A nonprofit budget is fundamental tool. Think of it as a road map for the upcoming year. A well-planned budget demonstrates your nonprofit’s ability to responsibly manage your financial resources—an important factor for donors, corporate investors, and grantmaking institutions.

Your budget should include:

• Projected Income: Typically, this includes gifts, grants, membership fees, and/or income from fundraising events or investments.
• Planned Expenses: Typically, expenses are broken into two distinct sections—overhead expenses and program expenses. Overhead includes management, general, and fundraising expenses (for example, rent and utilities). Program expenses are associated with the fulfillment of your mission (for example, the cost of supplies for a class for at-risk youth).

Download our free nonprofit budget template to get started now. You will have access to a pre-formatted spreadsheet that you can use to document your projected income and expenses.