Are you looking to start a non-profit? We've created a great guide on how to write a business plan for nonprofits.

1. THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WRITING A
NONPROFIT BUSINESS
PLAN

2. BUSINESS PLANS
ARE DEAD — OR
ARE THEY?

3. Business plans represent
outdated and cumbersome
documents that get created
JUST FOR THE SAKE OF IT

4. Business plans represent
outdated and cumbersome
documents that get created
DONATORS
DEMAND IT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF IT
Becau
se

5. Business plan can still be
an invaluable tool for your
nonprofit

6. Business plan can still be
an invaluable tool for your
nonprofit
A SHORT NONPROFIT BUSINESS PLAN
PUSHES YOU

7. Business plan can still be
an invaluable tool for your
nonprofit
A SHORT NONPROFIT BUSINESS PLAN
PUSHES YOU
Do research

8. Business plan can still be
an invaluable tool for your
nonprofit
A SHORT NONPROFIT BUSINESS PLAN
PUSHES YOU
Do research
Crystallize your purpose

9. Business plan can still be
an invaluable tool for your
nonprofit
A SHORT NONPROFIT BUSINESS PLAN
PUSHES YOU
Do research
Crystallize your purpose
Polish your messaging

10. Let’s dive into it

12. What is a Nonprofit
Business Plan?

13. What is a Nonprofit
Business Plan?
A business plan is the foundation of
your organization
Who
What
Where
When
How you’re going to make a positive
impact

14. Why do we need a
Nonprofit Business Plan?

15. Why do we need a
Nonprofit Business Plan?
When you create a nonprofit
business plan, you are effectively
creating a blueprint
How your nonprofit will be run
Who will be responsible for what
How you plan to achieve your goals

16. Lay out
your goals
Position
your
nonprofit
Understand
your
beneficiaries
Attract a
board
Assess the
feasibility
Attract
investment
Hold yourself
accountable
Force you
to research
Write a nonprofit
business plan to

18. Who is your audience?
If you are interested in
fundraising, donators will be your
audience
If you are interested in
partnerships, potential partners
will be your audience

19. Depending on your target
audience, you should focus on the
key message
What do you want their
response to be?

20. Step-by-step Guide to Writing
BUSINESS PLAN FOR
NONPROFITS

21. Step 1: Data Collection

22. Getting started with the writing collect financial, operating, and
other relevant data
Include financial statements detailing operating expense
reports
Spreadsheet that indicates funding sources

23. Step 2: Heart of the
Matter

24. Your nonprofit business plan should start off with an
articulation of the core values and your mission statement
The United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) mission
statement is just shy of 300 words and states
“UNICEF insists that the survival, protection, and development
of children are universal development imperatives that are
integral to human progress.”

25. Step 3: Outline

26. Create an outline of your nonprofit business plan
Helps you focus your attention
Help you understand what you need to tell your audience

27. Step 4: Products,
Programs, and Services

28. What products, programs, or services do you provide?
Helps you focus your attention
Help you understand what you need to tell your audience

29. Step 5: Marketing Plan

30. Describe your market
Include any market analyses
Outline your plan
Outline your marketing activities

31. Step 6: Operational Plan

32. How your nonprofit plans to deliver activities
The operational plan should give an overview of the day-to-day
operations
Include a section on people/team

33. Step 7: Impact Plan

34. An impact plan is as important as the financial plan
Your impact plan should be precise about how your nonprofit
will achieve
How you’re going to make it, and how you’re going to measure
it

35. Step 8: Financial Plan

36. List any
grants
you’ve
received
Include
startup
costs
Include an
income
statement
Include
your
fundraising
plan
Outline
your
nonprofit’s
Identify
gaps in your
funding
Plan for what
will be done

37. Step 9: Executive
Summary

38. Normally written last but placed first in your business plan
The first page should describe your non-profit’s mission and
purpose
Explain how your non-profit will meet that need

39. Step 10: Appendix

40. Organizational flow chart
Current fiscal year budget
A list of the board of directors
Your IRS status letter, balance sheets, and so forth

41. DO’S AND DONT’S
of Nonprofit Business Plans

42. Include
relevant
graphs
Stay
authentic
Support it
with facts
Include an
executive
summary
Write
clearly
Provide
sufficient
financial
info
Customize
your business
plan
Do’s of Nonprofit Business Plans

43. Overload
the plan
with text
Use too
much
technical
jargon
Rush the
process of
writing
Make the
business
plan too
long
Gush about
the cause
Dont’s of Nonprofit Business Plans

44. Use a
reasonable
font size
Have
several
people read
over the
planUse
standard
1-inch
margins
Use a serif
font like
Times New
Roman or
Courier
Keep your
formatting
consistent
Do start a
new page
Don’t allow
your plan to
print
Format of Nonprofit Business Plans

45. Click the below link to gain access
to the document
www.docs.google.com/document/d/1osCLHpHqcBYk7hUb4c
_36_96IiOBEalPWz3Bwuota3Q/edit?usp=sharing
Nonprofit Business Plan
Template

46. Click the below link to gain access
to the document
www.docs.google.com/document/d/1osCLHpHqcBYk7hUb4c
_36_96IiOBEalPWz3Bwuota3Q/edit?usp=sharing
At Donorbox, we strive to make your nonprofit experience as
productive as possible, whether through our donation tool or
through our advice and guides on the nonprofit blog

48. MORE INFORMATION
www.donorbox.org/nonprofit-
blog/nonprofit-business-plan/