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Resources

Financial Management & Budgeting

Plan, manage, and sustain your organization's finances
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Strong financial management helps nonprofits make informed decisions, use resources wisely, and sustain their mission over time. This Resource Center brings together practical tools, guides, articles, and videos from Nonprofit Net and trusted third-party sources to help nonprofits develop budgets, manage cash flow, understand costs, strengthen financial practices, and plan for long-term financial sustainability.​​

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Resources on Nonprofit FInancial Management & Budgeting 

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Getting Started​​​​​​

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  • New to Nonprofit Finance? Start Here, March 2, 2023, Maine Association of Nonprofits. (Article / Resource Guide)
    Particularly relevant for small nonprofits, this collection of resources covers budgeting, cash-flow management, cost allocation, internal controls, audits, and other aspects of financial management.

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  • Nonprofit Budgeting Basics, November 14, 2017, Nonprofit Finance Fund. (Article)
    The who, what, where, and when of nonprofit budgeting. It recommends beginning with strategic, programmatic, and financial goals and involving the board as a thought partner early in the process.

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  • Nonprofit Budgets: How to Get Started, September 22, 2022, Nonprofit Finance Fund. (Video series + template)
    The three-part video series covers why budgets matter, who should participate, when to budget, and how to create and use a budget template. A budget template and presentation slides are also available.    ​​​

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Financial Management Processes & Best Practices

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Building the Annual Budget

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  • Budgeting: A 10-Step Checklist, Propel Nonprofits. (Checklist / PDF)
    A step-by-step checklist for developing an annual nonprofit budget, including setting a timeline, establishing program and financial goals, reviewing the current financial position, developing expense and revenue budgets, obtaining board approval, documenting assumptions, and monitoring the budget.

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  • Budgeting for Nonprofits, National Council of Nonprofits. (Article / Resource Guide)
    An accessible overview of nonprofit budgeting, including the roles of staff and boards, annual budget approval, monitoring actuals against budget, and budget adjustments when circumstances change. It also introduces concepts such as true program costs and why a nonprofit budget does not necessarily need to break even.

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  • Nonprofit Budgeting – Webinar Recording and Resources, Nonprofit Financial Commons. (Webinar + Resource List)
    This collection of resources including  budgeting for impact and budgeting during organizational change. It links to the StrongNonprofits Budgeting Toolkit and Propel Nonprofits' 10-step budgeting checklist.

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Cost Allocation

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  • Cost Allocations: The Basics, August 2025, Nonprofit Accounting Basics. (Article)
    An introduction to cost allocation for nonprofits explaining how to identify shared and indirect costs, choose cost drivers, and document an allocation methodology. It also discusses funder requirements and different ways to  record allocations in accounting systems.

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  • True Program Costs: Program Budget and Allocation Template, Propel Nonprofits / Nonprofit Financial Commons. (Guide + spreadsheet template)
    This resource helps nonprofits understand the true cost of delivering programs, the appropriate allocation of shared expenses, and how to accurately estimating costs when developing budgets, setting fees, seeking grants, or evaluating programs.

 

Scenario Planning & Forecasting

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  • Demystifying Scenario Planning, Nonprofit Finance Fund (Article)
    This guide defines scenario planning and when to use it, and outlines the key steps in a scenario planning process.

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  • Strategic Budgeting and Scenario Planning, Nonprofit Finance Find (Video + slides + workbook)
    This webinar discusses how to incorporate scenario planning into your budget, allowing your team and your board to understand budget implications for various “what-ifs” and create plans of action. Includes a workbook.
     

  • Nonprofit Budgeting Scenario Planning Tool, Nonprofit Finance Fund (Excel tool + video)
    This tool helps organizations model risks and alternative scenarios rather than treating the annual budget as fixed. A video on how to use the tool is included.

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  • Scenario Budget Planning Template, Propel Nonprofits (Video + Excel template and example)
    This template and accompanying example are useful for organizations that want to go beyond a single best-case budget and develop contingency plans. A link to a webinar on Financial Planning in Uncertain Times is included.

 

Cash Flow & Financial Sustainability

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  • Cash Flow Projection Template, Nonprofit Finance Fund
    This tool provides detail on the timing of cash coming in and going out of the organization each month. A video below for guidance on how to use the tool is included.

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  • Financial Health Analysis Tool, Wallace Foundation / Nonprofit Financial Commons. (Excel tool + video)
    This tool provides a snapshot of an organization's financial health using four years of financial data, with a particular focus on liquidity. It can be useful as a companion to the budgeting process by helping nonprofits understand their financial position and identify areas that may need attention.

 

Tools & Templates

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  • Strong Nonprofits Budgeting Toolkit, Wallace Foundation / Nonprofit Financial Commons (Toolkit + templates)
    Practical guidance and tools for developing a strategic and collaborative nonprofit budget, including resources for developing program-based budgets and budgeting expenses and revenues by program or activity area. 

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  • Collaborative Budgeting for Nonprofits, NP Budgeting (Google Sheets tool)
    This free Google Sheets add-on and template is designed to facilitate a collaborative process for tracking revenue, expenses, and cash flow. It also includes scenario-planning capabilities.     

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  • Budgeting for Nonprofits, National Council of Nonprofits (Guide/resource hub)
    A general overview and gateway to additional resources, including budgeting checklists, forecasting, and the Wallace toolkit.

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