Nonprofit Management
Nonprofit Business Plan Template: 10 Sections to Fill In
The short answer: A nonprofit business plan explains what your organization does, who it serves, how the work gets done and how you will pay for it. A complete plan covers ten sections, from an executive summary to a budget and a way to measure results. Copy the template below, answer the prompts under each heading, and you will have a working first draft.
A business plan can sound like something only a startup needs. A nonprofit has a mission instead of a profit target, but it still has bills, staff, programs and people counting on it. The plan is where you show, on a few pages, that the mission and the money line up.
You might write one when you are starting a new organization, launching a program, applying for a large grant or loan, or bringing on new board members who need the full picture fast. If you are still at the founding stage, our starter guide for launching a nonprofit covers the steps that come before this one.
Business plan or strategic plan?
The two overlap, and people use the names loosely. A strategic plan sets direction: where the organization wants to be in three to five years and the big goals that get it there. A business plan is more practical. It shows how the organization runs and pays for itself, program by program, with real numbers. If you have both, the strategic plan's goals are the natural starting point for the business plan.
The nonprofit business plan template
Copy each heading into a document and answer the prompts underneath it. Write in plain sentences. If you cannot answer a prompt yet, leave it in the draft with a note; a gap you can see is easier to fix than one you skipped.
1. Executive summary
Write this section last, even though it comes first. Keep it to one page.
• Who are we, and what problem do we work on?
• What do we do about it, and for whom?
• What have we accomplished so far?
• What does this plan ask for: money, partners, volunteers or approval?
2. Mission, vision and the need
• Our mission statement, word for word.
• What the community looks like if we succeed (our vision).
• The need: who is affected, where, and how we know. Use local data where you have it, and name the source.
• Why our organization is the right one to meet this need.
3. Programs and services
Give each program its own short entry.
• What the program does, in one or two sentences.
• Who it serves and how many people it can serve in a year.
• What it costs to run and where that money comes from.
• What changes for the people it serves.
4. The people you serve and how you reach them
This is the nonprofit version of a market analysis.
• Who our participants, clients or members are.
• Other organizations nearby doing similar work, and how we differ or partner with them.
• How people find out about us: referrals, outreach, events, social media, word of mouth.
• How we reach donors and volunteers, which is its own audience.
5. Organization and leadership
• Our legal structure and tax status.
• Board members and what each brings. Our post on working effectively with your board can help you describe the board’s role.
• Key staff and their responsibilities.
• Volunteers: how many, in which roles, and how many hours a year.
• Who makes which decisions.
6. Operations
• Where the work happens: office, program sites, online.
• The tools and systems we rely on for donors, volunteers, events and accounting.
• Key partners and vendors.
• What has to happen each month for programs to run smoothly.
7. Revenue and fundraising plan
• Where our money comes from today, by source: individual gifts, grants, events, memberships, program fees, earned income.
• Which sources we want to grow, and how.
• The fundraising calendar: campaigns, events, grant deadlines.
• What happens if one large source goes away.
8. Budget and financial projections
• This year’s budget, with income and expenses side by side.
• Projections for the next two or three years, with the assumptions written out.
• What each program costs, including its share of overhead.
• How many months of expenses we hold in reserve.
Our guide to nonprofit financial planning and analysis goes deeper on building these numbers.
9. Measuring impact
• The two to five results we track for each program.
• How and when we collect that information.
• Who sees the results: board, funders, the public.
• What we will change if the numbers fall short.
10. Risks and next steps
• The biggest risks to the plan, such as losing a major funder, a key staff member leaving or a drop in volunteers.
• What we will do if each one happens.
• The first three things we will do after the board approves this plan, with a name and a date beside each.
Tips for writing it
• Write for a reader who has never heard of you. A funder or new board member should understand it without a phone call.
• Keep it short. Aim for 10 to 20 pages. Put detail such as full budgets and board lists in an appendix.
• Use your real numbers. Pull them from your donor records, volunteer hours and financial reports, not from memory.
• Share a draft early. Your board treasurer, a program lead and a longtime volunteer will each spot different gaps.
• Put a review date on it. A plan that is checked once a year stays useful; one that sits in a drawer does not.
Frequently asked questions
Does a nonprofit need a business plan?
It is not required by law, but it is worth having. A business plan helps you test whether your programs and your funding fit together, and some funders and lenders ask to see one before they commit.
What is the difference between a nonprofit business plan and a strategic plan?
A strategic plan sets long-term direction and goals. A business plan shows how the organization runs and pays for itself, program by program, with budgets and projections. If you have both, start the business plan from the strategic plan’s goals.
What sections should a nonprofit business plan include?
A complete plan covers an executive summary; mission, vision and need; programs; the people you serve; organization and leadership; operations; revenue and fundraising; budget and projections; impact measurement; and risks and next steps.
How long should a nonprofit business plan be?
Aim for 10 to 20 pages. Keep the main plan readable in one sitting and move detailed budgets, board lists and supporting data into an appendix.
Who should write the business plan?
Usually the executive director or founder leads it, with help from the board treasurer on the financial sections and program staff on the program sections. The board reviews and approves the final version.
How often should we update it?
Review it at least once a year, ideally when you build the next budget. Update it sooner if you add or close a program, lose a major funder or change direction.
Ready for the next step?
A business plan works best when the numbers behind it are easy to find. Our free Nonprofit Operations Guide walks through running fundraising, volunteers, events and finances in one place.
A business plan can sound like something only a startup needs. A nonprofit has a mission instead of a profit target, but it still has bills, staff, programs and people counting on it. The plan is where you show, on a few pages, that the mission and the money line up.
You might write one when you are starting a new organization, launching a program, applying for a large grant or loan, or bringing on new board members who need the full picture fast. If you are still at the founding stage, our starter guide for launching a nonprofit covers the steps that come before this one.
Business plan or strategic plan?
The two overlap, and people use the names loosely. A strategic plan sets direction: where the organization wants to be in three to five years and the big goals that get it there. A business plan is more practical. It shows how the organization runs and pays for itself, program by program, with real numbers. If you have both, the strategic plan's goals are the natural starting point for the business plan.
The nonprofit business plan template
Copy each heading into a document and answer the prompts underneath it. Write in plain sentences. If you cannot answer a prompt yet, leave it in the draft with a note; a gap you can see is easier to fix than one you skipped.
1. Executive summary
Write this section last, even though it comes first. Keep it to one page.
• Who are we, and what problem do we work on?
• What do we do about it, and for whom?
• What have we accomplished so far?
• What does this plan ask for: money, partners, volunteers or approval?
2. Mission, vision and the need
• Our mission statement, word for word.
• What the community looks like if we succeed (our vision).
• The need: who is affected, where, and how we know. Use local data where you have it, and name the source.
• Why our organization is the right one to meet this need.
3. Programs and services
Give each program its own short entry.
• What the program does, in one or two sentences.
• Who it serves and how many people it can serve in a year.
• What it costs to run and where that money comes from.
• What changes for the people it serves.
4. The people you serve and how you reach them
This is the nonprofit version of a market analysis.
• Who our participants, clients or members are.
• Other organizations nearby doing similar work, and how we differ or partner with them.
• How people find out about us: referrals, outreach, events, social media, word of mouth.
• How we reach donors and volunteers, which is its own audience.
5. Organization and leadership
• Our legal structure and tax status.
• Board members and what each brings. Our post on working effectively with your board can help you describe the board’s role.
• Key staff and their responsibilities.
• Volunteers: how many, in which roles, and how many hours a year.
• Who makes which decisions.
6. Operations
• Where the work happens: office, program sites, online.
• The tools and systems we rely on for donors, volunteers, events and accounting.
• Key partners and vendors.
• What has to happen each month for programs to run smoothly.
7. Revenue and fundraising plan
• Where our money comes from today, by source: individual gifts, grants, events, memberships, program fees, earned income.
• Which sources we want to grow, and how.
• The fundraising calendar: campaigns, events, grant deadlines.
• What happens if one large source goes away.
8. Budget and financial projections
• This year’s budget, with income and expenses side by side.
• Projections for the next two or three years, with the assumptions written out.
• What each program costs, including its share of overhead.
• How many months of expenses we hold in reserve.
Our guide to nonprofit financial planning and analysis goes deeper on building these numbers.
9. Measuring impact
• The two to five results we track for each program.
• How and when we collect that information.
• Who sees the results: board, funders, the public.
• What we will change if the numbers fall short.
10. Risks and next steps
• The biggest risks to the plan, such as losing a major funder, a key staff member leaving or a drop in volunteers.
• What we will do if each one happens.
• The first three things we will do after the board approves this plan, with a name and a date beside each.
Tips for writing it
• Write for a reader who has never heard of you. A funder or new board member should understand it without a phone call.
• Keep it short. Aim for 10 to 20 pages. Put detail such as full budgets and board lists in an appendix.
• Use your real numbers. Pull them from your donor records, volunteer hours and financial reports, not from memory.
• Share a draft early. Your board treasurer, a program lead and a longtime volunteer will each spot different gaps.
• Put a review date on it. A plan that is checked once a year stays useful; one that sits in a drawer does not.
Frequently asked questions
Does a nonprofit need a business plan?
It is not required by law, but it is worth having. A business plan helps you test whether your programs and your funding fit together, and some funders and lenders ask to see one before they commit.
What is the difference between a nonprofit business plan and a strategic plan?
A strategic plan sets long-term direction and goals. A business plan shows how the organization runs and pays for itself, program by program, with budgets and projections. If you have both, start the business plan from the strategic plan’s goals.
What sections should a nonprofit business plan include?
A complete plan covers an executive summary; mission, vision and need; programs; the people you serve; organization and leadership; operations; revenue and fundraising; budget and projections; impact measurement; and risks and next steps.
How long should a nonprofit business plan be?
Aim for 10 to 20 pages. Keep the main plan readable in one sitting and move detailed budgets, board lists and supporting data into an appendix.
Who should write the business plan?
Usually the executive director or founder leads it, with help from the board treasurer on the financial sections and program staff on the program sections. The board reviews and approves the final version.
How often should we update it?
Review it at least once a year, ideally when you build the next budget. Update it sooner if you add or close a program, lose a major funder or change direction.
Ready for the next step?
A business plan works best when the numbers behind it are easy to find. Our free Nonprofit Operations Guide walks through running fundraising, volunteers, events and finances in one place.
