Blackbaud

APRIL 7, 2025

Like your K12 private school budget. A well-crafted budget is essential for aligning financial resources with the strategic goals of your private school, and with the right processes and tools, it doesnt have to be stressful. It sets in motion the goals youve outlined in your strategic plan.

Budget 59

Budget Strategic Plan Template Conference 59

Planned Giving

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

This quick guide outlines approximate numbers for budgeting planned giving efforts across organizations of various sizes, offering actionable benchmarks to help secure financial sustainability. Targeting higher education primarily, the strategies here also apply to nonprofits with operating budgets between $1 million and $60 million.

Budget 52

Budget Training Demographics Goals 52

Tony Martignetti

NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Sarah Olivieri: Align Your Money With Your Goals There’s a dimension to your budgeting you might be missing: Organizing your budget so you know what impact your money is achieving for you, and you know the costs connected to your goals. Sarah Olivieri returns to help you course correct. She’s the founder of PivotGround.

Goals 130

Goals Budget Nonprofit Fundraising 130

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 12, 2025

Youre deep in a federal proposal, juggling 10 stakeholders, two budgets, and a narrative that still needs serious polishthen your inbox pings: Hey, can I shadow you today? Welcome to the wild world of mentoring junior grant writers. Sure, its rewarding. Once its in place, it saves hours of explainingand re-explaining.

Training 130

Training Logic Model Grants Grant 130

Allied Grant Writers

DECEMBER 29, 2024

Introduction to Grant Budgets Understanding the financial aspects of grant applications, particularly budgeting, is essential for both small businesses and non-profits. A well-structured budget can significantly impact the chances of securing funding.

Budget 52

Budget Indirect Cost Grants Grant 52

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 8, 2025

Clarify Expectations Early Meet with leadership to define realistic goals: How many grants per quarter? Rally Internal Support Designate grant champions across departments to help gather data, stories, and budget inputs. To cope effectively, heres what works best: 1. What types of funders? unrelated fundraising, event planning).

Grants 130

Grants Grant Calendar Grant Calendar 130

Millionaire Grant Lady

JANUARY 24, 2025

At minimum, you will always want to submit your IRS Determination Letter, proving that youre a non-profit, and a program budget (or overall budget, if youre looking for general operating funding). Program Budget: An ideal program budget will include both revenue and expenses, and these amounts should balance or come close to it.

Funding 130

Funding Grants Grant Budget 130

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

MAY 9, 2025

You poured hours (maybe days) into aligning with the funders goals, crafting the perfect narrative, collecting data, and double-checking every attachment. Budget constraints, shifting priorities, or behind-the-scenes politics often drive the final call. Or that your budget needed more justification. Send a polite email.

Proposal 130

Proposal Grant Writing Budget Grants 130

Blackbaud

MAY 6, 2024

Like a good recipe, your nonprofit budget requires high-quality ingredients, easy-to-follow steps, and a knowledgeable cook or two to put it together. Here are a few simple steps to help you create a solid budget that helps your organization allocate resources effectively and makes your budgeting process easier.

Budget 119

Budget Strategic Plan Finance Insurance 119

The NonProfit Times

MAY 28, 2024

By Jackie Sue Griffin Securing grant funding is crucial to a nonprofit’s growth, and it starts with crafting a well-planned and realistic budget. Understanding the specific requirements and limitations outlined in the grant application is crucial for developing a budget that aligns with the funder’s priorities and expectations.

Budget 115

Budget Indirect Cost Funding Grants 115

Ann Green's Nonprofit

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

By Jon Osterburg If you work for a new nonprofit, your team’s primary goal is probably to get your operations off the ground and start furthering your mission. Every other aspect of nonprofit financial management stems from this infrastructure—from budgeting and tax filing to setting fiscal goals in your strategic plan.

Finance 147

Finance Policy Policies Nonprofit 147

GrantNews

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Private foundations Community foundations Corporations State Government Local Government Federal Government Pro Tip: If your organization is small (budget under $1 million), new (in existence for less than five years), or has never received a grant larger than $45,000, smaller foundations will be your best funding sources.

Grants 115

Grants Grant Proposal Application 115

Candid

DECEMBER 20, 2023

This includes creating an annual operating budget , a document that breaks down your organization’s revenue, or the money you’ll bring in, and expenses, or the money going out to cover your costs, for each fiscal year. In this guide, we’ll walk through four essential steps to build an operating budget for your new nonprofit.

Budget 108

Budget Strategic Plan Nonprofit Goals 108

Blackbaud

MARCH 7, 2025

We build a budget that is fair, balanced, and built on evidential history, but flexible ready for whatever hiccups and bumps come along. Im sure everyone is mildly familiar with budgeting. Meetings, approvals, and publication of the finalized budget are involved. How do you communicate the change in your plans, your budget?

Budget 81

Budget Management Finance Utilities 81

Blackbaud

MARCH 20, 2025

While you may already have an annual budget and are reporting against it, the question remains: are you planning for cash? Good cash flow planning helps you spot potential trouble before it has a chance to derail your strategic goals. Begin by taking your monthly budget and assuming you pay everything on the first of the month.

Management 102

Management Finance Budget Nonprofit 102

Blackbaud

DECEMBER 12, 2024

If, like my client, youre asking if its time to change your fundraising CRM , the starting point is understanding your current situation (your team, your data, and your needs) as well as your goals for the future. Save budget talks for the evaluation phase. Stay within budget : What are the true costs of changing CRMs?

CRM 105

CRM IT Budget Training 105

AmpliFund

MARCH 13, 2024

In our recent webinar, I detailed ways to improve grant budgeting and ease financial reporting. Key considerations for your budget planning process: Strong financial planning in the early grant stages sets the stage for successful program implementation and reporting. Photo by kanchanachitkhamma from Canva.

Budget 103

Budget Amplifund Grants Grant 103

Blackbaud

MARCH 3, 2025

Your ultimate goal is to channel as many resources as possible toward your mission. But how do you justify spending money on a budgeting tool instead of supplies for an after-school program? Would this investment speed up budgeting, provide more accurate data, or mitigate risk? Be sure to clearly lay that out.

Finance 88

Finance Strategic Plan Proposal Goals 88

Blackbaud

JANUARY 13, 2025

This alignment prevents mission creep and maintains the integrity of your nonprofit’s goals. Factor in all costs, including staff time, and forecast different scenariosbest case, worst case, and most likelyto understand the impact on your budget. The goal is long-term sustainability with minimal additional resources.

Finance 105

Finance Strategic Plan Consulting Consultant 105

Veritus Group

MAY 8, 2024

We recommend setting an aspirational goal that will help you imagine the possibility of asking for a larger gift. The post Do You Need Both Revenue AND Aspirational Goals in Major Gifts? appeared first on Veritus Group.

Goals 109

Goals Budget Finance Fundraising 109

Pamela Grow

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Your overwhelm is the goal. Invest in the Long Term: Giles Pegram, a UK consultant, found that a $1 million investment in fundraising produced a 12x return over 14 years compared to traditional investments.But nonprofits often demand immediate results, tying fundraising to one-year or three-year budgets. Passive even.

Fundraising 130

Fundraising Demographics Consulting Consultant 130

CauseVox

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

Spur Local’s Donation Counter Spur Local used a donation counter to add a sense of urgency and community as everyone rallied together to hit the goal. As you can see in the Feed Montana example above, they exceeded their goal of $85,000, filling up the green progress meter to 100%!

Fundraising 97

Fundraising Donation Goals Funding 97

GiveSmart

DECEMBER 3, 2024

What else can your nonprofit do to have a strategic end-of-the-year to reach your goals? As you finalize your plans, here are a few questions you and your team should ask yo urselves: How are the organization’s actuals trending toward 2024 goals? What are my nonprofit’s needs between now and the end of the year?

Goals 111

Goals Donation Template Utilities 111

Blackbaud

MARCH 10, 2025

If theyre entrusting their money to your organization, they need to have faith that youll use it to advance your stated goals. Goals : Sharing your goals is a key way to inform stakeholders about ways you intend to act on your mission and what outcomes you expect to have. And they’re savvy investors. That builds trust.

Finance 96

Finance Fundraising Software Budget 96

Clairification

JULY 18, 2024

With staff cut back and budgets diminished, you need to target your resources wisely. You get a huge bang for your buck from an individual major gifts program, which costs you roughly 10 cents on the dollar vs. 50 cents or more on the dollar for special events fundraising and actually losing money on direct mail donor acquisition.

Nonprofit 270

Nonprofit Budget Fundraising Goals 270

Blackbaud

JUNE 12, 2025

Engage program managers and finance teams to ensure the project is feasible and aligns with organizational goals. They also show funders that you understand their goals and how your project aligns with them. Important activities: Gather necessary documents, develop narratives, build budgets, and secure internal approvals.

Grants 71

Grants Grant Grant Management Award 71

GrantNews

JANUARY 9, 2025

How to Get Approval on Your Grant Application Common Reasons a Grant Is Rejected Since your goal is to get approval on your grant application, let’s look at the most common reasons a grant is rejected, along with the solutions. Unfeasible Budget: The higher the funding amount, the more stringent the rules.

Application 67

Application Applicant Grants Grant 67

Big Fundraising Ideas

MARCH 4, 2025

This extensive overview, which is packed with practical tips, humorous touches, and clear fundraising goals, helps schools plan events that resonate with parents, students, and supporters. Budget-friendly : The cost of sending a candy gram can be low, appealing to many students. Clear goals motivatedonors.

Goals 52

Goals Fundraising Donation Electronics 52

Ann Green's Nonprofit

JUNE 10, 2025

Final Thoughts You don’t need a huge staff or a big budget to pull off events like those mentioned in this guide. Aligning with corporate social responsibility goals. Think about strategic ways to stretch your resources, such as: Leveraging partnerships.

Fundraising 156

Fundraising Education Template Conference 156

Candid

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Nonprofits should consider in-kind or pro bono asks as part of every initiative and assess whether there is a need that a corporate partner could provide that would be budget relieving. Moreover, 84% set departmental goals related to community engagement, and 68% include community engagement in performance reviews.

Nonprofit 111

Nonprofit Training Metrics Donation 111

Candid

JANUARY 28, 2025

According to Salesforces Nonprofit Trend Report , digitally mature nonprofits are 4x more likely than their peers to achieve their mission goals. According to the National Council of Nonprofits , 92% of nonprofits have annual budgets under $1 million, while the typical nonprofit is community-based, serving local needs.

Funding 87

Funding Nonprofit Budget Strategic Plan 87

Blackbaud

FEBRUARY 14, 2025

Budget Line Item for Reserves: Include a specific line item in the budget dedicated to contributing to the operating reserves. Multi-Year Capital Budgets: Incorporate reserve contributions into multi-year capital budgets to ensure consistent replenishment over time.

Management 104

Management Policy Policies Budget 104

Blackbaud

APRIL 21, 2025

An RFP is a formal document that outlines your organizations needs, expectations, budget, and selection criteria when hiring vendors or consultants for a task. Define Your Goals A well-defined goal is a critical foundation for your RFP, guiding your nonprofits questions and qualification criteria.

Proposal 66

Proposal Template Budget Nonprofit 66

Grant Writer Team

APRIL 17, 2025

Outline Your Project and Its Purpose Begin by clearly outlining the project and its main goals. These elements show your dedication and alignment with funders’ goals. Build a Realistic Budget Create a clear, itemized budget for the project. 10 Steps to Strengthen Your Next Grant Proposal 1.

Grants 64

Grants Grant Proposal Grant Writing 64

GrantNews

JUNE 12, 2025

However, you don’t need a million-dollar budget to make a difference. Transparent Reports: Funding for Your Nonprofit Build trust with your team and supporters by providing a clear, realistic budget. Utilize budgeting tools to monitor spending patterns. Set realistic goals and systematically reevaluate your strategies.

Funding 64

Funding Grant Calendar Grants Calendar Nonprofit 64

Blackbaud

JANUARY 9, 2025

Operating Reserve Policies To help institutionalize operating reserve best practices and provide a pathway for a clear set of purposes, definitions, and goals, have a formal operating reserve policy in place prepared by senior management and staff and approved by the Board. All these benefits will not appear to everyone at the same time.

Policy 98

Policy Policies Budget Management 98

Blackbaud

JANUARY 14, 2025

While you may be aware on a general level that your CRM platform is becoming a headwind to your organization achieving its fundraising goals, the prospect of migrating vast amounts of data, retraining staff, and committing the money and resources required for a successful upgrade can make it tempting to say, Lets make do for another year.

CRM 105

CRM Readiness AI Management 105