.

Step 1: Check the current financial health

• With the right tools and strategies, your nonprofit can confidently build a financial foundation for 2025 that ensures stability and amplifies your mission.
• With top-down budgeting, you can ensure all departments and programs in your organization are working towards the same goal.
• A nonprofit budget template is essential for nonprofit organizations to manage their financial resources effectively.
• While you won’t be able to predict every challenge or shortcoming your nonprofit might face, you can prepare as best as possible by making your budget flexible.
• Tracking this number tells you how much you have with you at any given point.

Many foundations and most government agencies will have detailed rules about what can and cannot be included in a proposal budget. This organizing principle will help to track spending against your The Key Benefits of Accounting Services for Nonprofit Organizations budget throughout the year and allow managers to identify what flexibility is available to them for mid-year adjustments. Additionally, think about organizing your budget document to group together expenses and expense areas that are the responsibility of each manager. Remember that underfunding these areas often leads to inefficiency and reduced impact over time.

Shoestring Budgets Are Risky

It’s important to create a budget for each event you host—not only to account for these expenses, but also to allocate the revenue you’ll need to cover these costs. Evaluate what funding your nonprofit already has on hand, and make strategic decisions about how to fundraise effectively during the event. A key component of financial sustainability is the commitment of board and staff to financial management that includes timely review of financial reports and advance planning. One way that board and staff plan for income and expenses in the future is by creating a budget.

• Having a detailed plan, such as a nonprofit budget sample for each program or fundraising activity, helps you maintain transparency and meet donor expectations.
• These expenses are vital in ensuring that essential services and goods reach remote or underserved areas where they are needed most.
• It integrates budgeting and fundraising in one easy to use dashboard making it easier for you to track donations and allocate funds with ease.
• The best practices we shared in this guide are the fundamentals of sound budgeting for nonprofit organizations.
• Although you’ll finalize a new operating budget at the start of each fiscal year, budgeting shouldn’t be a one-and-done event.
• That’s why Relay (that’s us! 👋) helps nonprofits organize cash across multiple checking accounts.
• Partner with Jitasa to create accurate, actionable budgets for your nonprofit.

Financial Control Recommendations For Small Nonprofits

This shows the importance of operating budgets, because a $13 million organization is very different than a $475 million organization. Simplify your nonprofit budgeting process with Zeffy, the only 100% free fundraising platform. By choosing Zeffy, you can save more on your nonprofit’s expenses and keep 100% of your donations, with no hidden charges.

Benchmarks & Insights for Growing Revenue and Constituents

Make sure this happens well before the new fiscal year begins, so you have time to make https://nerdbot.com/2025/06/10/the-key-benefits-of-accounting-services-for-nonprofit-organizations/ any last-minute edits that the board recommends. This budget template is designed to help nonprofits quickly and accurately estimate operating expenses while creating a plan to reach their goals in the new year. Every nonprofit is unique, so feel free to adjust the categories and templates to fit your needs. Most likely, your organization’s executive director will lead the budgeting process, but a nonprofit accountant can also provide support.

That way, you’ll know to keep your predicted expenses low enough that you can still cover them if you fall short of your ‘reach’ goal. Unfortunately, it often excludes people outside an organization’s finance team. Similarly, the budget is often too focused on the present knowns without regard for the unknowns or the future. As previously mentioned, the contingency line is about preparing for the unexpected within the budget year.

Google Grant Workshop

Having a shared understanding and buy-in from senior leaders, financial staff, and program managers is critical to both creating the budget and to using the information for planning and strategic decisions. All funding sources can fluctuate, even government grants can dry up or disappear. This is why it’s so important to diversify your income streams as much as possible so you’re never reliant on one funding source. Some ways to do this can be hosting different or seasonal fundraising events, offering membership programs, or partnering with local businesses for sponsorships. Additionally, setting aside a small portion of your revenues during periods of surplus can act as a financial cushion if it’s possible.

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