A big part of running a nonprofit is managing the money. Donations, sponsorships, team payments, daily expenditures… All of these and more must be juggled efficiently for the success of your organization. 

Having a non-profit budget template that you go to and use regularly can help you ease the strain of monitoring income and costs. 

An effective budget will support you in coordinating daily spending and make it possible to pay your staff what they deserve. It will also give you a scope of how you can continue to grow your company.

Without it, you may find yourself scraping by and struggling to further your cause in the way you hope. 

Below, we’ll share a guide to creating a trusty budget template that will keep your finances in check and you can use over and over again.

What To Include In Your Nonprofit Budget Template

There are many things to consider when creating a nonprofit budget template. As with any other business, you need to account for operating costs like staff, petty cash, office space, etc. 

However, you also need to keep in mind that profitable businesses do not rely on the charity of others as you do. 

Without sponsors, donors, and other income sources and supporters of your cause, you will not have enough funds to operate. Since these funds aren’t constantly guaranteed, you need to keep a keen eye on expenditure and secure your rainy day fund for difficult periods in your advocacy. 

So, these are the fundamental areas you should absolutely include in your template:

1. Facilities/Office Expenses

Whether you operate virtually or in person, there will be spatial costs that come with running your organization. 

Virtually, this includes providing your team with technological devices like laptops, Wi-Fi, and more. You may also have to pay for some software that enables you to coordinate internal tasks online.

Physically, facilities costs include renting or purchasing office space with parking for employees. It also entails ensuring all employees have access to the space when needed, which may involve key access management. 

Other utilities you may include in your nonprofit budget template include Wi-Fi or internet, running water, and electricity, coffee and other office refreshments, safety management, maintenance, cleaning, etc.

2. Employee Payments

Great employees are the core of any prosperous business and will be the bulk of your regular monthly costs. Of course, you may have volunteers that come in to assist from time to time and you may still have to spend on them by providing refreshments or showing them appreciation in some way. But, you will need a central team that ensures your organization remains functional. 

Not only do you have to account for their salaries, but you also need to consider other factors like employee benefits. Benefits may include health and life insurance, pension and 401(k), paid sick leave, parental leave, and more.

You also have to think about employee taxes. Nonprofit organizations do not have to pay federal or state taxes, however, they do have to pay employee tax for all staff members.

3. Tech & Other Admin Necessities

Administration, like employees, will form the basic operations of your organization. Depending on the range of tasks your team must undertake, you will have to consider various admin costs. However, there are some common costs you can pre-empt including stationery and other office supplies, devices like printers, computers, and the like.

Administrative costs may be more specific to your organization, your cause, and how you work. For example, collaborative infrastructure like Google Docs or communication channels like Slack will certainly come in handy in helping you work as a team. 

It would be wise to also use fundraising software, find marketing apps like Canva, and more. Creating a reliable and comprehensive tech suite from the get-go will make it easy to take new things on as they arise. 

4. Programming

Never forget the aim of your institution when budgeting. What is your cause and how will you get your society, community, and others to engage? That’s where programming comes in. 

With your team and organizational capacity in mind, you must decide what kind of programs or events you will offer. These programs will teach and conscientize people about your cause. 

Organizing these programs or events come at a cost to you. You need to plan or create them, find support staff, rent a venue if necessary, and more.  So, you need to factor them into your nonprofit budget template. 

Some examples of programs may include:

• Webinars, panels, and talks
• Digital courses or videos
• Activities centered around your cause (i.e.: litter clean-up days for environment nonprofits or pride walks for LGBTQIA+ organizations)
• Fundraisers like raffles, silent auctions, virtual auctions, and more

5. Marketing 

Certainly, you want as many people as possible to know about and support your cause.

Marketing (together with fundraising and programming) will also help boost donations, create visibility around your organization, and establish your nonprofit as a brand. This includes how you market yourself to potential sponsors and partners, volunteers and other collaborators, as well as the general public.

Marketing line items to add to your nonprofit budget template include:

• Graphic design tools (eg. Canva or Adobe Creative Cloud)
• Marketing automation and management tools like Buffer and Hootsuite 
• Email marketing systems
• Grant writers for grant proposals
• Traditional marketing budget for TV, newspaper, and radio ads

6. Rainy Day Fund

Don’t forget your rainy day fund! Having an amount set aside for emergencies will benefit you immensely in the long run. You can take from it for unexpected expenses or when your income hits a dip.

It may be worthwhile to set up a separate savings account for your rainy day fund. That way, it can accrue some interest when you don’t need it.

Nonprofit Budget Template Example

Here is a basic example of a nonprofit budget template that you can use as a starting point:

Final Thoughts

A nonprofit budget template can transform how you handle your finances. Find one that works for you today to help you stay organized, keep your money right, and grow your organization in a sustainable way.