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Start » strategy, how to write a nonprofit business plan.

A nonprofit business plan ensures your organization’s fundraising and activities align with your core mission.

 Four people wearing green T-shirts and high-visibility yellow vests stand at a table outside a building, packing cardboard boxes. The two people on the left, both women with long curly hair, are packing a box with cans of food. The two people on the right, both men, are speaking to each other while the shorter man on the left looks down at a long, flat box.

Every nonprofit needs a mission statement that demonstrates how the organization will support a social cause and provide a public benefit. A nonprofit business plan fleshes out this mission statement in greater detail. These plans include many of the same elements as a for-profit business plan, with a focus on fundraising, creating a board of directors, raising awareness, and staying compliant with IRS regulations. A nonprofit business plan can be instrumental in getting your organization off the ground successfully.

Start with your mission statement

The mission statement is foundational for your nonprofit organization. The IRS will review your mission statement in determining whether to grant you tax-exempt status. This statement also helps you recruit volunteers and staff, fundraise, and plan activities for the year.

[Read more: Writing a Mission Statement: A Step-by-Step Guide ]

Therefore, you should start your business plan with a clear mission statement in the executive summary. The executive summary can also cover, at a high level, the goals, vision, and unique strengths of your nonprofit organization. Keep this section brief, since you will be going into greater detail in later sections.

Identify a board of directors

Many business plans include a section identifying the people behind the operation: your key leaders, volunteers, and full-time employees. For nonprofits, it’s also important to identify your board of directors. The board of directors is ultimately responsible for hiring and managing the CEO of your nonprofit.

“Board members are the fiduciaries who steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the nonprofit has adequate resources to advance its mission,” wrote the Council of Nonprofits.

As such, identify members of your board in your business plan to give potential donors confidence in the management of your nonprofit.

Be as realistic as possible about the impact you can make with the funding you hope to gain.

Describe your organization’s activities

In this section, provide more information about what your nonprofit does on a day-to-day basis. What products, training, education, or other services do you provide? What does your organization do to benefit the constituents identified in your mission statement? Here’s an example from the American Red Cross, courtesy of DonorBox :

“The American Red Cross carries out their mission to prevent and relieve suffering with five key services: disaster relief, supporting America’s military families, lifesaving blood, health and safety services, and international service.”

This section should be detailed and get into the operational weeds of how your business delivers on its mission statement. Explain the strategies your team will take to service clients, including outreach and marketing, inventory and equipment needs, a hiring plan, and other key elements.

Write a fundraising plan

This part is the most important element of your business plan. In addition to providing required financial statements (e.g., the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement), identify potential sources of funding for your nonprofit. These may include individual donors, corporate donors, grants, or in-kind support. If you are planning to host a fundraising event, put together a budget for that event and demonstrate the anticipated impact that event will have on your budget.

Create an impact plan

An impact plan ties everything together. It demonstrates how your fundraising and day-to-day activities will further your mission. For potential donors, it can make a very convincing case for why they should invest in your nonprofit.

“This section turns your purpose and motivation into concrete accomplishments your nonprofit wants to make and sets specific goals and objectives,” wrote DonorBox . “These define the real bottom line of your nonprofit, so they’re the key to unlocking support. Funders want to know for whom, in what way, and exactly how you’ll measure your impact.”

Be as realistic as possible about the impact you can make with the funding you hope to gain. Revisit your business plan as your organization grows to make sure the goals you’ve set both align with your mission and continue to be within reach.

[Read more: 8 Signs It's Time to Update Your Business Plan ]

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Business Planning for Nonprofits

Business planning is a way of systematically answering questions such as, “What problem(s) are we trying to solve?” or “What are we trying to achieve?” and also, “Who will get us there, by when, and how much money and other resources will it take?”

The business planning process takes into account the nonprofit’s mission and vision, the role of the board, and external environmental factors, such as the climate for fundraising.

Ideally, the business planning process also critically examines basic assumptions about the nonprofit’s operating environment. What if the sources of income that exist today change in the future? Is the nonprofit too reliant on one foundation for revenue? What happens if there’s an economic downturn?

A business plan can help the nonprofit and its board be prepared for future risks. What is the likelihood that the planned activities will continue as usual, and that revenue will continue at current levels – and what is Plan B if they don't?

Narrative of a business plan

You can think of a business plan as a narrative or story explaining how the nonprofit will operate given its activities, its sources of revenue, its expenses, and the inevitable changes in its internal and external environments over time. Ideally, your plan will tell the story in a way that will make sense to someone not intimately familiar with the nonprofit’s operations.

According to  Propel Nonprofits , business plans usually should have four components that identify revenue sources/mix; operations costs; program costs; and capital structure.

A business plan outlines the expected income sources to support the charitable nonprofit's activities. What types of revenue will the nonprofit rely on to keep its engine running – how much will be earned, how much from government grants or contracts, how much will be contributed? Within each of those broad categories, how much diversification exists, and should they be further diversified? Are there certain factors that need to be in place in order for today’s income streams to continue flowing?

The plan should address the everyday costs needed to operate the organization, as well as costs of specific programs and activities.

The plan may include details about the need for the organization's services (a needs assessment), the likelihood that certain funding will be available (a feasibility study), or changes to the organization's technology or staffing that will be needed in the future.

Another aspect of a business plan could be a "competitive analysis" describing what other entities may be providing similar services in the nonprofit's service and mission areas. What are their sources of revenue and staffing structures? How do their services and capacities differ from those of your nonprofit?

Finally, the business plan should name important assumptions, such as the organization's reserve policies. Do your nonprofit’s policies require it to have at least six months of operating cash on hand? Do you have different types of cash reserves that require different levels of board approval to release?

The idea is to identify the known, and take into consideration the unknown, realities of the nonprofit's operations, and propose how the nonprofit will continue to be financially healthy.  If the underlying assumptions or current conditions change, then having a plan can be useful to help identify adjustments that must be made to respond to changes in the nonprofit's operating environment.

Basic format of a business plan

The format may vary depending on the audience. A business plan prepared for a bank to support a loan application may be different than a business plan that board members use as the basis for budgeting. Here is a typical outline of the format for a business plan:

  • Table of contents
  • Executive summary - Name the problem the nonprofit is trying to solve: its mission, and how it accomplishes its mission.
  • People: overview of the nonprofit’s board, staffing, and volunteer structure and who makes what happen
  • Market opportunities/competitive analysis
  • Programs and services: overview of implementation
  • Contingencies: what could change?
  • Financial health: what is the current status, and what are the sources of revenue to operate programs and advance the mission over time?
  • Assumptions and proposed changes: What needs to be in place for this nonprofit to continue on sound financial footing?

More About Business Planning

Budgeting for Nonprofits

Strategic Planning

Contact your state association of nonprofits  for support and resources related to business planning, strategic planning, and other fundamentals of nonprofit leadership. 

Additional Resources

  • Components of transforming nonprofit business models  (Propel Nonprofits)
  • The matrix map: a powerful tool for nonprofit sustainability  (Nonprofit Quarterly)
  • The Nonprofit Business Plan: A Leader's Guide to Creating a Successful Business Model  (David La Piana, Heather Gowdy, Lester Olmstead-Rose, and Brent Copen, Turner Publishing)
  • Nonprofit Earned Income: Critical Business Model Considerations for Nonprofits (Nonprofit Financial Commons)
  • Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability  (Jan Masaoka, Steve Zimmerman, and Jeanne Bell)

Disclaimer: Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is neither intended to be nor should be construed as legal, accounting, tax, investment, or financial advice. Please consult a professional (attorney, accountant, tax advisor) for the latest and most accurate information. The National Council of Nonprofits makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein.

Raise More & Grow Your Nonprofit.

The complete guide to writing a nonprofit business plan.

August 14, 2019

Leadership & Management

July 7, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Statistics from the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) show that there are over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations currently operating in the U.S. alone. Many of these organizations are hard at work helping people in need and addressing the great issues of our time. However, doing good work doesn’t necessarily translate into long-term success and financial stability. Other information has shown that around 12% of non-profits don’t make it past the 5-year mark, and this number expands to 17% at the 10-year mark.

12% of non-profits don’t make it past the 5-year mark and 17% at the 10-year mark

There are a variety of challenges behind these sobering statistics. In many cases, a nonprofit can be sunk before it starts due to a lack of a strong nonprofit business plan. Below is a complete guide to understanding why a nonprofit needs a business plan in place, and how to construct one, piece by piece.

The purpose of a nonprofit business plan

A business plan for a nonprofit is similar to that of a for-profit business plan, in that you want it to serve as a clear, complete roadmap for your organization. When your plan is complete, questions such as "what goals are we trying to accomplish?" or "what is the true purpose of our organization?" should be clear and simple to answer.

how to start a nonprofit business plan

Your nonprofit business plan should provide answers to the following questions:

1. What activities do you plan to pursue in order to meet the organization’s high level goals?

2. What's your plan on getting revenue to fund these activities?

3. What are your operating costs and specifically how do these break down?

Note that there’s a difference between a business plan and a strategic plan, though there may be some overlap. A strategic plan is more conceptual, with different ideas you have in place to try and meet the organization’s greater vision (such as fighting homelessness or raising climate change awareness). A business plan serves as an action plan because it provides, in as much detail as possible, the specifics on how you’re going to execute your strategy.

More Reading

  • What is the Difference Between a Business Plan and a Strategic Plan?
  • Business Planning for Nonprofits

Creating a nonprofit business plan

With this in mind, it’s important to discuss the individual sections of a nonprofit business plan. Having a proper plan in a recognizable format is essential for a variety of reasons. On your business’s end, it makes sure that as many issues or questions you may encounter are addressed up front. For outside entities, such as potential volunteers or donors, it shows that their time and energy will be managed well and put to good use. So, how do you go from conceptual to concrete?

Step 1: Write a mission statement

‍ Having a mission statement is essential for any company, but even more so for nonprofits. Your markers of success are not just how the organization performs financially, but the impact it makes for your cause.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by creating a mission statement. A strong mission statement clarifies why your organization exists and determines the direction of activities.

how to start a nonprofit business plan

At the head of their ethics page , NPR has a mission statement that clearly and concisely explains why they exist. From this you learn:

  • The key point of their mission: creating a more informed public that understands new ideas and cultures
  • Their mechanism of executing that vision: providing and reporting news/info that meets top journalistic standards
  • Other essential details: their partnership with their membership statement

You should aim for the same level of clarity and brevity in your own mission statement.

The goal of a mission statement isn’t just about being able to showcase things externally, but also giving your internal team something to realign them if they get off track.

For example, if you're considering a new program or services, you can always check the idea against the mission statement. Does it align with your higher level goal and what your organization is ultimately trying to achieve? A mission statement is a compass to guide your team and keep the organization aligned and focused.

Step 2: Collect the data

‍ You can’t prepare for the future without some data from the past and present. This can range from financial data if you’re already in operation to secured funding if you’re getting ready to start.

Data related to operations and finances (such as revenue, expenses, taxes, etc.) is crucial for budgeting and organizational decisions.

You'll also want to collect data about your target donor. Who are they in terms of their income, demographics, location, etc. and what is the best way to reach them? Every business needs to market, and answering these demographic questions are crucial to targeting the right audience in a marketing campaign. You'll also need data about marketing costs collected from your fundraising, marketing, and CRM software and tools. This data can be extremely important for demonstrating the effectiveness of a given fundraising campaign or the organization as a whole.  

Then there is data that nonprofits collect from third-party sources as to how to effectively address their cause, such as shared data from other nonprofits and data from governments.

By properly collecting and interpreting the above data, you can build your nonprofit to not only make an impact, but also ensure the organization is financially sustainable.

Step 3: Create an outline

Before you begin writing your plan, it’s important to have an outline of the  sections of your plan. Just like an academic essay, it’s easier to make sure all the points are addressed by taking inventory of high level topics first. If you create an outline and find you don’t have all the materials you need to fill it, you may need to go back to the data collection stage.

Writing an outline gives you something simple to read that can easily be circulated to your team for input. Maybe some of your partners will want to emphasize an area that you missed or an area that needs more substance.

Having an outline makes it easier for you to create an organized, well-flowing piece. Each section needs to be clear on its own, but you also don’t want to be overly repetitive. 

As a side-note, one area where a lot of business novices  stall in terms of getting their plans off the ground is not knowing what format to choose or start with. The good news is there are a lot of resources available online for you to draw templates for from your plan, or just inspire one of your own.

Using a business plan template

You may want to use a template as a starting point for your business plan. The major benefit here is that a lot of the outlining work that we mentioned is already done for you. However, you may not want to follow the template word for word. A nonprofit business plan may require additional sections or parts that aren’t included in a conventional business plan template.

The best way to go about this is to try and focus less on copying the template, and more about copying the spirit of the template. For example, if you see a template that you like, you can keep the outline, but you may want to change the color scheme and font to better reflect your brand. And of course, all your text should be unique.

When it comes to adding a new section to a business plan template, for the most part, you can use your judgment. We will get into specific sections in a bit, but generally, you just want to pair your new section with the existing section that makes the most sense. For example, if your non-profit has retail sales as a part of a financial plan, you can include that along with the products, services and programs section.

  • Free Nonprofit Sample Business Plans - Bplans
  • Non-Profit Business Plan Template - Growthink
  • Sample Nonprofit Business Plans - Bridgespan
  • Nonprofit Business Plan Template - Slidebean
  • 23+ Non Profit Business Plan Templates - Template.net

Nonprofit business plan sections

The exact content is going to vary based on the size, purpose, and nature of your nonprofit. However, there are certain sections that every business plan will need to have for investors, donors, and lenders to take you seriously. Generally, your outline will be built around the following main sections:

1. Executive summary

Many people write this last, even though it comes first in a business plan. This is because the executive summary is designed to be a general summary of the business plan as a whole. Naturally, it may be easier to write this after the rest of the business plan has been completed.

After reading your executive summary a person should ideally have a general idea of what the entire plan covers. Sometimes, a person may be interested in learning about your non-profit, but doesn’t have time to read a 20+ page document. In this case, the executive summary could be the difference between whether or not you land a major donor. 

As a start, you want to cover the basic need your nonprofit services, why that need exists, and the way you plan to address that need. The goal here is to tell the story as clearly and and concisely as possible. If the person is sold and wants more details, they can read through the rest of your business plan. 

2. Products/Services/Programs

This is the space where you can clarify exactly what your non-profit does. Think of it as explaining the way your nonprofit addresses that base need you laid out earlier. This can vary a lot based on what type of non-profit you’re running. 

how to start a nonprofit business plan

This page gives us some insight into the mechanisms Bucks County Historical Society uses to further their mission, which is “to educate and engage its many audiences in appreciating the past and to help people find stories and meanings relevant to their lives—both today and in the future.”

They accomplish this goal through putting together both permanent exhibits as well as regular events at their primary museum. However, in a non-profit business plan, you need to go further. 

It’s important here not only to clearly explain who benefits from your services, but also the specific details how those services are provided. For example, saying you “help inner-city school children” isn’t specific enough. Are you providing education or material support? Your non-profit business plan readers need as much detail as possible using simple and clear language. 

3. Marketing

For a non-profit to succeed, it needs to have a steady stream of both donors and volunteers. Marketing plays a key role here as it does in a conventional business. This section should outline who your target audience is, and what you’ve already done/plan on doing to reach this audience. How you explain this is going to vary based on what stage your non-profit is in. We’ll split this section to make it more clear.

Nonprofits not in operation

‍ Obviously, it’s difficult to market an idea effectively if you’re not in operation, but you still need to have a marketing plan in place. People who want to support your non-profit need to understand your marketing plan to attract donors. You need to profile all the data you have about your target market and outline how you plan to reach this audience.

Nonprofits already in operation

‍ Marketing plans differ greatly for nonprofits already in operation. If your nonprofit is off the ground, you want to include data about your target market as well, along with other key details.  Describe all your current marketing efforts, from events to general outreach, to conventional types of marketing like advertisements and email plans. Specific details are important. By the end of this, the reader should know:

  • What type of marketing methods your organization prefers
  • Why you’ve chosen these methods
  • The track record of success using these methods
  • What the costs and ROI of a marketing campaign

4. Operations

This is designed to serve as the “how” of your Products/Services/Programs section.

For example, if your goal is to provide school supplies for inner-city schoolchildren, you’ll need to explain how you will procure the supplies and distribute them to kids in need. Again, detail is essential. A reader should be able to understand not only how your non-profit operates on a daily basis, but also how it executes any task in the rest of the plan.

If your marketing plan says that you hold community events monthly to drum up interest. Who is in charge of the event? How are they run? How much do they cost?  What personnel or volunteers are needed for each event?  Where are the venues?

This is also a good place to cover additional certifications or insurance that your non-profit needs in order to execute these operations, and your current progress towards obtaining them. 

Your operations section should also have a space dedicated to your team. The reason for this is, just like any other business plan, is that the strength of an organization lies in the people running it.

how to start a nonprofit business plan

For example, let’s look at this profile from The Nature Conservancy . The main points of the biography are to showcase Chief Development Officer Jim Asp’s work history as it is relevant to his job. You’ll want to do something similar in your business plan’s team section.

Equally important is making sure that you cover any staff changes that you plan to implement in the near future in your business plan. The reason for this is that investors/partners may not want to sign on assuming that one leadership team is in place, only for it to change when the business reaches a certain stage. 

The sections we’ve been talking about would also be in a traditional for profit business plan. We start to deviate a bit at this point. The impact section is designed to outline the social change you plan to make with your organization, and how your choices factor into those goals.

Remember the thoughts that go into that mission statement we mentioned before? This is your chance to show how you plan to address that mission with your actions, and how you plan to track your progress.

Let’s revisit the idea of helping inner-city school children by providing school supplies. What exactly is the metric you’re going to use to determine your success? For-profit businesses can have their finances as their primary KPI, but it’s not that easy for non-profits. Let’s say that your mission is to provide 1,000 schoolchildren in an underserved school district supplies for their classes. Your impact plan could cover two metrics:

  • How many supplies are distributed
  • Secondary impact (improved grades, classwork completed, etc).

The primary goal of this section is to transform that vision into concrete, measurable goals and objectives. A great acronym to help you create these are S.M.A.R.T. goals which stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. ‍

how to start a nonprofit business plan

Vitamin Angels does a good job of showing how their action supports the mission. Their goal of providing vitamins to mothers and children in developing countries has a concrete impact when we look at the numbers of how many children they service as well as how many countries they deliver to. As a non-profit business plan, it’s a good idea to include statistics like these to show exactly how close you are to your planned goals. 

6. Finances

Every non-profit needs funding to operate, and this all-important section details exactly how you plan to cover these financial needs. Your business plan can be strong in every other section, but if your financial planning is flimsy, it’s going to prove difficult to gather believers to your cause.

It's important to paint a complete, positive picture of your fundraising plans and ambitions. Generally, this entails the following parts:

  • Current financial status, such as current assets, cash on hand, liabilities
  • Projections based off of your existing financial data and forms
  • Key financial documents, such as a balance sheet, income statements, and cash flow sheet
  • Any grants or major contributions received
  • Your plan for fundraising (this may overlap with your marketing section which is okay)
  • Potential issues and hurdles to your funding plan
  • Your plans to address those issues
  • How you'll utilize surplus donations
  • Startup costs (if your non-profit is not established yet)

In general, if you see something else that isn’t accounted for here, it’s better to be safe than sorry, and put the relevant information in. It’s better to have too much information than too little when it comes to finances, especially since there is usually a clear preference for transparent business culture.

  • ‍ How to Make a Five-Year Budget Plan for a Nonprofit ‍
  • Financial Transparency - National Council of Nonprofits

7. Appendix

Generally, this serves as a space to attach additional documents and elements that you may find useful for your business plan. This can include things like supplementary charts or a list of your board of directors. 

This is also a good place to put text or technical information that you think may be relevant to your business plan, but might be long-winded or difficult to read. A lot of the flow and structure concerns you have for a plan don’t really apply with an appendix.

In summary, while a non-profit may have very different goals than your average business, the ways that they reach those goals do have a lot of similarities with for-profit businesses. The best way to ensure your success is to have a clear, concrete vision and path to different milestones along the way. A solid, in-depth business plan also gives you something to refer back to when you are struggling and not sure where to turn.

Alongside your business plan, you also want to use tools and resources that promote efficiency at all levels. For example, every non-profit needs a consistent stream of donations to survive, so consider using a program like GiveForms that creates simple, accessible forms for your donors to easily make donations. Accounting and budgeting for these in your plans can pay dividends later on.

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How to Start a Nonprofit Business

Multiple hands raising up. Represents starting a nonprofit business.

10 min. read

Updated January 5, 2024

Starting a nonprofit is one of the most rewarding ways to spend your time. 

However, establishing a charitable organization that lasts and truly makes a difference requires thorough planning and solid dedication.

In this guide to starting a nonprofit; we’ll outline the steps to get you up and running. 

Check out our startup hub for more in-depth guidance on starting a business.

  • 1. Conduct a needs analysis

First, do some legwork. There are more than 1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S. alone, so you should verify that some other organization isn’t already serving your identified needs. 

Confirming that there’s demand for your organization’s mission is called a needs analysis.

You’re looking to answer the following questions:

  • Is any other nonprofit organization already serving your target audience?
  • How many people need the service you plan to provide?
  • Who is your target demographic—who needs what you’re offering? What do they need or want?
  • Is a 501(c)3 the best way to meet the need?

For this market research , you need to identify your target population (the people you think need what you’re offering) and potential donors.

Until you’ve spoken with (or surveyed) those audiences, you haven’t validated that there’s truly a need for what you’re offering. 

You may find that the need in your target population is different or exists within a different demographic. The point here isn’t to simply prove your assumptions—it’s okay if you need to adjust your idea .

Lastly, become familiar with the IRS nonprofit compliance guide . This information is worth reviewing early on so you know what’s required of a 501(c)3.

Dig deeper: Mistakes to avoid as a nonprofit

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2. Decide on a name 

Deciding on your charitable startup’s name is an essential step. You’ll need it finalized before incorporating your nonprofit or filing official paperwork.

Do research to ensure no other nonprofit organizations or for-profit businesses are using the name you’d like to use. At the very least, it will be a hassle if you’re constantly competing with another organization for brand visibility—or answering messages from confused donors or clients.

Check out our branding guide for further guidance on choosing a winning business name.

  • 3. Write your mission statement

While for-profit entities aim to generate profits for shareholders—nonprofits emerge to address specific societal, environmental, or community challenges. This fundamental difference increases the importance of your mission statement. 

A well-crafted mission statement articulates the core reason for the organization’s existence. Your mission is a guiding beacon, ensuring that every action and initiative aligns with the organization’s overarching goals. 

Donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, and the broader community often engage with a nonprofit based on its mission. Your mission can help generate support, foster trust, and ensure transparency. 

Since your mission impacts so many individuals, it’s worth taking a collaborative approach when developing it. Involve diverse stakeholders who will be part of your organization—from volunteers to your first donors. 

When finalizing your mission, remember to keep your message concise. Focus on your unique impact and how you differ from similar nonprofits. Once you have a first draft, seek feedback to ensure it resonates with your staff, donors, and those you support. 

Dig deeper: What is a social enterprise and how to create one

  • 4. Build your board of trustees

Every U.S. state requires a nonprofit to form a board of directors, who assume governing responsibilities and liability for the organization. For most states, a single person is considered the minimum requirement for a board, but in some states, as many as three people are necessary.

The National Council of Nonprofits has a great guide on reasonable responsibilities and expectations you might have of your board members. They also make solid recommendations on creating an orientation for new board members to set the stage for their role with your organization.

Annie Rogaski, founder of the Silicon Valley nonprofit The Club , offers this tip: 

“Form a strong board that works well together but brings different perspectives and creates an environment that encourages discussion of those different viewpoints to arrive at the best decision.”

  • 5. Write your nonprofit business plan

Nonprofits need a good business plan just as much as for-profit companies—maybe even more. 

Lorrie Lynn King, founder of international women’s health nonprofit 50 Cents Period, says, “Nonprofit administration and programming require business acumen, financial planning, strategic planning, and people management skills—sometimes all at once.”

Writing your plan helps you think through every aspect of your organization. Plus, every bank will expect to see a business plan if you seek a business loan for larger capital expenses, like building or remodeling.

But it’s not just about getting a bank loan. Business planning helps you know where your organization is going and how you’ll get there. 

“It is crucial to have three-year plans for both the program and administrative sides of your organization, with measurable outcomes,” King says. “Know where you want to go, then create the map for getting there and make adjustments along the way.”

Tip: Check out our guide for writing a nonprofit business plan , and download a free business plan template to get started. 

Nonprofit business plan outline

Here are the sections you’ll want to focus on when writing your business plan . If you’re unsure about specific sections—check out completed nonprofit business plan examples for inspiration.

Executive summary

Treat this section as a brief overview of your vision for the organization. Make sure your executive summary includes your mission statement and how your nonprofit will execute it. 

Products and services

Are you making a life-changing product at little to no cost for a population in need? Are you providing an essential service to your community? Your products and services are what you’re delivering to meet a demand.

Market analysis

Doing a market analysis will help you better understand the population you intend to serve and your donor base. 

Management team

Who will be on your management or leadership team and board of directors? What are their duties, and what do they bring to the table?

Financial plan

Your nonprofit’s financial plan is essential. Just because you’re not focusing on generating a profit doesn’t mean it isn’t critical to put together a plan for how you’ll sustain your organization, deal with cash flow , and grow in the future.  

Dig deeper: Why your nonprofit needs a better budget

6. Register for 501(c)3 status and file articles of incorporation

In the United States, nonprofits have to meet regulations and requirements at both the state and federal levels. 

While there are 29 different categories of 501(c) organizations, the most commonly created is a 501(c)(3) organization— defined by the IRS as a “charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, or preventing cruelty to children or animals.”

Most nonprofit organizations in the U.S. will fall under this classification, making them exempt from federal income taxes. (It is important to note that employees of these organizations are still required to pay income taxes.)

Tip: Approval can take up to a year, so get a jump on filing for tax exemption early .

In addition to filing for tax exemption, you will need to register or reserve the intended name of your organization and file articles of incorporation as a nonprofit . 

The specifics of this process will vary from state to state. Every state has a State Charitable Official from the National Association that you can contact for more detailed information about what you must prepare.

It’s always a good idea to retain the services of a lawyer familiar with the nonprofit creation process, too. Knowledgeable advisors will be invaluable as you prepare your filings at both the state and federal levels.

Dig deeper: 5 reasons to incorporate your nonprofit

7. Create a fundraising plan and get to know your donor base

Your organization will require a minimum amount of money to maintain regular operations. Then, there are special projects, unforeseen expenses, and growth to account for. 

King advises: “Start a funding and a savings reserve for your organization the minute donations start rolling in. Create a system of paper trails and transparency.”

Beyond setting an initial plan for bringing in funds, you’ll want to set up and monitor your financials. You can start with an Excel spreadsheet, but consider long-term accounting solutions like QuickBooks or Xero . 

Plus, if you connect it to a business dashboard solution like LivePlan , assembling financial reports for your board meetings becomes much less time-consuming.

Connect with your donors

Nonprofits rely mainly on donations for this money, and having a committed donor base will be essential. 

To start building a support network, revisit your research from earlier. Who have you identified as prospective donors? Talk to them, if you can, and understand what drives them. 

Use this direct feedback to craft your branding and marketing efforts . Your goal is to choose communication channels that your prospective donors frequent and package your mission in a way that will resonate with them. 

You may also want to look into grants . Keep in mind that grant applications take time to write. They usually come with reporting requirements, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the same grant next year.

Tip: Many donors will want assurance that you have been granted your 501(c)3 status so they can write off their donation on their taxes.

Dig deeper: How to find the right nonprofit partners

  • 8. Hire your first staff or find volunteers

Your board of trustees are really your first volunteers. From there, you need to identify skill gaps within your organization that a volunteer or employee can fill.

Start by briefly describing the role you need to fill and how much time per week you think it might take. Then, get the word out. Depending on the volunteer work you’re offering, you might use a service like Volunteermatch.org to list your opportunity. Or you might put it on Craigslist or advertise in a high school or college newspaper.

A word of caution: It’s perfectly reasonable to ask a potential volunteer to do an initial project if your need is somewhat involved or requires a specific skill set. 

Volunteers can be beneficial, and many nonprofits are primarily volunteer-driven. But now or at some point in the future (when your finances allow), it might be appropriate to consider bringing on full or part-time paid staff. 

Before hiring, revisit your financial plan (specifically your personnel forecast ) and determine when to hire a new employee. 

Check out our hiring guide for more on successfully interviewing, choosing, and managing a new employee.

Dig deeper: How to successfully run nonprofit meetings

  • Keep your eyes on your mission

As your charitable organization takes shape—make time to review both your mission statement and your business plan. 

Keep your mission at the forefront of every conversation around services, finances, and hiring. “Does your next move support our mission?” is a great question to ask frequently. Review your business plan , especially the financials, regularly.

Set milestones so you know you’re on track and can recalibrate if you ever find that you’re not meeting your goals. Use that plan to set you in the right direction and ensure your nonprofit is sustainable well into the future.

  • Nonprofit tools and resources

how to start a nonprofit business plan

Business plan template

Make writing a business plan easy and improve your chances of success with this fill-in-the-blank template.

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how to start a nonprofit business plan

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Content Author: Kody Wirth

Kody Wirth is a content writer and SEO specialist for Palo Alto Software—the creator's of Bplans and LivePlan. He has 3+ years experience covering small business topics and runs a part-time content writing service in his spare time.

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Table of Contents

  • 2. Decide on a name 
  • 6. Register for 501(c)3 status
  • 7. Create a fundraising plan

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The best nonprofit business plan template

how to start a nonprofit business plan

If you’re looking to start a new charity but don’t know where to start, a nonprofit business plan template can help. There are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered in the US. While it’s awesome that there are so many charitable orgs, unfortunately, many of them struggle to keep their doors open.

Like any other business, a nonprofit needs to prepare for the unexpected. Even without a global pandemic, strategic planning is crucial for a nonprofit to succeed.

In this article, we’ll look at why a business plan is important for nonprofit organizations and what details to include in your business plan. To get you started, our versatile nonprofit business plan template is ready for you to download to turn your nonprofit dreams into a reality.

Get the template

What is a nonprofit business plan template?

A nonprofit business plan template is not that different from a regular, profit-oriented business plan template. It can even focus on financial gain — as long as it specifies how to use that excess for the greater good.

A nonprofit business plan template includes fields that cover the foundational elements of a business plan, including:

  • The overarching purpose of your nonprofit
  • Its long and short-term goals
  • An outline of how you’ll achieve these goals

The template also controls the general layout of the business plan, like recommended headings, sub-headings, and questions. But what’s the point? Let’s dive into the benefits a business plan template offers nonprofits.

Download Excel template

Why use a nonprofit business plan template?

To get your nonprofit business plans in motion, templates can:

Provide direction

If you’ve decided to start a nonprofit, you’re likely driven by passion and purpose. Although nonprofits are generally mission-driven, they’re still businesses. And that means you need to have a working business model. A template will give your ideas direction and encourage you to put your strategic thinking cap on.

Help you secure funding

One of the biggest reasons for writing a nonprofit business plan is to attract investment. After all, without enough funding , it’s nearly impossible to get your business off the ground. There’s simply no business without capital investment, and that’s even more true for nonprofits that rarely sell products.

Stakeholders and potential investors will need to assess the feasibility of your nonprofit business. You can encourage them to invest by presenting them with a well-written, well-thought-out business plan with all the necessary details — and a template lays the right foundation.

Facilitate clear messaging

One of the essential characteristics of any business plan — nonprofits included — is transparency around what you want to achieve and how you are going to achieve it. A nebulous statement with grandiose aspirations but no practical plan won’t inspire confidence.

Instead, you should create a clear and concise purpose statement that sums up your goals and planned action steps. A good template will help you maintain a strong purpose statement and use clear messaging throughout.

Of course, there are different types of nonprofit plan templates you can use, depending on the kind of business plan you want to draw up.

What are some examples of a nonprofit business plan template?

From summary nonprofit plans to all encompassing strategies, check out a few sample business plan templates for different nonprofit use cases.

Summary nonprofit business plan template

New nonprofit ventures in the early stages of development can use this business plan template. It’s created to put out feelers to see if investors are interested in your idea. For example, you may want to start an animal shelter in your community, but aren’t sure if it’s a viable option due to a lack of funds. You’d use a summary business plan template to gauge interest in your nonprofit.

Full nonprofit business plan template

In this scenario, you have already laid the foundations for your nonprofit. You’re now at a point where you need financing to get your nonprofit off the ground.

This template is much longer than a summary and includes all the sections of a nonprofit business plan including the:

Executive summary

  • Nonprofit description
  • Needs analysis
  • Product/service
  • Marketing strategy
  • Management team & board
  • Human resource needs

It also typically includes a variety of documents that back up your market research and financial situation.

Operational nonprofit business plan template

This type of business plan template is extremely detail-oriented and outlines your nonprofit’s daily operations. It acts as an in-depth guide for who does what, how they should do it, and when they should do it.

An operational nonprofit business plan is written for your internal team rather than external parties like investors or board members.

Convinced to give a business plan template a go? Lucky for you, our team has created the perfect option for nonprofits.

monday.com’s nonprofit business plan template

At monday.com, we understand that starting a nonprofit business can feel overwhelming — scrambling to line up investors, arranging fundraising events, filing federal forms, and more. Because we want you and your nonprofit to succeed, we’ve created a customizable template to get you started. It’s right inside our Work OS , a digital platform that helps you effectively manage every aspect of your work — from budgets and high-level plans to individual to-do lists.

how to start a nonprofit business plan

Here’s what you can do on our template:

Access all your documents from one central location

Besides a business plan, starting a nonprofit requires a lot of other documentation. Supporting documents include a cash flow statement or a general financial statement, resumes of founders, and letters of support.

monday.com’s Work OS lets you store all these essential documents in one centralized location. That means you don’t need to open several tabs or run multiple programs to view your information. On monday.com, you can quickly and easily access documents and share them with potential investors and donors. Security features also help you control access to any board or document, only letting invited people or employees view or edit them. By keeping everything in one place, you save time on tracking down rogue files or statements and can focus on what really matters, such as running your nonprofit.

Turn your business plan into action

With monday.com’s nonprofit business plan template, you can seamlessly transform your plan into actionable tasks. After all, it’s going to take more than some sound strategic planning to bring your nonprofit to life.

how to start a nonprofit business plan

Based on your business plan, you have the power to create interactive vision boards, calendars, timelines, cards, charts, and more. Because delegation is key, assign tasks to any of your team members from your main board. You can even set up notification automations so that everyone stays up to date with their responsibilities. Plus, to make sure the team stays on track, you can use the Progress Tracking Column that shows you the percent to completion of tasks based on the different status columns of your board.

Keep your finger on the pulse

From budgets to customer satisfaction, you need to maintain a high-level overview of your nonprofit’s key metrics.

monday.com keeps you well-informed on the status of your nonprofit’s progress, all on one platform. With customizable dashboards — for example, a real-time overview of donations received and projects completed — and visually appealing views, you can make confident decisions on how to take your nonprofit business forward.

Now that you have the template, let’s cover each section and how to fill it out correctly.

Essential sections of a nonprofit business plan template

So what exactly goes into a nonprofit business plan? Let’s take a look at the different sections you’ll find in most templates.

This is a concise summary of your business at the beginning of your plan. It should be both inspired and to the point. The executive summary is typically two pages long and dedicates about two sentences to each section of the plan.

Organization overview

This section gives some background on your company and summarizes the goal of your business. At the same time, it should touch on other important factors like your action plan for attracting potential external stakeholders. You can think of an organization overview as a mission statement and company description rolled into one.

Products, programs, and services

Any business exists to provide products, programs, and services — perhaps with a focus on the latter two for nonprofits. Your business plan should outline what you are bringing to your community. This will influence your target market , potential investors, and marketing strategies.

Marketing plan

An effective marketing strategy is the cornerstone of any successful business. Your marketing plan will identify your target audience and how you plan to reach them. It deals with pricing structures while also assessing customer engagement levels.

Operational plan

The operational plan describes the steps a company will take over a certain period. It focuses on the day-to-day aspects of the business, like what tasks need to be done and who is responsible for what. The operational section of a business plan works closely with strategic planning.

Competitive analysis

Even nonprofits face competition from other nonprofits with similar business profiles. A market analysis looks at the strengths and weaknesses of competing businesses and where you fit in. This section should include a strategy to overtake competitors in the market. There are many formats and templates you can use here, for example, a SWOT analysis .

Financial plan

Your financial plan should be a holistic image of your company’s financial status and financial goals. As well as your fundraising plan , make sure to include details like cash flow, investments, insurance, debt, and savings.

Before we wrap up, we’ll address some commonly asked questions about nonprofit business plan templates.

FAQs about nonprofit business plan templates

How do you write a business plan for a nonprofit.

The best way to write a nonprofit business plan is with a template so that you don’t leave anything out. Our template has all the sections ready for you to fill in, combined with features of a cutting-edge Work OS.

For some extra tips, take a look at our advice on how to write a business plan . We’ve detailed the various elements involved in business planning processes and how these should be structured.

How many pages should a nonprofit business plan be?

Business plans don’t have to be excessively long. Remember that concise communication is optimal. As a rule of thumb — and this will vary depending on the complexity and size of your business plan — a nonprofit business plan is typically between seven and thirty pages long.

What is a nonprofit business plan called?

A nonprofit business plan is called just that — a ‘nonprofit business plan.’ You may think that its nonprofit element makes it very different from a profit-oriented plan. But it is essentially the same type of document.

What is the best business structure for a nonprofit?

The consensus is that a corporation is the most appropriate and effective structure for a nonprofit business.

How do you start a nonprofit with no money?

Creating a business plan and approaching potential investors, aka donators, is the best way to start a nonprofit business if you don’t have the funds yourself.

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how to start a nonprofit business plan

How to write a nonprofit business plan

While a nonprofit business plan is similar to that of a for-profit company, it has a few important differences, including the need for a fundraising section.

Ready to start your business?

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Updated on: January 22, 2024 · 3min read

Nonprofit business plan elements

Fundraising section is essential, keep it real.

While nonprofit organizations are purpose-driven rather than profit-driven, they have a great deal in common with their for-profit counterparts.

"We may be governed by a different part of the tax code and exempt from some—but not all—taxes, but we are businesses, too," says Rick Cohen, chief operating officer at the National Council of Nonprofits.

Like other types of businesses, successful nonprofits outline their goals and how they will achieve them in a written document known as a business plan.

A nonprofit's business plan is similar to that used by a for-profit entity but has key differences. Here's what you need to know about how to write a nonprofit business plan.

volunteers-with-clipboards-in-park sitting in the grass

For-profit business plans detail what a company does, how it does it, who does it, and how it pays for it. A nonprofit business plan outlines that as well but approaches parts of the process differently.

The biggest difference is that nonprofit organizations focus on the problem they want to solve and how to fund programs and activities that help do that.

"Nonprofits have the added burden and opportunity of impact in their business plan," says Sara Gibson, co-founder and CEO of 20 Degrees, a consulting firm serving nonprofits. "The sector doesn't measure worth in profit—it is measured in lives and in change created. That has to be part of the plan."

Typical nonprofit business plans feature many of the following elements:

  • Executive summary
  • Mission and goals
  • Community impact
  • Products, services, and programs
  • Organizational structure and staffing
  • Market and competitive analysis
  • Fundraising and development
  • Financial plan

For-profit businesses might be funded initially by owners or outside investors, but the ultimate goal is usually self-sufficiency through sales. Many nonprofit organizations aren't structured or created to generate income to support their community services, so fundraising is key.

"It is critical for the sustainability of nonprofits that they are constantly being connected with grants and funders who will provide the financial resources needed for these nonprofits to continue offering quality and valuable assistance to the communities they serve," says Fernando Urbina, director of outreach for ImmigrationHelp.org.

Mikko Sperber, managing partner and founder of Fundamental Strategy, recommends taking on a for-profit business mindset when writing the fundraising section of the nonprofit business plan.

"If you build your plan to have a budget surplus at the end of your year, you then have the capital to reinvest in growing your organization and furthering your mission," he says.

The organization's communication and marketing strategy feeds fundraising goals, so be thoughtful about that piece when writing a nonprofit business plan.

"If no one knows who you are, then no one will be donating to your cause," says Mike McKnight, director of operations at Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome.

When outlining your business plan, be realistic about fundraising and other revenue streams, then match your budget to your fundraising goal, not the other way around. "In worst-case scenarios, fundraising numbers are plugged into a budget after the programmatic expenses are figured to just offset them without a realistic plan," Sperber says.

Matching your budget to your fundraising goal is especially important because of the organization's impact on the community served, says Cohen, whose organization offers nonprofit business plan resources on its website.

"The worst thing a nonprofit can do is get to a place where people are counting on their services, but then need to close their doors, leaving those people in the lurch," he says.

To ensure your organization's business plan properly supports your mission, consider consulting with professionals such as nonprofit advisers and attorneys specializing in this sector.

Keep your nonprofit business plan handy, too. It's your organizational blueprint, but you'll also need to update it as circumstances or market conditions change.

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Free Nonprofit Business Plan Templates

By Joe Weller | September 18, 2020

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In this article, we’ve rounded up the most useful list of nonprofit business plan templates, all free to download in Word, PDF, and Excel formats.

Included on this page, you’ll find a one-page nonprofit business plan template , a fill-in-the-blank nonprofit business plan template , a startup nonprofit business planning timeline template , and more. Plus, we provide helpful tips for creating your nonprofit business plan .

Nonprofit Business Plan Template

Nonprofit Business Plan Template

Use this customizable nonprofit business plan template to organize your nonprofit organization’s mission and goals and convey them to stakeholders. This template includes space for information about your nonprofit’s background, objectives, management team, program offerings, market analysis, promotional activities, funding sources, fundraising methods, and much more. 

Download Nonprofit Business Plan Template

One-Page Business Plan for Nonprofit Template

One Page Business Plan for Nonprofit Organizations Template

This one-page nonprofit business plan template has a simple and scannable design to outline the key details of your organization’s strategy. This template includes space to detail your mission, vision, and purpose statements, as well as the problems you aim to solve in your community, the people who benefit from your program offerings, your key marketing activities, your financial goals, and more.

Download One-Page Business Plan for Nonprofit Template

Excel | Word | PDF

For additional resources, including an example of a one-page business plan , visit “ One-Page Business Plan Templates with a Quick How-To Guide .”

Fill-In-the-Blank Nonprofit Business Plan Template

Fill-in-the-Blank Nonprofit Business Plan Template

Use this fill-in-the-blank template as the basis for building a thorough business plan for a nonprofit organization. This template includes space to describe your organization’s background, purpose, and main objectives, as well as key personnel, program and service offerings, market analysis, promotional activities, fundraising methods, and more. 

Download Fill-In-the-Blank Nonprofit Business Plan Template

For additional resources that cater to a wide variety of organizations, visit “ Free Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Templates .”

Startup Nonprofit Business Planning Template with Timeline

Startup Nonprofit Business Planning Template with Timeline

Use this business planning template to organize and schedule key activities for your business. Fill in the cells according to the due dates, and color-code the cells by phase, owner, or category to provide a visual timeline of progress.

Download Startup Nonprofit Business Planning Template with Timeline

Excel | Smartsheet

Nonprofit Business Plan Template for Youth Program

Nonprofit Business Plan Template for Youth Program Template

Use this template as a foundation for building a powerful and attractive nonprofit business plan for youth programs and services. This template has all the core components of a nonprofit business plan. It includes room to detail the organization’s background, management team key personnel, current and future youth program offerings, promotional activities, operations plan, financial statements, and much more.

Download Nonprofit Business Plan Template for Youth Program

Word | PDF  | Google Doc

Sample Nonprofit Business Plan Outline Template

Sample Nonprofit Business Plan Outline Template

You can customize this sample nonprofit business plan outline to fit the specific needs of your organization. To ensure that you don’t miss any essential details, use this outline to help you prepare and organize the elements of your plan before filling in each section.

Download Sample Nonprofit Business Plan Outline Template

Nonprofit Startup Business Planning Checklist Template

Nonprofit Startup Business Planning Checklist Template

Use this customizable business planning checklist as the basis for outlining the necessary steps to get your nonprofit organization up and running. You can customize this checklist to fit your individual needs. It includes essential steps, such as conducting a SWOT analysis , fulfilling the research requirements specific to your state, conducting a risk assessment , defining roles and responsibilities, creating a portal for board members, and other tasks to keep your plan on track.

Download Nonprofit Startup Business Planning Checklist Template

Tips to Create Your Nonprofit Business Plan

Your nonprofit business plan should provide your donors, volunteers, and other key stakeholders with a clear picture of your overarching mission and objectives. Below, we share our top tips for ensuring that your plan is attractive and thorough.

  • Develop a Strategy First: You must aim before you fire if you want to be effective. In other words, develop a strategic plan for your nonprofit in order to provide your team with direction and a roadmap before you build your business plan.
  • Save Time with a Template: No need to start from scratch when you can use a customizable nonprofit business plan template to get started. (Download one of the options above.)
  • Start with What You Have: With the exception of completing the executive summary, which you must do last, you aren’t obligated to fill in each section of the plan in order. Use the information you have on hand to begin filling in the various parts of your business plan, then conduct additional research to fill in the gaps.
  • Ensure Your Information Is Credible: Back up all the details in your plan with reputable sources that stakeholders can easily reference.
  • Be Realistic: Use realistic assumptions and numbers in your financial statements and forecasts. Avoid the use of overly lofty or low-lying projections, so stakeholders feel more confident about your plan. 
  • Strive for Scannability: Keep each section clear and concise. Use bullet points where appropriate, and avoid large walls of text. 
  • Use Visuals: Add tables, charts, and other graphics to draw the eye and support key points in the plan.
  • Be Consistent: Keep the voice and formatting (e.g., font style and size) consistent throughout the plan to maintain a sense of continuity.
  • Stay True to Your Brand: Make sure that the tone, colors, and overall style of the business plan are a true reflection of your organization’s brand.
  • Proofread Before Distribution: Prior to distributing the plan to stakeholders, have a colleague proofread the rough version to check for errors and ensure that the plan is polished.
  • Don’t Set It and Forget It: You should treat your nonprofit business plan as a living document that you need to review and update on a regular basis — as objectives change and your organization grows.
  • Use an Effective Collaboration Tool: Use an online tool to accomplish the following: collaborate with key personnel on all components of the business plan; enable version control for all documents; and keep resources in one accessible place.

Improve Your Nonprofit Business Planning Efforts with Smartsheet

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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How to Write a Business Plan For a Nonprofit Organization + Template

Business-Plan-VLFG

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for nonprofits. A nonprofit business plan allows you to set goals and track progress over time. It can also help you secure funding from investors or grant-making organizations.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines your vision for the organization but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article will provide an overview of the key elements that every nonprofit founder should include in their business plan.

Download the Ultimate Nonprofit Business Plan Template

What is a Nonprofit Business Plan?

A nonprofit business plan is a formal written document that describes your organization’s purpose, structure, and operations. It is used to communicate your vision to potential investors or donors and convince them to support your cause.

The business plan should include information about your target market, financial projections, and marketing strategy. It should also outline the organization’s mission statement and goals.

Why Write a Nonprofit Business Plan?

A nonprofit business plan is required if you want to secure funding from grant-making organizations or investors.

A well-crafted business plan will help you:

  • Define your organization’s purpose and goals
  • Articulate your vision for the future
  • Develop a step-by-step plan to achieve your goals
  • Secure funding from investors or donors
  • Convince potential supporters to invest in your cause

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting your new nonprofit organization, especially if you are inexperienced in starting a nonprofit.

Writing an Effective Nonprofit Business Plan

The key is to tailor your business plan to the specific needs of your nonprofit. Here’s a quick overview of what to include:

Executive Summary

Organization overview, products, programs, and services, industry analysis, customer analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management team.

  • Financial Plan

The executive summary of a nonprofit business plan is a one-to-two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

  • Start with a one-line description of your nonprofit organization
  • Provide a short summary of the key points of each section of your business plan.
  • Organize your thoughts in a logical sequence that is easy for the reader to follow.
  • Include information about your organization’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast.

This section should include a brief history of your nonprofit organization. Include a short description of how and why you started it and provide a timeline of milestones the organization has achieved.

If you are just starting your nonprofit, you may not have a long history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in the industry and how and why you conceived your new nonprofit idea. If you have worked for a similar organization before or have been involved in a nonprofit before starting your own, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen n onprofit business model and how it is different from other nonprofits in your target market.

This section is all about what your nonprofit organization offers. Include information about your programs, services, and any products you may sell.

Describe the products or services you offer and how they benefit your target market. Examples might include:

  • A food bank that provides healthy meals to low-income families
  • A job training program that helps unemployed adults find jobs
  • An after-school program that helps kids stay out of gangs
  • An adult literacy program that helps adults learn to read and write

Include information about your pricing strategy and any discounts or promotions you offer. Examples might include membership benefits, free shipping, or volume discounts.

If you offer more than one product or service, describe each one in detail. Include information about who uses each product or service and how it helps them achieve their goals.

If you offer any programs, describe them in detail. Include information about how often they are offered and the eligibility requirements for participants. For example, if you offer a job training program, you might include information about how often the program is offered, how long it lasts, and what kinds of jobs participants can expect to find after completing the program.

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a nonprofit business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends, identify your potential customers, and the potential size of this market. 

Questions to answer include:

  • What part of the nonprofit industry are you targeting?
  • Who are your competitors?
  • How big is the market?
  • What trends are happening in the industry right now?

You should also include information about your research methodology and sources of information, including company reports and expert opinions.

As an example, if you are starting a food bank, your industry analysis might include information about the number of people in your community who are considered “food insecure” (they don’t have regular access to enough nutritious food). You would also include information about other food banks in your area, how they are funded, and the services they offer.

For each of your competitors, you should include a brief description of their organization, their target market, and their competitive advantage. To do this, you should complete a SWOT analysis.

A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis is a helpful tool to assess your nonprofit’s current position and identify areas where you can improve.

Some questions to consider when conducting a SWOT analysis include:

  • Strengths : What does your nonprofit do well?
  • Weaknesses : What areas could your nonprofit improve?
  • Opportunities : What trends or changes in the industry could you take advantage of?
  • Threats : What trends or changes in the industry could hurt your nonprofit’s chances of success?

After you have identified your nonprofit’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you can develop strategies to improve your organization.

For example, if you are starting a food bank, your SWOT analysis might reveal that there is a need for more food banks in your community. You could use this information to develop a marketing strategy to reach potential donors who might be interested in supporting your organization.

If you are starting a job training program, your SWOT analysis might reveal that there is a need for more programs like yours in the community. You could use this information to develop a business plan and marketing strategy to reach potential participants who might be interested in enrolling in your program.

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, if you are starting a job training program for unemployed adults, your target audience might be low-income adults between the ages of 18 and 35. Your customer analysis would include information about their needs (e.g., transportation, childcare, job readiness skills) and wants (e.g., good pay, flexible hours, benefits).

If you have more than one target audience, you will need to provide a separate customer analysis for each one.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy your product or use your service. For example, if you are starting an after-school program, you might include information about how parents research and compare programs before making a decision.

You should also include information about your marketing strategy and how you plan to reach your target market. For example, if you are starting a food bank, you might include information about how you will promote the food bank to the community and how you will get the word out about your services.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to use your program, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or nonprofit services with the right marketing.

This part of the business plan is where you determine how you are going to reach your target market. This section of your nonprofit business plan should include information about your marketing goals, strategies, and tactics.

  • What are your marketing goals? Include information about what you hope to achieve with your marketing efforts, as well as when and how you will achieve it.
  • What marketing strategies will you use? Include information about public relations, advertising, social media, and other marketing tactics you will use to reach your target market.
  • What tactics will you use? Include information about specific actions you will take to execute your marketing strategy. For example, if you are using social media to reach your target market, include information about which platforms you will use and how often you will post.

Your marketing strategy should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

  • Product/Service : Make sure your product, service, and/or program offering is clearly defined and differentiated from your competitors, including the benefits of using your service.
  • Price : How do you determine the price for your product, services, and/or programs? You should also include a pricing strategy that takes into account what your target market will be willing to pay and how much the competition within your market charges.
  • Place : Where will your target market find you? What channels of distribution will you use to reach them?
  • Promotion : How will you reach your target market? You can use social media or write a blog, create an email marketing campaign, post flyers, pay for advertising, launch a direct mail campaign, etc.

For example, if you are starting a job training program for unemployed adults, your marketing strategy might include partnering with local job centers and adult education programs to reach potential participants. You might also promote the program through local media outlets and community organizations.

Your marketing plan should also include a sales strategy, which includes information about how you will generate leads and convert them into customers.

You should also include information about your paid advertising budget, including an estimate of expenses and sales projections.

This part of your nonprofit business plan should include the following information:

  • How will you deliver your products, services and/or programs to your target market? For example, if you are starting a food bank, you will need to develop a system for collecting and storing food donations, as well as distributing them to the community.
  • How will your nonprofit be structured? For example, will you have paid staff or volunteers? How many employees will you need? What skills and experience will they need to have?
  • What kind of facilities and equipment will you need to operate your nonprofit? For example, if you are starting a job training program, you will need space to hold classes, as well as computers and other office equipment.
  • What are the day-to-day operations of your nonprofit? For example, if you are starting a food bank, you will need to develop a system for accepting and sorting food donations, as well as distributing them to the community.
  • Who will be responsible for each task? For example, if you are starting a job training program, you will need to identify who will be responsible for recruiting participants, teaching classes, and placing graduates in jobs.
  • What are your policies and procedures? You will want to establish policies related to everything from employee conduct to how you will handle donations.
  • What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is the section of the business plan where you elaborate on the day-to-day execution of your nonprofit. This is where you really get into the nitty-gritty of how your organization will function on a day-to-day basis.

This section of your nonprofit business plan should include information about the individuals who will be running your organization.

  • Who is on your team? Include biographies of your executive director, board of directors, and key staff members.
  • What are their qualifications? Include information about their education, work experience, and skills.
  • What are their roles and responsibilities? Include information about what each team member will be responsible for, as well as their decision-making authority.
  • What is their experience in the nonprofit sector? Include information about their work with other nonprofits, as well as their volunteer experiences.

This section of your plan is important because it shows that you have a team of qualified individuals who are committed to the success of your nonprofit.

Nonprofit Financial Plan

This section of your nonprofit business plan should include the following information:

  • Your budget. Include information about your income and expenses, as well as your fundraising goals.
  • Your sources of funding. Include information about your grants, donations, and other sources of income.
  • Use of funds. Include information about how you will use your income to support your programs and operations.

This section of your business plan is important because it shows that you have a clear understanding of your organization’s finances. It also shows that you have a plan for raising and managing your funds.

Now, include a complete and detailed financial plan. This is where you will need to break down your expenses and revenue projections for the first 5 years of operation. This includes the following financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

  • Revenue : how will you generate revenue?
  • Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
  • Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, what is the net income or loss? 

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Nonprofit Organization

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows what you have in terms of assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

  • Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
  • Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
  • Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Nonprofit Organization

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

  • Income : All of the revenue coming in from clients.
  • Expenses : All of your monthly bills and expenses. Include operating, marketing and capital expenditures.
  • Net Cash Flow : The difference between income and expenses for each month after they are totaled and deducted from each other. This number is the net cash flow for each month.

Using your total income and expenses, you can project an annual cash flow statement. Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup nonprofit.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Nonprofit Organization

Fundraising plan.

This section of your nonprofit business plan should include information about your fundraising goals, strategies, and tactics.

  • What are your fundraising goals? Include information about how much money you hope to raise, as well as when and how you will raise it.
  • What fundraising strategies will you use? Include information about special events, direct mail campaigns, online giving, and grant writing.
  • What fundraising tactics will you use? Include information about volunteer recruitment, donor cultivation, and stewardship.

Now include specific fundraising goals, strategies, and tactics. These could be annual or multi-year goals. Below are some examples:

Goal : To raise $50,000 in the next 12 months.

Strategy : Direct mail campaign

  • Create a mailing list of potential donors
  • Develop a direct mail piece
  • Mail the direct mail piece to potential donors

Goal : To raise $100,000 in the next 24 months.

Strategy : Special event

  • Identify potential special event sponsors
  • Recruit volunteers to help with the event
  • Plan and execute the special event

Goal : To raise $250,000 in the next 36 months.

Strategy : Grant writing

  • Research potential grant opportunities
  • Write and submit grant proposals
  • Follow up on submitted grants

This section of your business plan is important because it shows that you have a clear understanding of your fundraising goals and how you will achieve them.

You will also want to include an appendix section which may include:

  • Your complete financial projections
  • A complete list of your nonprofit’s policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
  • A list of your hard assets and equipment with purchase dates, prices paid and any other relevant information
  • A list of your soft assets with purchase dates, prices paid and any other relevant information
  • Biographies and/or resumes of the key members of your organization
  • Your nonprofit’s bylaws
  • Your nonprofit’s articles of incorporation
  • Your nonprofit’s most recent IRS Form 990
  • Any other relevant information that may be helpful in understanding your organization

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and grow your nonprofit organization. It not only outlines your vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it. Sometimes it may be difficult to get started, but once you get the hang of it, writing a business plan becomes easier and will give you a sense of direction and clarity about your nonprofit organization.  

Finish Your Nonprofit Business Plan in 1 Day!

Other helpful articles.

How to Write a Grant Proposal for Your Nonprofit Organization + Template & Examples

How To Create the Articles of Incorporation for Your Nonprofit Organization + Template

How to Develop a Nonprofit Communications Plan + Template

How to Write a Stand-Out Purpose Statement + Examples

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3 Sample Nonprofit Business Plans For Inspiration

sample nonprofit business plans

Download our Ultimate Nonprofit Business Plan Template here

Below are sample plans to help guide you in writing a nonprofit business plan.

  • Example #1 – Kids Are Our First Priority (KAOFP) – a Nonprofit Youth Organization based in Chicago, IL
  • Example #2 – Church of the Sacred Heart – a Nonprofit Church based in St. Louis, MO
  • Example #3 – Finally Home – a Nonprofit Homeless Shelter in Los Angeles, CA

Sample Nonprofit Business Plan #1 – Kids Are Our First Priority (KAOFP) – a Nonprofit Youth Organization based in Chicago, IL

Executive summary.

Kids Are Our First Priority (KAOFP) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit youth organization that seeks to provide opportunities for students who might otherwise not have access to the arts and humanities. We believe all students should have the opportunity to discover and develop their interests and talents, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location. We offer completely free after-school programming in music production, digital photography, creative writing, and leadership development to 12-18-year-olds at risk of dropping out of high school.

Our organization has been active for over five years and has run highly successful programs at two schools in the city of Chicago. We have been awarded an active grant from a local foundation for this coming year, but we will need to cover all costs on our own after that point. Nonprofit administrators have seen a lot of turnovers, leaving the organization without a sustainable plan for reaching its goals.

Organization Overview

The Kids Are Our First Priority (KAOFP) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit youth organization with a mission to provide opportunities for development and self-expression to students who might otherwise not have access. Audiences include at-risk, low-income students from elementary through high school in the Chicago area.

Our programs are built around creative learning with two goals: firstly, creating a space for learning and growth; secondly, encouraging students to share their work with the world.

KAOFP runs three different programs in partnership with closely related nonprofit organizations, providing after-school programming for elementary, middle, and high school-aged children. Programs take place twice a week at different schools around Chicago. While each program is unique in its goals and activities, all programs focus on creative development in the arts and humanities.

Products, Programs, and Services

The three programs offered by KAOFP are Leadership Development (LD), Creative Writing (CW), and Music Production (MP). Students learn in small groups led by skilled instructors. All activities are designed to encourage student engagement, creativity, expression, and community building. Instructors encourage students to share their work with the world through presentations on- and off-site.

Leadership Development (LD)

The Leadership Development program is designed to provide leadership opportunities for high school students who might not otherwise have access to these experiences. Students learn about facilitation, collaboration, communication, and organizational skills as they plan and run projects of their own design. The program’s goal is to provide a structured environment that encourages students to become more confident and comfortable being leaders in their schools, communities, and future careers.

Creative Writing (CW)

Students learn how to use writing creatively as a tool for expression, discovery, and communication. In small groups led by skilled instructors, students write poetry, short stories, and essays of their own design. They also learn about the publishing industry, read each others’ work, and share their writing with the community.

Music Production (MP)

Students learn how to use digital media as a tool for expression, discovery, and communication. In weekly sessions led by skilled instructors, students explore music production through computer software and recording equipment. Students produce their own music and write about their experiences in weekly journals. Industry professionals in the community often volunteer to lead special workshops and seminars.

Industry Analysis

The youth arts and humanities field is extremely competitive. There are many different types of nonprofit organizations doing similar work, but few credible providers with long-term commitments to their communities. KAOFP’s greatest strengths and competitive advantages are our stable and qualified staff, a strong foundation of funding and community support, and a diverse set of programs.

Our biggest competitors include national non-profits with large budgets for advertising and marketing as well as commercial programs that offer music lessons and creative writing courses which may be more cost-effective than our programs. We feel that by focusing on specific areas of creative expression, KAOFP can better serve its communities and differentiate itself from other nonprofit organizations effectively.

Customer Analysis

KAOFP serves elementary, middle, and high school-aged students with programs that include both after-school and summer programming.

Our focus is on low-income neighborhoods with a high population of at-risk youth. In these areas, KAOFP fills a void in the education system by providing opportunities for creative expression and leadership development to students who would not otherwise have access to these resources.

The demographics of our current students are as follows:

  • 91% African-American/Black
  • 6% Hispanic/Latino
  • 5% Multiracial
  • 3.9% Low Income
  • 4.9% Not Identified

Our main target is low-income African American and Latino youth in Chicago Public Schools. We would like to expand our outreach to include other communities in need of creative enrichment opportunities.

Marketing Plan

KAOFP’s marketing program is designed to support student, parent, and staff recruitment by promoting the organization’s goals and programs. Our main target audience consists of parents seeking after-school enrichment opportunities for their children that emphasize creativity and the arts.

To reach this audience, we advertise in public schools as well as on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. We intend to begin marketing online through a company-sponsored blog, which will feature regular updates about KAOFP events and activities. We also intend to use word of mouth as a form of marketing.

Strategic partnerships with local schools and community centers will provide us with additional exposure as well as additional resources to secure funding.  

Operations Plan

KAOFP’s day-to-day operation is structured around its programs on Tuesdays from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Administrative offices are located in the same space as each program, allowing instructors to closely monitor their students and provide support as needed. The administrative offices serve the essential function of fundraising, communications, record-keeping, and volunteer coordination. KAOFP’s Board of Directors meets bi-monthly to provide further leadership, guidance, and oversight to our board members and volunteers.

Customer service is conducted by phone and email during our regular business hours of Monday – Friday 9 am to 12 pm.  We are not open on weekends or holidays.

Management Team

KAOFP’s organizational structure includes a Board of Directors, an Executive Director, and Program Directors. The Board of Directors provides guidance and oversight to the organization, while the Executive Director manages day-to-day operations. The Program Directors oversee each of KAOFP’s programs.

KAOFP has a small but dedicated staff that is committed to our students and our mission. Our team has a wide range of experience in the arts, education, and nonprofit sector.

Executive Director

The Executive Director is responsible for the overall management of KAOFP. This includes supervising staff, developing and implementing programs, overseeing finances, and representing the organization to the public.

Our Executive Director, Susie Brown, has been with KAOFP since its inception in 2010. She has a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. Susie is responsible for the overall management of KAOFP, including supervising staff, developing and implementing programs, overseeing finances, and representing the organization to the public.

Program Directors

Each of KAOFP’s programs is overseen by a Program Director. The Program Directors are responsible for developing and implementing the program curricula, recruiting and training program instructors, and evaluating student progress.

Art Program Director

The Art Program Director, Rachel Smith, has a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is responsible for developing and implementing the program curricula, recruiting and training program instructors, and evaluating student progress.

Music Program Director

The Music Program Director, John Jones, has a B.A. in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is responsible for developing and implementing the program curricula, recruiting and training program instructors, and evaluating student progress.

Theatre Program Director

The Theatre Program Director, Jane Doe, has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is responsible for developing and implementing the program curricula, recruiting and training program instructors, and evaluating student progress.

Board of Directors

KAOFP’s Board of Directors provides guidance and oversight to the organization. The Board consists of community leaders, educators, artists, and parents. Board members serve three-year terms and can be renewed for one additional term.

Financial Plan

KAOFP’s annual operating budget is approximately $60,000 per year, with an additional one-time cost of about $10,000 for the purchase of equipment and materials. The agency makes very efficient use of its resources by maintaining low overhead costs. Our biggest expense is instructor salaries, which are approximately 75% of total expenses.

Pro Forma Income Statement

Pro forma balance sheet, pro forma cash flow statement, nonprofit business plan example #2 – church of the sacred heart – a nonprofit church based in st. louis, mo.

The Church of Sacred Heart is a nonprofit organization located in St. Louis, Missouri that provides educational opportunities for low-income families. We provide the best quality of education for young children with tuition rates significantly lower than public schools. It has been voted Best Catholic Elementary School by the St Louis Post Dispatch for four years running, and it has maintained consistently high ratings of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews since its opening in 1914.

The Church of Sacred Heart strives to build strong relationships with our community by making an impact locally but not forgetting that we operate on global principles. As such, our school commits 10% of its profits to charitable organizations throughout the world every year, while also conducting fundraisers throughout the year to keep tuition rates affordable.

We are currently transitioning from a safe, high-quality learning environment to an even more attractive facility with state-of-the-art technology and modern materials that will appeal to young students and their families. New facilities, such as additional classrooms and teachers’ lounges would allow us not only to accommodate new students but also attract current families by having more places within the school where they can spend time between classes.

By taking full advantage of available opportunities to invest in our teachers, students, and facilities, we will be able to achieve steady revenue growth at 4% per year until 20XX.

The Church of Sacred Heart provides a safe learning environment with an emphasis on strong academics and a nurturing environment that meets the needs of its young students and their families. Investing in new facilities will allow us to provide even better care for our children as we continue to grow as a school.

Mission Statement: “We will strive diligently to create a safe, respectful environment where students are encouraged and inspired to learn through faith.”

Vision Statement: “Sacred Heart believes education gives every child the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”

The Church of the Sacred Heart was built in 1914 and is located in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood, an area with a high concentration of poverty, crime, unemployment, and abandoned buildings.

The church houses the only Catholic school for low-income families in the north city; together they formed Sacred Heart’s educational center (SCE). SCE has strived to provide academic excellence to children from low-income families by providing a small, nurturing environment as well as high academic standards.

The facility is in need of renovations and new equipment to continue its mission.

The Church of the Sacred Heart is a small nonprofit organization that provides a variety of educational and community services.

The services provided by Sacred Heart represent a $5 billion industry, with nonprofit organizations accounting for $258.8 billion of that total.

The health care and social assistance sector is the largest among nonprofits, representing 32 percent of revenues, followed by educational services (18 percent), and human and other social service providers (16 percent).

The key customers for the Church of the Sacred Heart are families in need of affordable education. The number of students in the school has increased from 500 when it opened in 1914 to 1,100 at its peak during 20XX-20XX but has since declined due to various reasons.

The children at Sacred Heart are from low-income families and 91 percent qualify for free or reduced lunches. Most parents work or have a family member who works full-time, while others don’t work due to child care restraints. The number of children enrolled in Sacred Heart is stable at 1,075 students because there is a lack of affordable alternatives to Catholic education in the area.

SCE offers K-5th grade students a unique learning experience in small groups with individualized instruction.

Sacred Heart has an established brand and is well known for its high standards of academic excellence, which include a 100 percent graduation rate.

Sacred Heart attracts prospective students through promotional materials such as weekly bulletins, mailers to homes that are located in the area served, and local churches.

Parents and guardians of children enrolled in Sacred Heart are mainly referrals from current families, word-of-mouth, and parishioners who learn about the school by attending Mass at Sacred Heart.

The Church of Sacred Heart does not currently advertise; however, it is one of the few Catholic schools that serve low-income families in St. Louis, MO, and therefore uses word of mouth to attract new students to its school.

The Church of Sacred Heart has an established brand awareness within the target audience despite not having direct marketing plans or materials.

The operations section for the Church of the Sacred Heart consists of expanding its after-school program as well as revamping its facility to meet the growing demand for affordable educational services.

Sacred Heart is located in an area where more than one-third of children live below the poverty line, which helps Sacred Heart stand out among other schools that are more upscale. Expansion into after-school programs will allow it to capture a larger market share by providing additional services to its target audience.

In order to expand, Sacred Heart will have to hire additional personnel as well as invest in new equipment and supplies for both the school and the after-school program.

The Church of Sacred Heart’s financial plan includes a fundraising plan that would help renovate the building as well as acquire new equipment and supplies for the school.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Catholic elementary schools across all grade levels spend an average of $6,910 per pupil on operating expenses. A fundraising initiative would help Sacred Heart acquire additional revenue while expanding its services to low-income families in St Louis, MO.

Financial Overview

The Church of the Sacred Heart expects to generate revenues of about $1.2 million in fiscal year 20XX, representing a growth rate of 2 percent from its 20XX revenue level. For 20XX, the church expects revenues to decrease by 4 percent due to a decline in enrollment and the lack of new students. The Church of Sacred Heart has experienced steady revenue growth since its opening in 1914.

  • Revenue stream 1: Tuition – 22%
  • Revenue stream 2: Investment income – 1%

Despite being located in a poverty-stricken area, the Church of Sacred Heart has a stable revenue growth at 4 percent per year. Therefore, Sacred Heart should be able to attain its 20XX revenue goal of $1.2 million by investing in new facilities and increasing tuition fees for students enrolled in its after-school program.

Income Statement f or the fiscal year ending December 31, 20XX

Revenue: $1.2 million

Total Expenses: $910,000

Net Income Before Taxes: $302,000

Statement of Financial Position as of December 31, 20XX 

Cash and Cash Equivalents: $25,000

Receivables: $335,000

Property and Equipment: $1.2 million

Intangible Assets: $0

Total Assets: $1.5 million

Balance Statement

The board of directors has approved the 20XX fiscal year budget for Sacred Heart Catholic Church, which is estimated at $1.3 million in revenues and $920,000 in expenditures.

Cash Flow Statement f or the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 20XX

Operating Activities: Income Before Taxes -$302,000

Investing Activities: New equipment and supplies -$100,000

Financing Activities: Fundraising campaign $200,000

Net Change in Cash: $25,000

According to the 20XX fiscal year financial statements for Sacred Heart Catholic Church, it expects its investments to decrease by 4 percent and expects to generate $1.3 million in revenues. Its total assets are valued at $1.5 million, which consists of equipment and property worth approximately 1.2 million dollars.

The Church of Sacred Heart’s financial statements demonstrate its long-term potential for strong revenue growth due to its steady market share held with low-income families in St. Louis, MO.

Nonprofit Business Plan Example #3 – Finally Home – a Nonprofit Homeless Shelter in Los Angeles, CA

Finally Home is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide low-income single-parent families with affordable housing. The management team has a strong background in the social service industry and deep ties in the communities they plan to serve. In addition, Finally Home’s CEO has a background in real estate development, which will help the organization as they begin developing its operations.

Finally Home’s mission is to reinvent affordable housing for low-income single-parent families and make it more sustainable and accessible. They will accomplish this by buying homes from families and renting them out at an affordable price. Finally Home expects its model of affordable housing to become more sustainable and accessible than any other model currently available on the market today. Finally Home’s competitive advantage over similar organizations is that it will purchase land and buildings from which to build affordable housing. This gives them a greater amount of ownership over their communities and the properties in which the homes are located, as well as freedom when financing these projects.

Finally Home plans on accomplishing this by buying real estate in areas with high concentrations of low-income families who are ready to become homeowners. These homes will be used as affordable housing units until they are purchased by Finally Home’s target demographic, at which point the organizations will begin renting them out at a base rate of 30% of the family’s monthly household income.

Finally Home plans on financing its operations through both private donations and contributions from foundations, corporations, and government organizations.

Finally Home’s management team has strong backgrounds in the social service industry, with deep ties to families that will be prepared to take advantage of Finally Home’s affordable housing opportunities. The CEO of Finally Home also brings extensive real estate development experience to the organization, an asset that will be especially helpful as Finally Home begins its operations.

Finally Home is a nonprofit organization, incorporated in the State of California, whose mission is to help homeless families by providing them with housing and support services. The centerpiece of our program, which will be replicated nationwide if successful, is an apartment complex that offers supportive living for single parents and their children.

The apartments are fully furnished, and all utilities are paid.

All the single parents have jobs, but they don’t earn enough to pay market-rate rent while still paying for other necessities such as food and transportation.

The organization was founded in 20XX by Henry Cisneros, a former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development who served under President Bill Clinton. Cisneros is the chairman of Finally Home’s board of directors, which includes leaders with experience in banking, nonprofit management, and housing professions.

The core values are family unity, compassion for the poor, and respect for our clients. They are the values that guide our employees and volunteers at Finally Home from start to finish.

According to the United States Conference of Mayors’ Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness 20XX Report, “Hunger & Homelessness Survey: A Status Report on Hunger & Homelessness in America’s Cities,” almost half (48%) of all homeless people are members of families with children. Of this number, over one quarter (26%) are under the age of 18.

In 20XX, there were 9.5 million poor adults living in poverty in a family with children and no spouse present. The majority of these families (63%) have only one earner, while 44% have zero earners because the person is not old enough or does not work for other reasons.

The total number of people in poverty in 20XX was 46.5 million, the largest number since Census began publishing these statistics 52 years ago.

Finally Home’s goal is to help single parents escape this cycle of poverty through providing affordable housing and case management services to support them long term.

Unique Market Position

Finally Home creates unique value for its potential customers by creating housing where it does not yet exist.

By helping single parents escape poverty and become self-sufficient, Finally Home will drive demand among low-income families nationwide who are experiencing homelessness. The high level of need among this demographic is significant nationwide. However, there are no other organizations with the same market position as Finally Home.

Finally Home’s target customers are low-income families who are experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. The organization will actively seek out these families through national networks of other social service providers to whom they refer their clients regularly.

Finally Home expects to have a waiting list of families that are interested in the program before they even open their doors.

This customer analysis is based on the assumption that these particular demographic groups are already active users of other social service programs, so referrals will be natural and easy for Finally Home.

Industry Capacity

This information is based on the assumption that these particular demographic groups are already active users of other social service programs, so referrals will be natural and easy for Finally Home.

There is a growing demand for low-income single-parent housing nationwide, yet there is no one organization currently providing these services on a national level like Finally Home.

Thus, Finally Home has a competitive advantage and market niche here because it will be the only nonprofit organization of its kind in the country.

Finally Home’s marketing strategies will focus on attracting potential customers through national networks of other social service providers. They will advertise to their referral sources using materials developed by the organization.  Finally Home will also advertise its services online, targeting low-income families using Google AdWords.

Finally Home will be reinventing affordable housing to make it more accessible and sustainable for low-income single parents. In this new model, Finally Home will own the land and buildings on which its housing units are built, as well as the properties in which they are located.

When a family is ready to move into an affordable housing unit, Finally Home will buy the home they currently live in. This way, families can take advantage of homeownership services like property tax assistance and financial literacy courses that help them manage their newfound wealth.

Finally Home has already partnered with local real estate agents to identify properties for purchase. The organization expects this to result in homes that are at least 30% cheaper than market value.

Finally Home will finance its operational plan through the use of private contributions and donations from public and private foundations, as well as corporate sponsorships.

Finally Home’s management team consists of:

  • Veronica Jones, CEO, and Founder
  • Mark MacDonald, COO
  • Scott Bader, CFO

Management Summary

The management team has a strong history of social service advocacy and deep ties in the communities they plan to serve. In addition, the organization’s CEO has a background in real estate development that will be helpful as Finally Home begins operations.

  • Year 1: Operation startup costs to launch first five houses ($621,865)
  • Year 2: Deliver on market offer and complete first capital raise ($4,753,000)
  • Year 3: Deliver on market offer and complete $5 million capital raise ($7,950,000)
  • Year 4+: Continue to grow market share with a national network of social services providers ($15,350,000).

This nonprofit business plan will serve as an effective road map for Finally Home in its efforts to create a new model for affordable housing.

Nonprofit Business Plan Example PDF

Download our non-profit business plan pdf here. This is a free nonprofit business plan example to help you get started on your own nonprofit plan.

How to Finish Your Nonprofit Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your nonprofit business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Nonprofit Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Other Helpful Nonprofit Business Planning Articles

  • Non-Profit Business Plan
  • How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan
  • 10 Tips to Make Your Nonprofit’s Business Plan Stand Out
  • How to Write a Mission Statement for Your Nonprofit Organization
  • Strategic Planning for a Nonprofit Organization
  • How to Write a Marketing Plan for Your Nonprofit Business
  • 4 Top Funding Sources for a Nonprofit Organization
  • What is a Nonprofit Organization?
  • 20 Nonprofit Organization Ideas For Your Community

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501(c)(3) application process for nonprofits

Antonella Gina Fleitas

Alana Rudder

Alana Rudder

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 1:15 p.m. UTC Nov. 2, 2023

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Over the past 10 years, a lot of new nonprofit organizations have been created in the United States. If you’re considering joining this group, you might have heard about something called a 501(c)(3) status. But what is this about? 

To put it in simple terms, getting 501(c)(3) status means your nonprofit is officially recognized by the government, and it can come with certain state and federal benefits.

In this article, we explain what 501(c)(3) status means, why it is significant and how you can attain it. Whether you’re a social entrepreneur, a community advocate or someone deeply passionate about a cause, this guide will walk you through obtaining 501(c)(3) status.

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A brief definition of the 501(c)(3) compliance

The 501(c)(3) designation is a distinctive legal status conferred by the IRS that grants tax exemptions to most nonprofit organizations. It’s one of the most prevalent tax status options for nonprofit entities in the United States, with 1.5 million organizations benefiting from it.

This special status was officially established in 1913 with the enactment of the Revenue Act. The pivotal legislation introduced the federal income tax system and, within its provisions, included rules that enabled specific organizations to be exempt from paying taxes. 

These exempt organizations, fittingly known as 501(c)(3) entities or nonprofits, play a significant role in addressing societal needs, promoting philanthropy and championing a wide spectrum of charitable causes.

What does it mean to have 501(c)(3) status?

When your organization is under the 501(c)(3) status, the U.S. government recognizes it as tax-exempt, so you more than likely won’t have to pay any federal income or unemployment taxes. For example, if your nonprofit generates $100,000 in donations and revenue, you won’t be liable for taxes on that amount.

Additionally, this status allows your donors to claim tax deductions for their contributions to your organization. For instance, a $500 donation to your 501(c)(3) nonprofit allows donors to reduce their taxable income by $500 when they file their income tax return.

You can also get grants from foundations and government agencies, which are essential for your nonprofit’s finances. 

Legal protection will also be included. If you face lawsuits or disputes, your assets are usually safe from certain legal problems, so your resources can support your mission.

However, all these beneficial implications come with clear responsibilities: 501(c)(3) organizations can’t use their resources for the benefit of specific individuals, including their leaders. Instead, every dollar and piece of property they possess must be directed toward the charitable causes they were established to support.

Pros and cons of 501(c)(3) status

The primary advantage to filing for 501(c)(3) status is to be approved to not pay federal income taxes on revenue that comes into the organization. In turn, that revenue can be used to further the organization’s mission. 

Additionally, a 501(c)(3) status is a powerful magnet for donors. The allure of tax deductions has a tangible impact on contributions, with U.S. taxpayers deducting over $215 billion in charitable donations in 2020. Moreover, this tax-exempt status lends credibility and signifies strong governance and transparency. Donors are more likely to support organizations perceived as trustworthy, which further underscores the appeal of this status.

However, the IRS does enforce strict regulations and reporting requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations, including the annual filing of form 990. A mistake on this form could result in penalties or loss of tax-exempt status. There are also limitations on political activity and lobbying, which can constrain your advocacy efforts during election seasons or while engaging in specific campaigns.

So, as you contemplate 501(c)(3) status, bear in mind that it’s not just about the financial benefits and enhanced credibility; it also entails managing rigorous regulations and navigating specific activity restrictions while furthering your organizational mission.

How to start a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 

1. choose a business name.

Your first step is to choose a business name that is available in your state. Doing so involves ensuring the name complies with state business naming guidelines, is available for use in your state and nationally and is marketable. Our business naming guide walks you through how to name your nonprofit business in your state. 

2. Define your nonprofit’s purpose 

You need a clear and concise mission statement that outlines your nonprofit’s purpose, objectives and target beneficiaries. Your mission statement should encapsulate your nonprofit’s core values and goals.

With your nonprofit’s purpose clearly articulated, you need to figure out if it resonates with the real-world needs of the community you intend to serve. This is a pivotal process known as a “needs assessment.” 

During a needs assessment, you will research and identify specific needs within the target community. This step ensures that your organization’s efforts are in harmony with the community’s actual needs, increasing the likelihood of making a substantial and meaningful impact.

3. Select a registered agent

Before you can register your business, you must appoint a registered agent for it. A registered agent is a person or entity that receives legal and tax documents on your business’s behalf. Due to the strict and demanding requirements of fulfilling this role, many businesses opt to hire a registered agent rather than fulfill the role internally. We’ve created a list to help you choose the best registered agent service for your needs.

4. Create a board of directors

Your board of directors should be made up of one incorporator and at least three board members. The incorporator is the person who will sign your articles of incorporation. Board members must commit to serving for at least one year and should fulfill the roles of president, secretary and treasurer at minimum. These professionals shouldn’t have personal or business connections with each other or the staff. 

To recruit board members, look for individuals with skills, experiences or resources that can serve your organizational purpose. You can search for nonprofit board members within your network, by listing a job posting on LinkedIn or another job board or by tapping into the state-by-state United Way board matching program .

5. Draft corporate bylaws

Draft and adopt bylaws for your nonprofit. Bylaws outline the internal rules and regulations that govern your organization’s operations, covering areas such as board structure, meetings, decision-making processes and membership policies.

Some business formation companies, such as Rocket Lawyer , offer free corporate bylaw templates you can use to create an initial draft. However, we recommend you tap into the legal services of such service providers so your draft can be reviewed by a business lawyer before you finalize the document. Doing so will ensure it meets all your business needs and sufficiently protects its members from liability. 

6. Register your nonprofit

To register your nonprofit, you’ll need to file an articles of incorporation form with your state government. This document creates your nonprofit as a proper corporation. You’ll provide essential information such as:

  • The nonprofit’s name.
  • The nonprofit’s purpose.
  • Details about your initial board of directors.
  • Details about your registered agent.

7. Apply for an EIN

To apply for nonprofit status, you must first obtain an employer identification number (EIN) , which is a tax identification number issued by the IRS to identify your business for tax-administration purposes. You can obtain an EIN for free from the IRS website within a matter of about 15 minutes. The application is available between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. 

8. Apply for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status

To get permission from the government to be tax-exempt, you’ll need to fill out some paperwork. The specific forms you have to fill out depend on the size of your organization. If it’s on the larger side, you’ll use IRS form 1023 ; if it’s smaller, form 1023-EZ is your go-to.

These forms dig into various details about your nonprofit, including how it’s structured, what it does and how it plans to manage its finances. Be prepared, as this paperwork can get quite detailed. After you’ve submitted your application, the IRS will put it under a microscope, and this evaluation process can take several months. 

9. Focus on state compliance and legal requirements

Once you’ve completed all the initial paperwork, it’s important to check if your nonprofit has to comply with any specific state regulations. For example, if you plan to seek donations from the public, there might be extra registration requirements. 

This could involve registering with your state’s charity bureau or the attorney general’s office. These registrations are separate from your federal nonprofit registration and are designed to ensure that your fundraising practices align with the state’s regulations.

These state regulations can pertain to your organization’s operations, financial management and fundraising methods. It’s crucial to familiarize yourself with your state’s rules and ensure you are within the accepted limits to avoid legal issues.

Maintaining 501(c)(3) status

Here are the maintenance requirements and best practices of your new 501(c)(3): 

  • Grow the right board: Nonprofits are managed by individuals who have the experience and knowledge to make unbiased decisions surrounding your nonprofit’s management and mission. By growing your board, you invite more experience, knowledge and resources to further your nonprofit mission. 
  • Have and maintain a clear message: An organization needs a clear mission statement that is specific and emphasizes benefiting the public rather than serving private individuals or entities. 
  • Inform agencies of any changes: If an organization goes through a significant change — like amending its articles of incorporation — state and federal agencies have to be notified. 
  • Keep donation records: An organization must maintain comprehensive records of all donations received. You will also need to send thank-you notes to donors, which is a requirement by the IRS. 
  • File form 990 annually: You’ll have an ongoing obligation to submit an annual report, known as form 990 , to the IRS. This form informs the IRS and its donors about the company’s financial dealings throughout the year, mission, employees and board of directors. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Getting your 501(c)(3) status can be a bit of a waiting game. It can vary for different organizations, depending on how well the application is filled out, how complex the organization is and how busy the IRS is at the time of filing. If your application is straightforward and complete, it might be quicker (four to six weeks). But it could take a bit longer if it’s more complex or the IRS is swamped (up to six months).

Hiring professional assistance can save you time and increase your chances of getting approved. But it really comes down to how intricate your nonprofit is. If you’re dealing with a complex structure or lots of financial transactions, having an expert by your side can save you hours of research. 

Business formation companies such as LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer can help you form your nonprofit and offer legal counsel on its continued management.

To keep tabs on where your application stands, you can use the “where’s my application ” or the tax exempt organization search tool on the IRS website.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Antonella Gina Fleitas

Antonella is a bilingual freelance writer and former virtual assistant from Argentina. She writes evergreen informational content about sci-tech, business, and everything in between.

Alana is the deputy editor for USA Today Blueprint's small business team. She has served as a technology and marketing SME for countless businesses, from startups to leading tech firms — including Adobe and Workfusion. She has zealously shared her expertise with small businesses — including via Forbes Advisor and Fit Small Business — to help them compete for market share. She covers technologies pertaining to payroll and payment processing, online security, customer relationship management, accounting, human resources, marketing, project management, resource planning, customer data management and how small businesses can use process automation, AI and ML to more easily meet their goals. Alana has an MBA from Excelsior University.

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Starting a nonprofit organization checklist.

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Before starting any enterprise or project, whether a traditional for-profit business or a nonprofit , it’s always essential to have a helpful checklist to help one organize thoughts, tasks, inputs, and focus. Starting, operating, and growing a nonprofit organization can be a gratifying, highly rewarding endeavor for all involved, including the recipients of the nonprofit’s work. Creating, establishing, and operating a nonprofit organization requires careful planning and organization at every step.

To ensure your success, reduce obstacles, and avoid costly mistakes, we’ve created this free starting a nonprofit organization checklist PDF for any nonprofit to adapt, implement, and guide the process easier, more comprehensively, and faster.

Download our PLACEHOLDER for free:

In this article...

A step-by-step guide to starting a nonprofit checklist

To ensure legal compliance and operational efficiency, here are just a few of the essential things to include in your nonprofit checklist template :

Define your mission and vision

As with any critical endeavor, defining the organization’s mission, purpose, and goals is essential to success. What is a mission statement, and why does one need one?

A mission statement is a written declaration or definition of your non-profit that articulates or documents your goals and purpose in a couple of short sentences or paragraphs. An excellent mission statement should include four essential elements: Specificity, plausibility, inspiration, and value. This element aims to convey your organization’s essence and purpose in an “elevator speech” in a condensed and memorable form.

Conduct a needs assessment

Who are you serving? Who are the “consumers” or recipients of your nonprofit organization’s output or “deliverables?” What are their shared needs or concerns? Who are all your constituents?

For example, your non-profit could serve disadvantaged youth, poor women, crime victims, or just about any community or group that could benefit from your nonprofit organization’s activities, leadership, mentorships, donations, etc. This is another crucial element to include in a comprehensive nonprofit operations checklist .

Select a board of directors

All aspects of creating a nonprofit organization are essential. However, choosing a board of directors is one of the most critical decisions when forming a non-profit, and completing an effective and thorough nonprofit checklist . Boards can include members with many titles, including the president, vice president, treasurer, directors, board members, executive, etc.

The “human” factor defines, shapes, and ensures the success or failure of every enterprise, including nonprofit organizations. These board members should be devoted to and share the organization’s mission and vision and possess the talents, skills, education, etc., crucial to making valuable contributions, advancing the entities’ goals, and collaborating effectively with members, vendors, partners, recipients, and other individuals and entities touched by the nonprofit’s mission and work. 

Name your organization

Naming a child, a pet, a boat, a product, a company, or a nonprofit is always fun, essential, and sometimes challenging. Choosing something memorable, impactful, and catchy that helps define your mission, culture, or unique value proposition is another building block or essential element of your nonprofit checklist tasks. A name defines every entity and is your “brand,” so put some thought and time into completing this task. 

And, in these days of global corporations and scarce unique names and availability, it’s vital to research, trademark, register, etc., a name to ensure that your nonprofit’s chosen name is available, registered, and protected.

Establish your legal foundation and protections

There are many legal considerations and needs in starting any business or nonprofit. For non-profits, however, it always begins with a filing for a 501(c) or 501(c)(3) designation or status. Simply put, this status is an IRS designation that grants recipients tax-exempt status. It is only granted to some applicants, and legal standards must be met to secure and retain it. 

In addition to applying for and securing 501(c) or 501(c)(3) status, there are other legal considerations and needs. Other legal concerns may include record-keeping requirements, compliance with employment laws, trademark and copyright protection, financial oversights, risk management, or aversion to protecting the organization, clients, and members.

Draft bylaws

Bylaws are the rules or regulations governing the internal operations of nonprofits or for-profit businesses. Simply put, they are the operating manual of your nonprofit. Many states require bylaws, and some do not. Even if they’re not legally required, they are always highly advisable.

Bylaws should define procedures, elections, member’s roles, how to conduct meetings, grants distribution, conflict resolution, and more.

File articles of incorporation

Submit the legal articles of your nonprofits to appropriate state organizations. Articles of incorporation are formal documents that include the nonprofit’s legal name, address for primary office, contact details, duration of organization, contact details, etc. 

Each state has slightly different rules or regulations for bylaws.

Apply for an EIN

An EIN is an acronym for Employer Identification Number and is assigned to the nonprofit by the IRS.

A nonprofit must file via email, fax, or mail to obtain an EIN. The nonprofit submits a Form SSF-4PDFG to the IRS, and the IRS generates the EIN.

State registration

As referenced several times before, many states require nonprofits to file required paperwork.

Determine your state’s requirements and ensure your organization’s documents are correctly completed, submitted, and processed.

Create a budget

Non-profit and for-profit organizations must create, set, and implement operating budgets to fund all the various tasks and liabilities that every organization requires.

Proper and accurate budgeting can always be challenging, even for experienced businesspeople. One must project current and future operating costs, potential or surprise costs, and possibly increases in inputs, labor, or other overhead costs–rents, taxes, legal, upkeep, etc. Working with other accounting, business operations, legal professionals, etc., can help create the best budgets.

Open a bank account

A pivotal and essential decision is selecting and establishing a relationship with a bank or other lending organizations.

Open a separate bank account to handle the nonprofit’s banking and lending needs. It’s essential to seek out great relationships and trusted vendors; a bank is one of these. Analyze fees, minimums, and other services.

Secure necessary insurance coverage

In the current business and nonprofit climate, one must ensure that the organization possesses all types of coverage, and those can include the following types of insurance: property, cyber, umbrella insurance, fiduciary, professional indemnity, errors and omissions coverage, and more.

Consult trusted professionals, including licensed commercial insurance brokers, attorneys, accountants, and others, when evaluating what types of insurance the nonprofit may need and at what levels. Insurance must be included on your nonprofit operations checklist and template.

Maintain record keeping

Even in 2024, maintaining proper records, paperwork, ledgers, or documentation (digital or traditional) is vital when operating any organization. All nonprofits and businesses should develop proper record-keeping practices, standards, security, and retention (both digital and traditional).

Accurate, comprehensive, and safe record keeping helps important stakeholders and analysts monitor, verify, and preserve vital financial, legal, and compliance documentation and records to help document operations and prevent lawsuits or other issues that can impact the whole enterprise.

Hold kickoff board meeting

Convene the first board meeting, establish a solid rapport with all stakeholders, finetune your processes, and discuss and approve essential matters.

If members need to become more familiar with best practices, consider developing helpful resources, assigning articles, and onboarding all members consistently prior to the inaugural meeting.

Develop a fundraising strategy

Fundraising is the lifeblood of every nonprofit and can be a constant challenge for nonprofits, large and small. 

Identifying, seeking, contacting, and nurturing individual and corporate donors. It is a critical function and consideration that must be listed on your nonprofit organization template and checklist. Fundraising helps all nonprofits obtain the necessary resources to fulfill their mission and ensure the nonprofit’s growth, stability, and future.

Comply with employment laws 

Compliance with state and federal labor laws ensures a safe, inclusive, productive, and compliant nonprofit and operations.

Compliance may require the input or need of a full-time HR professional, consultation with attorneys, etc. Consider creating written policies and guidelines to help the nonprofit operate legally and avoid violations, and ensure that this consideration is one of the punches you make to your nonprofit checklist.

Promote and market the nonprofit

As with all enterprises, nonprofits face market competition just like for-profit businesses. While some differences exist in the approaches, deliverables, or goals of non-profits versus businesses, nonprofits still have to market, promote, publicize, and “sell” themselves. Their deliverables are their recipients, results, and donor’s and supporter’s satisfaction with their efforts.

Nonprofits should formulate a plan and budget for building awareness of their nonprofit through social media, publicity, events, fund drives, and traditional and digital advertising buys. Every comprehensive checklist template for starting a nonprofit should include this essential item.

Build a website and claim social media platforms

While traditional media such as broadcast and cable TV, radio, print, and outdoor advertising are still powerful methods of reaching donors, building awareness, and building demand, digital and mobile platforms dominate when it comes to attracting donors, creating awareness, and developing a “brand.”

Build a mobile-friendly website that helps define, convey, and amplify your nonprofit’s efforts, tells your story, and attracts new users, donors, and advocates. Additionally, harness the immense power of social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, and more, to attract support for your nonprofit’s mission, expand your donor base, and ensure that your organization stands out in a crowded, diluted, and noisy marketplace of ideas and causes.

Stay industry current

Note, plan, and develop strategies to keep the nonprofit’s board members, employees, and volunteers informed and industry-current so that they can all produce, adapt, and grow as industry conditions and world events constantly change.

Include this objective in your nonprofit blueprint for success and encourage a consistent learning and continuing education culture.

Also read: Optimizing Donor Outreach: 5 Best Practices for Nonprofits

Why do you need a nonprofit checklist?

Hopefully, after reading the previous paragraphs and digesting this information, any reader involved in launching and operating a successful nonprofit will see the need for organization, documentation, and communications and how our helpful checklist template for starting a nonprofit can aid in this process.

Operating a nonprofit may require additional tools, resources, labor, and, most importantly, software. These tools include adapting and integrating CRM software options to help a nonprofit organize, scale, operate, and thrive.

Also read: Membership Management Software Guide

What’s next?

Finally, explore some of the best options for selecting fantastic CRM software, including offerings from Salesforce, HubSpot, Asana, and more that help organize and empower any nonprofit, its staff, and its partners to run a seamless, integrated, compliant, and efficient organization that can meet and surpass its goals and deliver maximum results. This article and checklist can definitely help you get organized and prioritize your tasks, but a more long-term and comprehensive solution will most likely include the adaptation of an integrated CRM tool. Check out our full CRM Software Buyer’s Guide to guide you through the maze of options. We did the heavy lifting for you.

Do I need to register my nonprofit organization with the state?

Yes, registering your nonprofit with the state is essential for legal recognition and operation.

Is obtaining 501(c)(3) status necessary for all nonprofit organizations?

Obtaining 501(c)(3) status is crucial for tax-exempt benefits, but not all nonprofits may qualify or need to apply.

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  1. The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Nonprofit Business Plan

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    According to Propel Nonprofits, business plans usually should have four components that identify revenue sources/mix; operations costs; program costs; and capital structure. A business plan outlines the expected income sources to support the charitable nonprofit's activities.

  5. The 6-Step Guide to Writing a Nonprofit Business Plan in 2023

    The 6-Step Guide to Writing a Nonprofit Business Plan in 2023 By Jesse Sumrak Request a Demo Learn how top nonprofits use Classy to power their fundraising. Schedule a Demo Published October 18, 2022 • Reading Time: 9 minutes Nonprofit business plans aren't just nice to have—more like need to have.

  6. How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan (with Examples)

    How to write a nonprofit business plan in 7 steps Nonprofit business plan sections Executive Summary Products, programs, and services Operations Marketing Operational plan Finances Appendix Nonprofit business plan example Using your nonprofit business plan for success What is a nonprofit business plan?

  7. How to start a nonprofit

    1. Conduct a needs assessment 2. Complete a market analysis 3. Choose from the 3 types of nonprofit organization structures 4. Create a business plan 5. Secure funding 6. Form your nonprofit 7. Apply for tax-exempt status 8. Keep your tax-exempt status Starting a nonprofit FAQ Start your nonprofit today

  8. How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan

    Updated October 27, 2023 Download Now: Free Business Plan Template Believe it or not, creating a business plan for a nonprofit organization is not that different from planning for a traditional business. Nonprofits sometimes shy away from using the words "business planning," preferring to use terms like "strategic plan" or "operating plan."

  9. The Complete Guide to Writing a Nonprofit Business Plan

    1. What activities do you plan to pursue in order to meet the organization's high level goals? 2. What's your plan on getting revenue to fund these activities? 3. What are your operating costs and specifically how do these break down? Note that there's a difference between a business plan and a strategic plan, though there may be some overlap.

  10. 8 Steps to Start a Nonprofit Business

    Just because you're not focusing on generating a profit doesn't mean it isn't critical to put together a plan for how you'll sustain your organization, deal with cash flow, and grow in the future. Dig deeper: Why your nonprofit needs a better budget. 6. Register for 501 (c)3 status and file articles of incorporation.

  11. Professional Nonprofit Business Plan Template

    A nonprofit business plan template includes fields that cover the foundational elements of a business plan, including: The overarching purpose of your nonprofit. Its long and short-term goals. An outline of how you'll achieve these goals. The template also controls the general layout of the business plan, like recommended headings, sub ...

  12. How to write a nonprofit business plan

    Here's what you need to know about how to write a nonprofit business plan. Nonprofit business plan elements For-profit business plans detail what a company does, how it does it, who does it, and how it pays for it. A nonprofit business plan outlines that as well but approaches parts of the process differently.

  13. Nonprofit Business Plan Templates

    Use this fill-in-the-blank template as the basis for building a thorough business plan for a nonprofit organization. This template includes space to describe your organization's background, purpose, and main objectives, as well as key personnel, program and service offerings, market analysis, promotional activities, fundraising methods, and more.

  14. Business Plan For A Nonprofit Organization + Template

    Organization Overview Products, Programs, and Services Industry Analysis Customer Analysis Marketing Plan Operations Plan Management Team Financial Plan Appendix Executive Summary The executive summary of a nonprofit business plan is a one-to-two page overview of your entire business plan.

  15. Nonprofit Business Plan Template & Guide [Updated 2024]

    How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan Growthink's nonprofit business plan template below is the result of 20+ years of research into the types of business plans that help nonprofit organizations (NPOs) to attract funding and achieve their goals. Follow the links to each section of our nonprofit business plan template: 1. Executive Summary 2.

  16. How To Start a Nonprofit in 2024

    Registering your nonprofit's name. Filing the articles of incorporation paperwork and paying the filing fee. Publishing your articles of incorporation in a local newspaper (in certain states ...

  17. How To Write a Nonprofit Business Plan (2024)

    blog | Starting Up How To Write a Nonprofit Business Plan (2024) Learn how to write nonprofit business plans with detailed sections and examples. Use this nonprofit business plan template to get it done faster. by Alexandra Sheehan Nov 2, 2023 Start your online business today. For free.

  18. How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan + Example [Updated 2024]

    The first step in writing a nonprofit business plan is to conduct a feasibility study. This study will help to determine whether or not the nonprofit is viable and whether or not it has the potential to be successful. The feasibility study should include an assessment of the current market, an examination of the competition, and a review of the ...

  19. How to Create a Nonprofit Business Plan

    Start your nonprofit business plan by clearly stating your organization's mission and describing how it plans on reaching its goals.

  20. How To Start A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

    7 Steps To Forming a 501 (c) (3) The steps to starting a 501 (c) (3) include writing a purpose statement, naming your organization and appointing your board of directors. At that point, you can ...

  21. 3 Sample Nonprofit Business Plans For Inspiration

    Download our Ultimate Nonprofit Business Plan Template here. Below are sample plans to help guide you in writing a nonprofit business plan. Example #1 - Kids Are Our First Priority (KAOFP) - a Nonprofit Youth Organization based in Chicago, IL. Example #2 - Church of the Sacred Heart - a Nonprofit Church based in St. Louis, MO.

  22. 501(c)(3) application process for nonprofits

    Start your 501(c)(3) nonprofit with these steps and best practices. ... nonprofit 1. Choose a business name. ... if you plan to seek donations from the public, there might be extra registration ...

  23. How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan

    Starting a Nonprofit and wondering how to write a nonprofit business plan? Here are 8 things to include in your plan for a new nonprofit organization. #Nonpr...

  24. Starting a Nonprofit Organization Checklist

    Select a board of directors. All aspects of creating a nonprofit organization are essential. However, choosing a board of directors is one of the most critical decisions when forming a non-profit, and completing an effective and thorough nonprofit checklist.Boards can include members with many titles, including the president, vice president, treasurer, directors, board members, executive, etc.

  25. How To Start A New Business With No Money

    5. Market your business. Digital marketing levels the playing field for small businesses, allowing you to reach a global audience with a relatively small budget. Start a blog using SEO to get ...