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Charity Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

charity business plan

Charity Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their charity companies. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a charity business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your charity business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a charity business or grow your existing charity company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your charity business to improve your chances of success. Your charity business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Charity Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a charity business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and major donors . When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan (hand it to them in person or email to them as a PDF file) and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Donations and bank loans are the most common funding paths for charity companies.

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How to write a business plan for a charity business.

If you want to start a charity business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide and sample below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your charity business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of charity business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a charity business that you would like to grow, or are you operating more than one charity business?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. 

  • Give a brief overv iew of the charity business industry. 
  • Discuss the type of charity business you are operating. 
  • Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. 
  • Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team. 
  • Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of charity business you are operating.

For example, you m ight specialize in one of the following types of charity businesses:

  • Public charity business: A charity business that is defined by the Internal Revenue Service as a “public service support,” is one that benefits the public at large. This may include chambers of commerce, labor unions, and certain types of insurance companies. If a charity business fits within the specifications set by the IRS, the charity is considered a 501c3 entity, and receives preferential tax treatment.
  • Private charity business: By far, the majority of charities fall within the category of “private charities,” which can be identified as serving a specific group of people. This may include philanthropic foundations, churches or synagogues, and other clubs or associations that serve via a privately-funded means. If a private charity business fits within the specifications set by the IRS, the charity is considered a 501c3 entity and receives preferential tax treatment.

In addition to explaining the type of charity business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

  • When and why did you start the business?
  • What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of people served, the number of charitable outcomes, reaching X number of geographic locations, etc.
  • Your legal business structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the charity business industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the charity business industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating. 

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your charity business business plan:

  • How big is the charity business industry (in dollars)?
  • Is the market declining or increasing?
  • Who are the key competitors in the market?
  • Who are the key suppliers in the market?
  • What trends are affecting the industry?
  • What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
  • What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your charity business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Donor Analysis

The donor analysis section of your charity business plan must detail the individuals or business entities who donate or those you expect to donate to your charitable business. 

The following are examples of donor segments: individuals, families, foundations and corporations.

As you can imagine, the donor segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of charity business you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target donors in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential donors you seek.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target donors . The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your donors . Ideally you can speak with a sample of your target donors before writing your plan to better understand their needs.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are othe r charity businesses. 

Indirect competitors are other options that donors may contribute to that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes service-related charitable endeavors, private foundations, and organizations that serve specific communities, etc. You need to mention direct competition, as well.

For each direct competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

  • What types of donors do they solicit ?
  • What type of charity business are they?
  • What is their donation model (cash, assets, estate-wealth)?
  • What are they good at?
  • What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the donors’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ donors what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

  • Will you provide recognition for all your donors?
  • Will you offer premium products or services for your top-tier donors?
  • Will you provide consistent communication with your donors?
  • Will you offer directorships or preferential placement for your donors?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a charity business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type o f charity company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide food for the homeless population? Will you improve the neighborhood park? Will you invest in artwork on behalf of your charity to support the art world? 

Value : Document the specific value your charity provides and how that compares to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of yo ur plan, yo u are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their respective values.

Place : Place refers to the site of your charity company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your charity business located in an affluent neighborhood, a warehouse, a standalone office, or is it purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for the donors who contribute and the services you provide.

Promotions : The final part of your charity business marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential donors and charitable recipients to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

  • Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
  • Reach out to websites 
  • Distribute flyers
  • Engage in email marketing
  • Advertise on social media platforms
  • Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your charity business, including answering calls, planning and providing fund-raising events or campaigns, correspondence with donors and charitable recipients, and maintaining records of acts of service.  

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your Xth charity recipient, or when you hope to reach $X in donations. It could also be when you expect to expand your charity business to a new city.

Management Team

To demonstrate your charity business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company. 

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing charity businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a charity business or top-tier donors who are regularly involved in your charity business. 

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your donation and gift income statement, balance s heet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. In a charity business, profits can be made through sales; however, the majority of income is received from donor gifts and activity. Your income statement will show several avenues of income as a result. It will demonstrate your receipts and then subtract your costs to show the IRS the activity of your 501c3 organization. 

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you hold 5 donor events each year, and/or offer acts of service weekly ? And will your charity business grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your charity business, this will not give you an immediate return on the investment. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you maintain your charity business for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can generate gifts or assets , but run out of money and go bankrupt. 

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a charity business business:

  • Cost of equipment and office supplies
  • Payroll or salaries paid to staff
  • Business insurance
  • Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your list of top-tier donors, or examples of how your charity has changed lives or communities for the better. 

Writing a business plan for your charity business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the charity business industry, your competition, and your donors. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful charity business.

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

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how a Growthink business plan consultant can create your business plan for you.  

Charity Business Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my charity business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your charity business plan.

How Do You Start a Charity Business?

Starting a charity business is easy with these 14 steps:

  • Choose the Name for Your Charity Business
  • Create Your Charity Business Plan
  • Choose the Legal Structure for Your Charity Business
  • Secure Startup Funding for Your Charity Business (If Needed)
  • Secure a Location for Your Business
  • Register Your Charity Business with the IRS
  • Open a Business Bank Account
  • Get a Business Credit Card
  • Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
  • Get Business Insurance for Your Charity Business
  • Buy or Lease the Right Charity Business Equipment
  • Develop Your Charity Business Marketing Materials
  • Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Charity Business
  • Open for Business

Where Can I Download a Free Business Plan Template PDF?

Click here to download the pdf version of our basic business plan template.

Our free business plan template pdf allows you to see the key sections to complete in your plan and the key questions that each must answer. The business plan pdf will definitely get you started in the right direction.

We do offer a premium version of our business plan template. Click here to learn more about it. The premium version includes numerous features allowing you to quickly and easily create a professional business plan. Its most touted feature is its financial projections template which allows you to simply enter your estimated sales and growth rates, and it automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Here’s the link to our Ultimate Business Plan Template.

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.  

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Download A Free Business Plan Template

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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.

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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The best nonprofit business plan template

sample charity 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.

sample charity 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.

sample charity 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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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.

sample charity 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.

sample charity 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. 

sample charity 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.

sample charity 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. ‍

sample charity 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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Nonprofit Business Plans

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Nonprofit organizations have a unique set of needs and requirements. That’s why these sample business plans for nonprofit organizations and social enterprise businesses can help you get started on the right foot.

If you’re looking to develop a more modern business plan, we recommend you try LivePlan . It contains the same templates and information you see here, but with additional guidance to help you develop the perfect plan.

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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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How do I write a business plan for a nonprofit organization?

Like for-profit business ventures, nonprofits can create a business plan to describe how they will turn their mission into reality.

The business planning process involves the following steps:

  • Researching the market, using a resource such as GuideStar , to see who else might be doing what the nonprofit plans to offer
  • Investigating the resources the nonprofit will need to provide the service
  • Devising marketing and communication strategies
  • Assessing risk
  • Determining ways to evaluate success - IssueLab Results  is a place for foundations and nonprofits to share funded evaluations and to access the lessons of their peers and colleagues.

You can also use a business plan for a specific project or venture for a nonprofit.

To help diversify their revenue sources, for example, many nonprofits explore ways to earn income by developing their own business ventures. A classic example is Girl Scout cookies. Each year Girl Scout troops sell cookies, and the money they earn goes toward Girl Scout programs. Providing goods or services for a fee can be an important way for a nonprofit to bring in revenue to supplement its fundraising activities.

Selected resources below can help you learn more about creating an overall business plan for a nonprofit organization or specifically for an earned income venture.

Still have questions about starting a nonprofit, finding grants or other fundraising and management queries? Chat with or email Candid's experts to get answers. Ask Us Now!

If you're thinking about starting a nonprofit, take Candid's course, Is Starting a Nonprofit Right for You?  Take the course in person or watch the video.

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Explore resources curated by our staff for this topic:, staff-recommended websites, business planning (for nonprofits or for-profits).

This site provides an overview of business planning, with a special section focusing on nonprofits. Includes sample nonprofit business plans.

Business Planning for Nonprofits

Provides a listing of suggested resources on business and strategic planning for nonprofit organizations.

Business Planning Tools for Non-Profit Organizations

Offers advice on strategic plans, business plans & feasibility studies, as well as information on financial options, assessing funding sources. Extensive information on planning volunteer programs as well.

Free Nonprofit Sample Business Plans

Foundation Center does not endorse the business planning software sold on this site, but the sample nonprofit business plans provided are helpful and quite comprehensive.

How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan

This article provides a brief overview of the steps involved in creating a nonprofit business plan.

Nonprofit Business Plan Development: From Vision, Mission and Values to Implementation

This guide provides an overview of the steps in the planning process, (including SWOT analysis), vision and mission statement development, and goal setting.

Nonprofit Incorporating

This full-text article by Donald A. Griesman goes into detail on the process of starting a nonprofit organization. Beginning on page 10, he describes the elements of a business plan for a new nonprofit.

Nonprofit vs. Traditional Business Plans

Entrepreneur.com offers some information on the differences between a nonprofit and traditional business plan.

Sample Nonprofit Business Plans

Along with a link to its full-text article titled “Business Planning for Nonprofits: What It Is and Why It Matters,” the Bridgespan Group gives links to 3 sample nonprofit business plans.

Social Enterprise Business Plan

This outline was developed for nonprofit organizations wishing to embark on earned income ventures with a business model.

Strategic and Business Planning

A resource guide with definitions of planning terms and examples of planning techniques.

Write Your Business Plan

Though not geared specifically to nonprofits, these resources from the SBA cover in detail the elements that should be included in any kind of business plan.

Staff-recommended books

Business Plans Handbook: Non-Profit

Business Plans Handbook: Non-Profit

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Starting a charity business is a huge responsibility. To make a positive impact in society, you will need to build your charity business strong, for which you will need a detailed business plan.

Need help writing a business plan for your charity business? You’re at the right place. Our charity business plan template will help you get started.

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Free Business Plan Template

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  • Fill in the blanks – Outline
  • Financial Tables

How to Write A Charity Business Plan?

Writing a charity business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

Introduce your Business:

Start your executive summary by briefly introducing your business to your readers.

Market Opportunity:

Highlight the charity programs you offer your clients. The USPs and differentiators you offer are always a plus.

Marketing & Sales Strategies:

Financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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sample charity business plan

2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your company. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

Business Description:

Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:

Describe what kind of charity company you run and the name of it. You may specialize in one of the following charity businesses:

  • Humanitarian charities
  • Public charity
  • Private charity
  • Health charities
  • Educational charities
  • Environmental charities
  • Animal welfare charities
  • Describe the legal structure of your charity company, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.
  • Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.

Mission Statement:

Business history:.

If you’re an established charity service provider, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.

Future Goals

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

Target market:

Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.

Conduct SWOT analysis:

Competitive analysis:, market trends:.

Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.

Regulatory Environment:

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your charity business plan:

  • Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
  • Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
  • Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
  • Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products of Your Bicycle Shop

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

Describe your programs:

Mention the charity programs your business will offer. This list may include:

  • Direct assistance
  • Education and training
  • Healthcare & medical services
  • Social services
  • Advocacy and awareness

Describe the objectives behind programs:

Supportive services:.

In short, this section of your charity plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.

Marketing Mix:

Marketing channels:, fundraising strategies:.

Describe the fundraising strategies you plan on implementing to generate revenue for your nonprofit. Your nonprofit may generate income from grants, major gifts, individual giving, charity events, online fundraising, corporate sponsorship, etc.

Donor Retention:

Overall, this section of your charity business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your charity business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

Staffing & Training:

Operational process:, equipment & software:.

Include the list of equipment and software required for charity, such as office equipment, software & IT infrastructure, communication & presentation tools, fundraising equipment, vehicles & transportation, etc.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your charity business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Founders/CEO:

Key managers:.

Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.

Organizational structure:

Compensation plan:, advisors/consultants:.

Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea.

This section should describe the key personnel for your charity, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:.

Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.

Financing Needs:

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

  • Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
  • In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
  • Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
  • Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
  • Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your charity business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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This sample charity business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful charity plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our charity business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a charity business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful charity business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your charity company.

How to get funding for your charity business?

There are several ways to get funding for your charity business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

  • Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
  • Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
  • Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
  • Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your charity business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your charity business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your charity business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any charity business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

How do I write a good market analysis in a charity business plan?

Market analysis is one of the key components of your business plan that requires deep research and a thorough understanding of your industry. We can categorize the process of writing a good market analysis section into the following steps:

  • Stating the objective of your market analysis—e.g., investor funding.
  • Industry study—market size, growth potential, market trends, etc.
  • Identifying target market—based on user behavior and demographics.
  • Analyzing direct and indirect competitors.
  • Calculating market share—understanding TAM, SAM, and SOM.
  • Knowing regulations and restrictions
  • Organizing data and writing the first draft.

Writing a marketing analysis section can be overwhelming, but using ChatGPT for market research can make things easier.

How detailed should the financial projections be in my charity business plan?

The level of detail of the financial projections of your charity business may vary considering various business aspects like direct and indirect competition, pricing, and operational efficiency. However, your financial projections must be comprehensive enough to demonstrate a complete view of your financial performance.

Generally, the statements included in a business plan offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.

What key components should a charity business plan include?

The following are the key components your charity business plan must include:

  • Executive summary
  • Business Overview
  • Market Analysis
  • Products and services
  • Sales and marketing strategies
  • Operations plan
  • Management team
  • Financial plan

Can a good charity business plan help me secure funding?

Indeed. A well-crafted charity business will help your investors better understand your business domain, market trends, strategies, business financials, and growth potential—helping them make better financial decisions.

So, if you have a profitable and investable business, a comprehensive business plan can certainly help you secure your business funding.

What's the importance of a marketing strategy in a charity business plan?

Marketing strategy is a key component of your charity business plan. Whether it is about achieving certain business goals or helping your investors understand your plan to maximize their return on investment—an impactful marketing strategy is the way to do it!

Here are a few pointers to help you understand the importance of having an impactful marketing strategy:

  • It provides your business an edge over your competitors.
  • It helps investors better understand your business and growth potential.
  • It helps you develop products with the best profit potential.
  • It helps you set accurate pricing for your products or services.

About the Author

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Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How to write a business plan for a small charity

Table of Contents

Description of charity

Explaining the audience, swot analysis, opportunities, financial projection, manage your finances for achieving objectives with countingup.

Typical businesses use a plan to secure funding by sharing it as a proposal to investors or forming part of an application to the bank for a loan. For a charity, though, there might be other uses to putting together a business plan . These may include the ability to set out a direction for your organisation or look for sizable donations, which may require you to share a plan.

This guide will make sure that you can get on with reaching your social objectives by showing you how to write a business plan for a charity. It includes:

For a social enterprise (charity), the business’ objectives are different from usual companies. Typical companies may aim to create wealth for the owner, for example. But, according to the UK Government , to be legally considered a charity, your organisation must have a charitable purpose. So the first thing to include in your business plan should be these aims.

If you can make it clear what the objectives of your business are, it provides a greater incentive for people to donate. It might also be helpful to explain why it’s the purpose you chose. With an objective, you should also describe how the organisation plans to help it. For example, if your charity aims to help blind people, they may look to fund guide dogs to be provided for them.

The other key element of your description of your charity should be how you plan to fund it. You may sell products, provide services or ask for donations. There may be other charities helping a similar cause, so you should also describe what makes you unique that will make people want to donate.

Charities rely on funding to fulfil their objectives. Without it, you may struggle to help those you would like to. As a result, running the organisation requires some business thinking. For example, identifying a target audience most likely to donate or pay for products/services shows that you are more likely to reach your goals.

To find your audience, you may have to carry out market research . Speak directly to those affected by the issue you aim to solve and those interested in helping your charity. You can gather information through surveys and interviews to find out as much as possible about your market. Another way to do this is by looking at similar charities’ focus and who they target.

It may be helpful for you to put together a customer profile (sometimes called customer avatar) to use your findings from your market research productively. By having a hypothetical person to think about, you can find insights for where you should be marketing to them and why they would donate. 

A customer profile could include:

Putting these details together helps you describe how you plan to market your charity.

For more information on how to market your small business, see: How to Market Your Small Business Effectively: 9 Top Tips

It is essential to understand where the current position of your charity is to help you plan for the future. To think about all aspects of your business, you can do a SWOT analysis . This technique focuses on your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Your organisation’s strengths should provide the reasons that your charity is likely to achieve its goals. For example, you could mention the quotes and information of those who would benefit you in your marketing.

There are likely some weaknesses your charity may have. Identifying them lets you talk about how you will get over them. For example, if you lack experience in financial management, mention that you plan to use an app like Countingup to make it easier.

If you show that there are opportunities your organisation can take advantage of, it might give more confidence to someone willing to donate. For example, if a sports event is coming up later this year that relates to your cause, maybe you could partner with them.

Like any business, there may be potential threats to your charity. But by mentioning them, you can also say how you plan to avoid them. For example, if you sell donated things and you run out, mention your plans to make other things to sell.

Even though the primary purpose of the business is not to make a profit for the owners, it’s still essential that the charity covers its costs and makes enough to fund its social activities. So, it could be helpful to provide your business plan with some calculations to reassure those looking to donate towards your organisation that it will go towards a successful venture.

A sales forecast estimates the sales you expect. Multiply your planned prices for products, services or typical donation amounts by the number of customers you expect. Put this to a timescale of a month, quarter or year. You can refer to your projections in later stages and compare your performance.

This section may also be helpful for you to detail what the business would be hoping to use donations for specifically. For example, you may pay a marketing agency for a social media campaign if someone provides significant assistance. If you have a smaller donation, though, that may reach your particular objective.

It is important for your financial projection to be accurate and for you to monitor whether your business is sticking to your expectations. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, you can see exactly where your costs are going in your charity. To make sure that you can fulfil the objectives of your organisation, cash flow insights let you receive reports about your finances. You can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Start your three-month free trial today.  Find out more here .

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How to Write a Charity Business Plan in 5 Easy Steps

How to Write a Charity Business Plan in 5 Easy Steps

Read Time: 3 Minutes

Posted: 16 Dec 2020

16 Dec 2020

Starting up your own charity or non-profit organisation can be extremely rewarding, but it’s important to set up a strong foundation before you even think about diving into fundraising. Planning ahead is the best way to ensure you’re having the biggest impact on your cause.

Although not run like a business in the traditional sense, charities definitely benefit from having a sound business plan – plus, it’ll make it easier to launch your charity and secure funding in the long run. Here’s exactly how to write your charity business plan in 5 easy steps.

Why Do Charities Need a Business Plan?

Ultimately, a business plan is an important document for a charity because it sets out your goals and the strategies you’ll be using to achieve these goals. Like a business makes a business plan to ensure it will be profitable, a charity makes a business plan to ensure it can benefit those it sets out to benefit. 

Step 1: Say Who You Are

The first two sections of your business plan are your executive summary and charity description. In the executive summary, you’ll need to outline:

  • Your personal details
  • Your charity idea
  • Your mission, goals and aims
  • The type of organisation you’d like to set up

You’ll then go into more detail in your charity description, where you can talk about where your charity idea came from and why you believe it’s important to raise funds for this untapped cause.

You’ll also need to think about where you’ll be based and the advantages and disadvantages of this location.

Describe what you hope to achieve in the first, second and third years of your charity running, showing both ambition for your organisation but also that you know what is realistic to be able to achieve.

You may also want to brush on some of your unique selling points (USPs), explaining why your charity is necessary in the current climate and what makes you stand out from similar charities who may be raising awareness and funds for similar or the same cause.

Step 2: Understanding Your Market

It’s important to show that you’ve completed the necessary market research to understand how feasible your goals actually are. As well as knowing that there’s a community or group of people who would benefit from the funds raised for your charity, you also need to know that people will be willing to donate to you to create those funds in the first place.

Use polls or ask people face-to-face about their opinion on your cause, asking how much or how often (if at all) they’d be willing to donate to support you.

Furthermore, it’s important to know who else is raising awareness or funds for the same or a similar cause – in the business world, these would be known as your competitors. Check out what they’re doing and how you could do it better or target a more niche demographic of donors. It’s also great to look at other kinds of successful charities, who may not necessarily be supporting the same cause as you, for inspiration as to what works and what doesn’t.

We recommend completing a SWOT analysis as part of your market research. This helps you to identify yours and your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, giving a well-rounded view on where exactly you’d sit in the current market.

Step 3: Day-to-Day Operations

Next, you’ll need to get into the specifics of the day-to-day running of your charity. For this section, you should outline:

  • Any resources you’ll need to run your charity
  • Suppliers and other organisations you’ll work with
  • Premises of your charity
  • Equipment you’ll use
  • Your process for taking payments from donors
  • Any legal requirements like licenses you’ll need, e.g. for preparing food 
  • Any insurance you have or will need

You’ll also need to write a small biography for each person who is important to the running of your charity, including their role and their experience showing why they’re perfect for the role. Important people include the management team and any trustees. If this is set to change in the immediate future, make sure to include an overview of any planned changes to your management structure.

Finally, using your SWOT analysis, write down any skills gaps you have in your team and how you plan to fill these gaps.

Step 4: Social Impact

Whereas a regular business would need to see a financial return, a charity also needs to show a social impact. This is the difference you make for the communities and people you work with, and one of the most important parts of your charity business plan.

As well as saying what kind of impact you want to achieve for your chosen cause, you’ll also need to state what you’re going to measure to prove this impact and how you’re going to measure it. And, not forgetting, how you’ll use your learnings to keep adapting your processes.

Another important question to ask yourself for this section is: how are people going to find out about your charity? Luckily, we’ve come up with 20 budget-friendly charity marketing ideas to help give you some inspiration!

Step 5: Finances

In this section, you’ll need to outline your costs and expenditure. As great as your charity idea is, it’s nothing without a well-thought-out financial forecast.

You’ll need to include:

  • Predicted costs and expenditure (using research to back this up)
  • Main source of income (donors, trustees etc. and what you’d expect them to give)
  • Pricing strategy if you plan on selling products or services to fund your charity
  • Cash flow forecasts
  • Costs table

By preparing for all eventualities with your business plan, you’re turning your charity idea into a reality - and that’s something you should be really proud of. We hope this guide has given you plenty of information to include in your business plan, and you can always view our 10-step checklist for writing a business plan for more information on this.  

Craig

About the Author

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10+ Charity Business Plan Examples in PDF | DOC

Charity Business Plan featured

Various people lead different lives. That said, individuals consequently end up setting varying career goals . Some of them, such as people like you, find their calling in helping others. Most people who like supporting a cause start a charity. If you are here because you are planning to start one, or probably because you are finding ways to keep your nonprofit organization up and running, continue reading this article and learn how to devise a charity business plan.

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What Is a Charity Business Plan?

A charity business plan is a document that provides a detailed description of the nonprofit organization. It also includes an outline of the business marketing strategy and techniques to secure volunteers and sponsors of the charity’s cause. In addition, it involves conducting a nonprofit analysis and other essential elements considering the influential factors in setting an organization. 

How to Generate a Charity Business Plan?

A charity is different from a profit organization in how it handles its income and expenses. As a figurehead, you need to think as a businessman would. That said, you need to strategize and plan on how to secure business opportunities and how to handle various circumstances. Help more people by making your charity a success. 

1. Conduct a Nonprofit SWOT Analysis

To know how your charity is operating and how you can better it, you must conduct a nonprofit SWOT analysis . This method will help you understand the standing of your nonprofit organization. Also, it will lead you to discover the strength of your organization and the weak areas that you need to improve. In addition, it will also uncover opportunities and help you detect the possible threats that will put your nonprofit business at risk.

2. Set Your Organizational Goals

The next step is to strengthen your organization’s cause by setting your goals. Goal-setting is a crucial step for all business ventures, may it be a profit or nonprofit. It is because your organizational goals will set the direction for all the upcoming plans and strategies. In addition, it will also strengthen your cause and help you come up with strategic methods to achieve your aim. 

3. Devise a Nonprofit Marketing Plan

Now that you have your target, the next step in generating your charity business plan is to devise a nonprofit marketing plan . One way to secure and retain your foundation is to find people who would love to support your cause. To do that, you need to develop nonprofit marketing strategies . This action will boost the people’s awareness and persuade them to sponsor and volunteer for your organization. 

4. Detail Your Nonprofit Budget

Another essential element to consider is your nonprofit budget . To gain more knowledge regarding your budget, you should conduct a financial analysis. To do this, you need to take note of your charity’s expenses and income. Take out essential paperwork that you might need in calculating for your budget plan . Remember to label each item on your budget sheet in detail to avoid confusion.

What are the best ways to raise funds for your charity?

There are numerous ways of fundraising for a charity. One of the best methods is to conduct fun and unique fundraising events. You can do all sorts of things for your event, such as bake sales, charity auctions, crowdfunding marathons, and boosting your online presence to ask for online donations. All of these are effective methods you can incorporate into your nonprofit fundraising plan .

What is a charity proposal?

A charity proposal is a document that will communicate your organization’s mission and vision, as well as your cause, to the potential prospects. This proposal letter will present your strategies and plans to secure sponsors and financial donations from charity volunteers. Writing this form is one method to raise funds for your charity. There are available business proposal templates online to make the process of composing this document easier.

What are some examples of impressive charity goals?

One example of a charity goal would be to increase staffing. Just like other businesses, nonprofit organizations need employees that will render their services. The more quality employees you have, the more people you can help. Another one is to gain more sponsors and volunteers. Most of the budget of charities comes from the donations of people who support a similar cause.

When doing business, a professional must not only look in one direction. Instead, you must do a complete three-sixty and look at all the possibilities for your organization. This statement applies to all business ventures, including nonprofits such as a charity. One way to do that is to evaluate the ins and outs of your business while devising a business plan. Generate a charity business plan as early as now to attain your goals.

sample charity business plan

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With more than one million charities in the United States, one can expect a close competition, if there is any. Depending on the category your charity falls under, you can be unique and remain on the top of your game. To do that, you need to innovate to keep up with the industry and grow. But even a striving charity can experience plight on its journey, often heading downhill. Despite that, you can establish a charity business plan to lead the organization to its goals. With a business plan, you can set your expectations and maneuver a process in achieving it. Find out more about a business plan and how it affects charity projects with this article. Continue reading below.

Charity Business Plan

Free 12+ charity business plan samples, 1. charity fundraising plan template, 2. charity development plan template, 3. charity business plan template, 4. voluntary business strategic plan, 5. voluntary & charities business plan, 6. charity startup business plan, 7. non profit business plan template, 8. sample charity business plan, 9. executive charity business plan, 10. non-profit business plan format, 11. voluntary organisation business plan, 12. sample charity commission business plan, 13. charity trust business plan template, what is a business plan, a breakthrough: lean business plan, charity business plan: why is it important, does planning make a start-up successful, how to craft an effective charity business plan, what should a non-profit business plan contain, does a charity need a business plan, can i accept donations without being non-profit.

charity fundraising plan template

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The simplest way to define a business plan is to compare it with a guideline. It is a detailed plan that outlines goals and how to achieve these goals. Even if you have written down ideas on a piece of paper with some tasks you need to do, you have written a basic business plan . At its core, a business plan is a plan for the business operations, and how you are going to make it work.

Documenting your business ideas can take a lot of work. Often, it takes more writing and thinking. Thus, we recommend creating a lean business plan unless you are required to pass a formal business plan. Why? Aside from it is shorter than a usual business plan, it easier to create, and it includes pitch, strategy, tactics, business, schedule, budget, and committees. With this, companies can perform on their ideas fast and frequently. By writing a lean business plan , you can quickly sort useful things from what is not.

Essentially, you can only execute sample ideas right after a business plan is completed. That said, preparing a business plan is the smartest decision that an organization can make so that it can size up in terms of growth. With a charity business plan, you can set out the parts that the organizations should cover. Since it describes the charity and its undertakings, it can help in setting more goals, plans, finances, and risks that the organization might encounter.

According to a report posted by Harvard Business Review, based on research, a business plan makes a small business start-up more likely to become successful. In the report, it found out that a business person who writes a formal business plan has a 16% chance to achieve his goal compared to a non-planning entrepreneur. Furthermore, business start-ups that aim to gain high-growth are 7% more likely to write a plan. On top of that, entrepreneurs who are seeking external financial support are 19% more likely to commit to writing a business plan .

Successful organizations did not have it all until they come up with a plan. As an organization, a charity should give its administrator a reason to establish a strategic plan before it gets worse. Whether you are just a starting charity or a seasoned organization, you might consider the following steps beneficial for writing a charity business plan.

1. Keep It Simple and Straightforward

Along with  charity membership forms ,  charity profiles ,  charity fundraising letters , and  sponsorship forms , a  charity business plan is a document made for a professional reader. That said, wordy sentences and jargon might be complex to some of your audiences. As much as you want to make your plan to sound good, you cannot put its content at risk by using hifalutin words. Rather, pay more attention to keeping it concise and straightforward. Though you can use infographics as visual elements, keep them to a minimum.

2. Be As Logical As Possible

When writing a business, clear your head, and do not be biased in making decisions. It’s important to remind yourself that the business plan can make a series of effects on your other plans, which involve marketing and other related areas. If you fail to foresee its impact to the organization, you might forget to anticipate the circumstances that could make or break the charity profile .

3. Write a Realistic Plan

Your ambitions are great guideposts, but limits exist for a reason. Being too positive can cause negative effects in most situations, as it locks your focus on your goals but not on the process of achieving it. Knowing this, take the time to create a roadmap or plot a schedule that will keep you on track. Whatever goals you have set for the charity, make sure you can execute them. Or you will waste your time believing your goals are doable.

4. Support Your Claims with Facts

Making a convincing business plan means incorporating facts from articles, statistics, research papers, and other references. All these will add credibility to the charity business plan. However, many references make it hard to choose a source. With this, verify the information, so you can use it to back up your claims. If you do not support your plan with relevant details, it is unlikely to become successful. You can even gather information from an existing charity business plan if there is any.

A basic business plan contains the following: an executive summary , problem, solutions, market analysis, target supporters, target clients, competition, and promotions for funding strategy.

Yes, a charity needs a business plan for its undertaking. Without a plan, the organization could not outline goals and how to achieve those goals.

State laws define whether an organization can accept donations or not. If your state allows donations for a non-profit organization, then you can accept charitable funds from donors.

A business plan is a forwarding tool for a charity. With no plans, an organization cannot implement growth, as it cannot execute its ideas. If you want your charity to be successful, start building a plan now.

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Pro bono management consultancy, help with charity business planning, charity business strategy, and charity business plan template..

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CHARITY BUSINESS STRATEGY AND PLANNING 

Having a good charity business plan in place will not only help you to have a clear focus, it will position you to attract new funders, volunteers and supporters. , thinking about and aligning your charitable activities also gives you time to think about potential risks and opportunities. a well thought out business plan is vital part of building a robust and successful charity. .

Webinar: How to create a business plan for your charity

The below webinar was delivered by Cranfield Trust Volunteer Stephen Cahill, as part of the ongoing Essentials to Excellence webinar series. The style of the webinar is a mix of presenter input and lively case studies with as much input as possible. You will leave the session equipped with simple practical steps you can take to translate your thoughts into action quickly.

You will learn how to:

  • Be successful at business planning – what has changed forever and why you need to revisit your business planning approach.
  • Make your business plan robust and avoid being ‘blindsided’.
  • Use your business plan as a focus for funders.
  • Do business planning with half the effort for twice the result!

Stephen Cahill Bio: 

Stephen Cahill BSc MPA (Warwick) is a semi-retired executive with extensive senior experience across the public, private and charity sectors. He has over 30 years of experience in helping organisations improve their governance, strategy, and operations. He specialises in helping organisations to achieve rapid results by focusing on,"the things that really matter".  He has been an active Cranfield Trust volunteer for nearly a decade.

Reworking your strategy

Six steps to reworking your charity’s strategy in the ‘new normal’ by Cranfield Trust Volunteer, Stephen Cahill. 

Build your charity business plan

Questions to ask to help you build your charity's business plan.

Business Planning - questions to build your plan

Charity business plan template

A template for a straightforward business plan, in Word and PDF versions.

Word template for three year business plan

PDF template for three year business plan

LEAN Management

In reviewing your activities and writing your business plan you may wish to consider your processes to ensure that they are efficient and contributing to a high quality of activity.  This article on LEAN management provides some guidance.

Introduction to Lean

Is merger right for your charity?

Volunteer Matthew Wilkley, Director of Income Generation at Independent Age, considers merger as a strategic option, with particular reference to fundraising.

Blog: To merge or not to merge

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Sample Charity Business Plan

Charity foundation business plan pdf sample.

There is a growing need for assistance especially for the most vulnerable in societies across the world.

In most cases, the aged and the young make up the most vulnerable, as there are case of homelessness brought about by poverty, drug addiction, and prostitution among several others. Charity organizations have become very useful tools in helping and bringing succor to people in need.

Here is a sample business plan for starting a charity organization.

If you are interested in starting a charity business but don’t know how to write the most important document for the business, which is the business plan, then you are at the right place, as we seek to provide a non profit charity business plan sample to act as a guide to helping you write yours.

We commence with the following;

Table of Contents – Non Profit Business Plan Outline

Executive Summary

Products and Services

Vision Statement

  • Mission Statement

Target Market

Competition

Sources of Revenue

Revenue Projection

Publicity and Advert Strategies

Here is how to start a charity business plan:

Reach Out is a non profit charity business located in Virginia, which seeks to provide succour and assistance to the down-trodden in society. Our main area of focus is to provide our targets which are the homeless in society with a roof over their heads.

As a charity business, our services are not only restricted to the homeless within Virginia, as we seek to expand our services to cover the whole of America and Canada within a decade of commencing business.

Our services are driven by a strong passion to act on behalf of the homeless, as we see it as a responsibility which should be borne by all. Our desire for expansion is driven by the fact that there are a lot of homeless people in America. These people are exposed to the harsh weather especially during the winter season.

We are essentially a service driven non-profit business which caters for the needs of the homeless in the society. As such, we are strongly involved in mobilizing support for the homeless through engaging in meaningful discussions with city housing councils as well as embarking on public campaigns for more action to be done regarding the homeless by policy makers and implementers.

These would be done while raising funds for the construction of low-cost housing units to cater for the housing needs of the homeless in Virginia and across America.

Through the activities of Reach Out which include the raising of funding for the construction of housing units and also public awareness campaigns conducted, we seek to achieve a lofty goal, which is to provide housing for all. This will not be restricted to Virginia alone, as we will seek to spread our services to cover the whole of America and Canada within a decade.

Our mission at Reach Out is that of rescue. We realise that shelter is among the primary needs of humans, and we are determined to provide that need through mobilizing for help and funding which would help us realise this mission.

Our actions will be all-inclusive, as we seek to involve both the public as well as private institutions to see the need and help us in our quest of making the society a better place to live.

Our target group as mentioned earlier are the most vulnerable groups in society which consists mainly of children, women and the elderly. We will also provide our services to any other age group who meet our criteria for help. We are mainly concerned about sections of the population without a decent shelter.

As a non-profit, we see our activities as essential, and welcome other charity businesses as we see our services as complimentary.

Therefore, we will not see ourselves as competing with any other charity organization, but would gladly cooperate if the need arises to achieve better and faster results. There are several charity groups doing a great job, and we will be delighted if more come on board to help us achieve our objective.

This is very crucial to the success of our activities; therefore, we would be embarking on a revenue drive, and would target corporate entities as well as well meaning individuals. We are also interested in raising awareness on the social responsibilities of businesses within our areas of operation.

Our main targets for generating revenue will be donor groups and agencies. However, the founder of Reach Out, Trisha Paine has set aside a startup funding of $200,000 raised from savings meant for this purposes.

With vigorous awareness campaigns coupled with definitive action regarding the raising of critical funding, we project an impressive revenue growth of $900,000 sourced within 2 years from the start of business operations.

There are great potentials for growth in funding as we expand our operations to cover more states. This would be primarily used in the provision f housing services to our target groups.

We will embark on far-reaching publicity and advertising activities through the adoption all available channels.

This would include the use of both print and electronic media channels as well as the use of the internet through the establishment of a website as well as the use of social media channels to create awareness as well as source for funding from well-meaning groups and donor agencies.

This is a sample charity business plan  which can be used by the entrepreneur interested in starting a charity business.

This sample is written for guidance purposes, and would greatly help the entrepreneur in achieving his/her objective through brainstorming sessions to help in bringing out a well-written small charity business plan.

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Free Example UK CIC or Charity Business Plan Template

Uk cic and charity business plan template - 3 steps.

I've used the term charity business plan and as an example. Your business plan is what you aim to achieve in the coming year.  However, this planning template and checklist will work just as well for project and other plans, and will work just as well for your CIC or other non profit

The only right way to carry out planning is whatever way works for your charity.  This resource provides a simple 3 step process to use as a template and checklist to create your plan, goals, objectives and KPIs, with examples.  Follow the process below to create a business plan that will work for you.  That could be anything from a one page plan in Word for a very small CIC to a substantial, detailed business plan for a large UK charity.

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STEP 1 - BUSINESS PLAN GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Your objectives (or goals) are what you must achieve to deliver your charity business plan.  These can either be long term (strategic plan)) or nearer term, such as annual business, fundraising and project plans.

Charity Business Plan Objectives - Strategic Plan

Often strategic and business, or other annual plans can be seen as quite separate, but these are not.  Next year's business plan, is Year 1 of your strategy.  Looking at your strategic plan objectives, what must you achieve in the coming year to deliver these?

Charity Business Plan Objectives - Operations

You also need to ensure that your charity continues to be well run and delivers the high quality support you want it to.  Look at your operations, such as delivering services for your beneficiaries, fundraising, finance, people and other activities.  What are the key activities and what must you achieve in these areas areas?

STEP 2 - KPIs (TARGETS) FOR YOU GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Trying to measure everything would take a huge amount of time and most won't really matter.  Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the key targets you use to measure and monitor your progress to achieving your business plan objectives.

Measuring Charity KPIs

There are really only 3 things you might want to measure - quality, quantity and time.  And, these are interlinked.  The public sector is particularly prone to what are called perverse outcomes.  Focussing on a single KPI measure, to the exclusion of the others that nobody thought about, but which turn out to be really important.

  • Buying higher quality fresh food and/or preparing food from scratch, rather than buying in pre-prepared.
  • Preparing more meals and/or extending opening times.
  • Using pre-prepared ingredients and buying more equipment/expanding kitchen capacity.

You don't need to measure all 3 for everything, if the other factors aren't important, or won't change.  I've provided some examples of planning KPIs below.

How To Set Business Plan KPIs

In order to ensure you deliver your charity business plan objectives, you need to be able to measure these and monitor progress.

The first step is to set KPIs for each objective using SMART – that is your KPIs are Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Timely and Relevant.

You then need to decide who will be responsible for delivering and reporting these, any milestones in terms of when activities will be delivered and how and when these will be reported.

Once you've set your KPIs, ask yourself if these are the key issues you need to monitor and manage to deliver your business plan objective. Are there any KPIs you don't need and is there anything missing that you do?  And does each KPI meet the SMART criteria above?

STEP 3 - IMPLEMENTING YOU CHARITY BUSINESS PLAN

The Charity Excellence Data Store tracks sector resilience and a key theme is a lack of realism in charity planning.  Ambition is a hallmark of the sector, but 'Aspirational' is the flip side of planning to fail, if that involves committing people and resources to plans that aren't achievable.  Here are my ideas to help you ensure that your business plan will succeed.

Business Plan Reality Checklist

For your business plan to work, you need to be able to confidently answer 'yes' to each of the questions below.  That's about making an objective assessment of each.

  • Our charity business plan includes everything that's important to us that we want to achieve
  • Our objectives and targets are realistic and achievable
  • We will have enough people, with the necessary skills and experience to deliver our plan
  • The key risks have been identified and quantified
  • We have taken adequate steps to manage these, to ensure no risk remains unacceptably high
  • There is adequate funding in our budget to resource all of our business plan objectives
  • Our fundraising targets are realistic and we are confident that these should be achieved
  • For example, not launching a project until funding is secured, or having plans to scale back activity
  • Our business plan has been communicated to everyone who needs to know about it and it is simple, clear and will be understood by them
  • The information reported focusses on the key issues and will enable us to take action in good time, if we need to

Congratulations, you have created a simple, clear and effective business plan.  If you are unsure about any of the above, revisit your plan and make any changes you need to.

Communicating Your Charity Business Plan And Making It A Success

The World is full of detailed and beautifully crafted plans sitting on shelves gathering dust.  In any, except the smallest of charities, it is your staff and volunteers who will deliver your business plan, so they need to know what you want them to do and feel motivated to do so.  If you e mail a big complicated plan to everyone, it may not be read and, if it is, may not mean much to its readers.

You need to communicate your plan in a simple, clear way that engages them. It also needs to be reflected in any other plans or procedures. For example, your budget and risk plans, any project plans and, for larger charities, appraisal objectives and departmental work plans.

For reporting, sometimes reports are too 'fluffy' or nor easily understandable, or far too long and complicated.  Often these can be simply rubber stamped by boards.  Ensure that your reports meet your needs, focus on the key issues, are clear and understandable for trustees, and acted upon.  Here's the  Charity Excellence guide  to making reports more effective and less work.

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    Nonprofit The best nonprofit business plan template monday.com • Updated on Jan 1, 2023 • 10 min read Get started 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.

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    3. Products, Programs, and Services. The products, programs, and services section of a nonprofit business plan should describe specific products, programs, and services that will offer to its beneficiaries. Your nonprofit may or may not have all products, programs, and services to offer. So, write this section depending on your organization's ...

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    Sample Charity Business Plan CHARITY FOUNDATION BUSINESS PLAN PDF SAMPLE There is a growing need for assistance especially for the most vulnerable in societies across the world.

  23. Free Example UK CIC or Charity Business Plan Template

    STEP 1 - BUSINESS PLAN GOALS & OBJECTIVES Your objectives (or goals) are what you must achieve to deliver your charity business plan. These can either be long term (strategic plan)) or nearer term, such as annual business, fundraising and project plans. Charity Business Plan Objectives - Strategic Plan