Building a budget — whether it’s for a specific program or a nonprofit’s entire operation — can be a daunting task. Luckily, there are lots of free tools available to help get you started. We’ve assembled a few here to help you budget for a variety of different scenarios.
Guides to Budget Basics
NorthSky Nonprofit Network: “Budgeting Basics” (PowerPoint presentation)
Society for Nonprofits: “Create a Budget That Works for You” (article)
Foundation Center: “Proposal Budgeting Basics” (tutorial)
The Wallace Foundation: “A Five-Step Guide to Budgeting for Nonprofits” (webinar)
Third Sector New England : “Nonprofit Budget Tips for a Healthy New Year” (article)
Nonprofits Assistance Fund: “Balance Sheet Cheat Sheet” (tool)
Tools for the Budget Planning Process
Nonprofits Assistance Fund: “10 Step Budgeting Checklist”
Budget Templates
The Wallace Foundation: “Program-Based Budget Builder” (interactive tool and instructional video)
Nonprofit Works: “Multiple program budget” (interactive template)
Sample Budgets
New York Hall of Science: Projected budget for outreach programs
Recovery Resources: Budget request for a project
The Community Resource Exchange: Several budget examples, including a budget allocating grant resources, one involving several different grants applied to several different programs, and one that analyzes differences between projected and actual revenue and expenses.