business plan for foundation

• Insights & Analysis
• Nonprofit Jobs

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.

The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Nonprofit Business Plan

A business plan can be an invaluable tool for your nonprofit. Even a short business plan pushes you to do research, crystalize your purpose, and polish your messaging. This blog shares what it is and why you need it, ten steps to help you write one, and the dos and don’ts of creating a nonprofit business plan.

Nonprofit business plans are dead — or are they?

For many nonprofit organizations, business plans represent outdated and cumbersome documents that get created “just for the sake of it” or because donors demand it.

But these plans are vital to organizing your nonprofit and making your dreams a reality! Furthermore, without a nonprofit business plan, you’ll have a harder time obtaining loans and grants , attracting corporate donors, meeting qualified board members, and keeping your nonprofit on track.

Even excellent ideas can be totally useless if you cannot formulate, execute, and implement a strategic plan to make your idea work. In this article, we share exactly what your plan needs and provide a nonprofit business plan template to help you create one of your own.

What is a Nonprofit Business Plan?

A nonprofit business plan describes your nonprofit as it currently is and sets up a roadmap for the next three to five years. It also lays out your goals and plans for meeting your goals. Your nonprofit business plan is a living document that should be updated frequently to reflect your evolving goals and circumstances.

A business plan is the foundation of your organization — the who, what, when, where, and how you’re going to make a positive impact.

The best nonprofit business plans aren’t unnecessarily long. They include only as much information as necessary. They may be as short as seven pages long, one for each of the essential sections you will read about below and see in our template, or up to 30 pages long if your organization grows.

Why do we need a Nonprofit Business Plan?

Regardless of whether your nonprofit is small and barely making it or if your nonprofit has been successfully running for years, you need a nonprofit business plan. Why?

When you create a nonprofit business plan, you are effectively creating a blueprint for how your nonprofit will be run, who will be responsible for what, and how you plan to achieve your goals.

Your nonprofit organization also needs a business plan if you plan to secure support of any kind, be it monetary, in-kind , or even just support from volunteers. You need a business plan to convey your nonprofit’s purpose and goals.

It sometimes also happens that the board, or the administration under which a nonprofit operates, requires a nonprofit business plan.

To sum it all up, write a nonprofit business plan to:

• Layout your goals and establish milestones.
• Better understand your beneficiaries, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Assess the feasibility of your nonprofit and document your fundraising/financing model.
• Attract investment and prove that you’re serious about your nonprofit.
• Attract a board and volunteers.
• Position your nonprofit and get clear about your message.
• Force you to research and uncover new opportunities.
• Iron out all the kinks in your plan and hold yourself accountable.

Before starting your nonprofit business plan, it is important to consider the following:

• Who is your audience?  E.g. If you are interested in fundraising, donors will be your audience. If you are interested in partnerships, potential partners will be your audience.
• What do you want their response to be? Depending on your target audience, you should focus on the key message you want them to receive to get the response that you want.

10-Step Guide on Writing a Business Plan for Nonprofits

Note: Steps 1, 2, and 3 are in preparation for writing your nonprofit business plan.

Step 1: Data Collection

Before even getting started with the writing, collect financial, operating, and other relevant data. If your nonprofit is already in operation, this should at the very least include financial statements detailing operating expense reports and a spreadsheet that indicates funding sources.

If your nonprofit is new, compile materials related to any secured funding sources and operational funding projections, including anticipated costs.

Step 2: Heart of the Matter

You are a nonprofit after all! Your nonprofit business plan should start with an articulation of the core values and your mission statement . Outline your vision, your guiding philosophy, and any other principles that provide the purpose behind the work. This will help you to refine and communicate your nonprofit message clearly.

Your nonprofit mission statement can also help establish your milestones, the problems your organization seeks to solve, who your organization serves, and its future goals.

Check out these great mission statement examples for some inspiration. For help writing your statement, download our free Mission & Vision Statements Worksheet .

Step 3: Outline

Create an outline of your nonprofit business plan. Write out everything you want your plan to include (e.g. sections such as marketing, fundraising, human resources, and budgets).

An outline helps you focus your attention. It gives you a roadmap from the start, through the middle, and to the end. Outlining actually helps us write more quickly and more effectively.

An outline will help you understand what you need to tell your audience, whether it’s in the right order, and whether the right amount of emphasis is placed on each topic.

Pro tip: Use our Nonprofit Business Plan Outline to help with this step! More on that later.

Step 4: Products, Programs, and Services

In this section, provide more information on exactly what your nonprofit organization does.

• What products, programs, or services do you provide?
• How does your nonprofit benefit the community?
• What need does your nonprofit meet and what are your plans for meeting that need?

E.g. The American Red Cross carries out its 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.

Don’t skimp out on program details, including the functions and beneficiaries. This is generally what most readers will care most about.

However, don’t overload the reader with technical jargon. Try to present some clear examples. Include photographs, brochures, and other promotional materials.

Step 5: Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is essential for a nonprofit to reach its goals. If your nonprofit is already in operation, describe in detail all current marketing activities: any outreach activities, campaigns, and other initiatives. Be specific about outcomes, activities, and costs.

If your nonprofit is new, outline projections based on specific data you gathered about your market.

This will frequently be your most detailed section because it spells out precisely how you intend to carry out your business plan.

• Describe your market. This includes your target audience, competitors, beneficiaries, donors, and potential partners.
• Include any market analyses and tests you’ve done.
• Outline your plan for reaching your beneficiaries.
• Outline your marketing activities, highlighting specific outcomes.

Step 6: Operational Plan

An operational plan describes how your nonprofit plans to deliver activities. In the operational plan, it is important to explain how you plan to maintain your operations and how you will evaluate the impact of your programs.

The operational plan should give an overview of the day-to-day operations of your organization such as the people and organizations you work with (e.g. partners and suppliers), any legal requirements that your organization needs to meet (e.g. if you distribute food, you’ll need appropriate licenses and certifications), any insurance you have or will need, etc.

In the operational plan, also include a section on the people or your team. Describe the people who are crucial to your organization and any staff changes you plan as part of your business plan.

Pro tip: If you have an organizational chart, you can include it in the appendix to help illustrate how your organization operates. Learn more about the six types of nonprofit organizational charts and see them in action in this free e-book . 

Step 7: Impact Plan

For a nonprofit, an impact plan is as important as a financial plan. A nonprofit seeks to create social change and a social return on investment, not just a financial return on investment.

Your impact plan should be precise about how your nonprofit will achieve this step. It should include details on what change you’re seeking to make, how you’re going to make it, and how you’re going to measure it.

This section turns your purpose and motivation into concrete accomplishments your nonprofit wants to make and sets specific goals and objectives.

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.

Answer these in the impact plan section of your business plan:

• What goals are most meaningful to the people you serve or the cause you’re fighting for?
• How can you best achieve those goals through a series of specific objectives?

E.g. “Finding jobs for an additional 200 unemployed people in the coming year.”

Step 8: Financial Plan

This is one of the most important parts of your nonprofit business plan. Creating a financial plan will allow you to make sure that your nonprofit has its basic financial needs covered.

Every nonprofit needs a certain level of funding to stay operational, so it’s essential to make sure your organization will meet at least that threshold.

To craft your financial plan:

• Outline your nonprofit’s current and projected financial status.
• Include an income statement, balance sheet , cash flow statement, and financial projections.
• List any grants you’ve received, significant contributions, and in-kind support.
• Include your fundraising plan .
• Identify gaps in your funding, and how you will manage them.
• Plan for what will be done with a potential surplus.
• Include startup costs, if necessary.

If your nonprofit is already operational, use established accounting records to complete this section of the business plan.

Knowing the financial details of your organization is incredibly important in a world where the public demands transparency about where their donations are going.

Pro tip : Leverage startup accelerators dedicated to nonprofits that can help you with funding, sponsorship, networking, and much more.

Step 9: Executive Summary

Normally written last but placed first in your business plan, your nonprofit executive summary provides an introduction to your entire business plan. The first page should describe your non-profit’s mission and purpose, summarize your market analysis that proves an identifiable need, and explain how your non-profit will meet that need.

The Executive Summary is where you sell your nonprofit and its ideas. Here you need to describe your organization clearly and concisely.

Make sure to customize your executive summary depending on your audience (i.e. your executive summary page will look different if your main goal is to win a grant or hire a board member).

Step 10: Appendix

Include extra documents in the section that are pertinent to your nonprofit: organizational chart , current fiscal year budget, a list of the board of directors, your IRS status letter, balance sheets, and so forth.

The appendix contains helpful additional information that might not be suitable for the format of your business plan (i.e. it might unnecessarily make it less readable or more lengthy).

Do’s and Dont’s of Nonprofit Business Plans – Tips

• Write clearly, using simple and easy-to-understand language.
• Get to the point, support it with facts, and then move on.
• Include relevant graphs and program descriptions.
• Include an executive summary.
• Provide sufficient financial information.
• Customize your business plan to different audiences.
• Stay authentic and show enthusiasm.
• Make the business plan too long.
• Use too much technical jargon.
• Overload the plan with text.
• Rush the process of writing, but don’t drag it either.
• Gush about the cause without providing a clear understanding of how you will help the cause through your activities.
• Keep your formatting consistent.
• Use standard 1-inch margins.
• Use a reasonable font size for the body.
• For print, use a serif font like Times New Roman or Courier. For digital, use sans serifs like Verdana or Arial.
• Start a new page before each section.
• Don’t allow your plan to print and leave a single line on an otherwise blank page.
• Have several people read over the plan before it is printed to make sure it’s free of errors.

Nonprofit Business Plan Template

To help you get started we’ve created a nonprofit business plan outline. This business plan outline will work as a framework regardless of your nonprofit’s area of focus. With it, you’ll have a better idea of how to lay out your nonprofit business plan and what to include. We have also provided several questions and examples to help you create a detailed nonprofit business plan.

Download Your Free Outline

At Donorbox, we strive to make your nonprofit experience as productive as possible, whether through our donation software  or through our advice and guides on the  Nonprofit Blog . Find more free, downloadable resources in our Library .

Many nonprofits start with passion and enthusiasm but without a proper business plan. It’s a common misconception that just because an organization is labeled a “nonprofit,” it does not need to operate in any way like a business.

However, a nonprofit is a type of business, and many of the same rules that apply to a for-profit company also apply to a nonprofit organization.

As outlined above, your nonprofit business plan is a combination of your marketing plan , strategic plan, operational plan, impact plan, and financial plan. Remember, you don’t have to work from scratch. Be sure to use the nonprofit business plan outline we’ve provided to help create one of your own. 

It’s important to note that your nonprofit should not be set in stone—it can and should change and evolve. It’s a living organism. While your vision, values, and mission will likely remain the same, your nonprofit business plan may need to be revised from time to time. Keep your audience in mind and adjust your plan as needed.

Finally, don’t let your plan gather dust on a shelf! Print it out, put up posters on your office walls, and read from it during your team meetings. Use all the research, data, and ideas you’ve gathered and put them into action!

If you want more help with nonprofit management tips and fundraising resources, visit our Nonprofit Blog . We also have dedicated articles for starting a nonprofit in different states in the U.S., including Texas , Minnesota , Oregon , Arizona , Illinois , and more.

Learn about our all-in-one online fundraising tool, Donorbox, and its simple-to-use features on the website here .

Raviraj heads the sales and marketing team at Donorbox. His growth-hacking abilities have helped Donorbox boost fundraising efforts for thousands of nonprofit organizations.

Join the fundraising movement!

Subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive the latest blogs, news, and more in your inbox.

Business Plan Template for Charitable Foundations

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Subcategory
• Get started in seconds

Crafting a business plan is a crucial step for charitable foundations looking to make a meaningful impact in the world. With ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Charitable Foundations, you can streamline the process and create a comprehensive plan that aligns your mission with your strategies and financial projections.

This template empowers you to:

• Clearly outline your foundation's mission, vision, and values to attract potential donors and supporters
• Strategically allocate resources and set achievable goals to maximize your philanthropic impact
• Develop a financial plan that ensures sustainable growth and long-term success

Whether you're starting a new foundation or looking to revamp your existing strategies, ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Charitable Foundations will guide you every step of the way. Start making a difference today!

Business Plan Template for Charitable Foundations Benefits

A business plan template for charitable foundations offers a range of benefits to help these organizations effectively achieve their philanthropic goals:

• Attract donors by clearly outlining the foundation's mission, objectives, and strategies
• Effectively allocate resources by identifying key areas of focus and setting measurable goals
• Create a roadmap for success by outlining strategies for fundraising, grant-making, and community engagement
• Ensure financial stability by including financial projections and budgeting for long-term sustainability
• Provide a framework for monitoring progress and evaluating the impact of the foundation's activities

Main Elements of Charitable Foundations Business Plan Template

Create a comprehensive business plan for your charitable foundation with ClickUp's Business Plan Template. This template includes:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of each section of your business plan with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do, ensuring that every aspect of your plan is accounted for and organized.
• Custom Fields: Add important details to your business plan using custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section, allowing you to include additional information and categorize your plan for easy navigation.
• Custom Views: Utilize different views such as Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and Getting Started Guide to gain a holistic view of your business plan, monitor progress, track milestones, and access helpful guides to get started.
• Collaboration Tools: Collaborate effectively with your team by assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and leaving comments within the business plan template, ensuring everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template, you can streamline your planning process, attract donors, and achieve your charitable foundation's philanthropic goals.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Charitable Foundations

If you're a charitable foundation looking to create a solid business plan, follow these steps using the Business Plan Template in ClickUp:

1. Define your mission and goals

Start by clearly defining the mission of your charitable foundation. What is the purpose of your organization and what specific goals do you hope to achieve? This will serve as the foundation for your business plan and guide your decision-making process moving forward.

Use the Goals feature in ClickUp to set and track your mission and goals.

2. Conduct a needs assessment

Before diving into the details of your business plan, it's crucial to conduct a thorough needs assessment. This involves researching the target population or cause you're passionate about, identifying the specific needs and challenges they face, and understanding how your foundation can make a meaningful impact.

Use the Docs feature in ClickUp to compile research and findings from your needs assessment.

3. Develop a strategic plan

Based on your mission, goals, and needs assessment, it's time to develop a strategic plan that outlines how your foundation will achieve its objectives. This plan should include key strategies, programs, and initiatives that align with your mission and address the identified needs.

Use the Board view in ClickUp to visually map out your strategic plan and organize your initiatives.

4. Create a financial forecast

A crucial component of any business plan is a financial forecast. This involves projecting your foundation's income and expenses over a specific period of time, typically three to five years. Consider factors such as fundraising efforts, grant opportunities, and operational costs.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to create a financial forecast and track your projected income and expenses.

5. Monitor and evaluate progress

Once your business plan is in motion, it's important to regularly monitor and evaluate your progress. Set milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success of your initiatives. This will allow you to make informed decisions, identify areas for improvement, and adjust your strategies as needed.

Use the Milestones feature in ClickUp to set and track your milestones, and the Dashboards feature to monitor your KPIs.

By following these steps and utilizing the Business Plan Template in ClickUp, you can create a comprehensive and effective business plan for your charitable foundation. Good luck in making a positive impact in the world!

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Charitable Foundations

Charitable foundations can use this Business Plan Template for Charitable Foundations to effectively plan and communicate their mission, objectives, and strategies to attract donors and achieve their philanthropic goals.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a comprehensive business plan:

• Use the Topics View to outline different sections of your business plan, such as mission, objectives, strategies, and financial projections
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• The Timeline View will give you a visual representation of the project timeline, allowing you to set deadlines and milestones
• The Business Plan View will provide a holistic view of your entire business plan, allowing you to easily navigate between sections
• The Getting Started Guide View will provide step-by-step instructions on how to use the template effectively
• Utilize the custom fields, such as Reference, Approved, and Section, to add additional information and track important details
• Collaborate with team members and stakeholders to gather input, feedback, and approvals
• Monitor and analyze the progress of your business plan to ensure alignment with your philanthropic goals
• Business Plan Template for Rig Workers
• Business Plan Template for Museums
• Business Plan Template for Painters
• Business Plan Template for Uber
• Business Plan Template for Kroger

Template details

Free forever with 100mb storage.

Free training & 24-hours support

Serious about security & privacy

Highest levels of uptime the last 12 months

• Product Roadmap
• Affiliate & Referrals
• On-Demand Demo
• Integrations
• Consultants
• Gantt Chart
• Native Time Tracking
• Automations
• Kanban Board
• vs Airtable
• vs Basecamp
• vs MS Project
• vs Smartsheet
• Software Team Hub
• PM Software Guide

Nonprofit Consulting Firm, La Piana Consulting

The Nonprofit Business Plan

The leader’s guide to creating a successful business model.

This book helps your organization understand what a business plan is and when you need one, outlining a practical approach to creating a successful, sustainable business model.

Although nonprofits often use the terms “strategic planning” and “business planning” interchangeably, a good business plan goes beyond the traditional strategic plan, testing the economic logic and operational feasibility of the proposed strategy and detailing how and why it will succeed.

The Nonprofit Business Plan includes worksheets and discussion guides, a detailed case study demonstrating how a nonprofit can move through the process in a way that creates value for internal and external stakeholders alike, and a sample financial model based on the case study.

(Available in print and e-book from  Amazon  and in print from  Barnes and Noble . Also on  iTunes .)

Free previews of the worksheets and discussion guides are available below.

• Evaluating the Need for a Business Plan
• Forming Your Planning Team
• Six Basic Business Planning Questions
• Assessing Financial Risk

Reviews of The Nonprofit Business Plan

• Beth’s Blog
• CausePlanet
• CommonGood Vermont
• Foundation Center
• Foundation Center Atlanta
• MassNonprofit.org
• National Council of Nonprofits

Charity Business Plan

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.

10+ Charity Business Plan Examples

1. executive summary  charity business plan.

Size: 187 KB

2. Starting Non Profit  Charity Business Plan

Size: 96 KB

3.  Business Plan for Non Profit Organisation

Size: 602 KB

4. Charity Business Continuity Plan

Size: 373 KB

5. Charity Business Plan for Orphans

Size: 70 KB

6. Charity Project Business Plan Template

Size: 394 KB

7. Small Business Charity Non Profit Plan

Size: 43 KB

8. Charity Business Plan Example

Size: 38 KB

9. Community Charity Shop Business Plan

10. Charity Commission Business Plan

Size: 12 MB

11. NGO Charity Business Plan Template

Size: 32 KB

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.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Create a study plan for final exams in high school

Develop a project timeline for a middle school science fair.

All Formats

Table of Contents

5 steps for preparing a charity business plan, 9+ charity business plan templates in pdf | word, 1. charity fund business plan template, 2. charity commission business plan template, 3. charity organisation business plan template, 4. charity non-profit business plan template, 5. charity business plan template in pdf, 6. charity business plan in doc, 7. business plan for charities, 8. charity startup business plan format, 9. simple charity business plan template, 10. formal charity organisation business plan, charity templates.

A business plan is a crucial document that is required for several purposes. Charity organizations too produce such documents while starting a new venture, to secure fundings and also for expansion projects and more. The document provides elaborate details on the goals and objectives of the organization or a project as well as the budget plan and the estimated outcomes of the undertaking. We have prepared our professional plan templates to help you make such important documents conveniently.

Step 1: Provide the Executive Summary

Step 2: give an introduction to the organization, step 3: define your market and operational plans, step 4: provide summary of your finances, step 5: understand the risks.

More in Charity Templates

Creative Charity Rack Card Template

Simple charity rack card template, charity donation rack card template, cancer charity rack card template, charity event rack card template, sample charity rack card template, charity golf rack card template, voice of the city charity rack card template, modern charity rack card template, charity rack card template.

• 10+ Charity Assessment Templates in DOC | PDF
• 5+ Charity Disaster Recovery Plan Templates in PDF
• 10+ Charity Trustee Application Form Templates in PDF | Word
• 3+ Charity Cheque Templates in PDF
• 6+ Charity Bag Packing Templates in PDF
• 5+ Charity Employment Contract Templates in PDF
• 10+ Charity Job Description Templates in PDF | DOC
• 3+ Charity Project Plan Templates in PDF
• 9+ Charity Invoice Templates in Google Docs | Google Sheets | Excel | Word | Numbers | Pages | PDF
• 10+ Charity Whistleblowing Policy Templates in DOC | PDF
• 11+ Charity Volunteer Agreement Templates in PDF
• 10+ Charity Direct Debit Form Templates in PDF
• 10+ Charity Walk Registration Form Templates in PDF | Word
• 11+ Charity Risk Assessment Templates in DOC | PDF
• 5+ Charity Request Letter Templates in PDF | DOC

File Formats

Word templates, google docs templates, excel templates, powerpoint templates, google sheets templates, google slides templates, pdf templates, publisher templates, psd templates, indesign templates, illustrator templates, pages templates, keynote templates, numbers templates, outlook templates.

Developing a Winning Business Plan with Access to FATE Foundation Business Plan Developer Tool.

Description

The FATE Foundation Business Plan Developer Tool is a simple, user-friendly and interactive tool designed to help you develop your business plan easily.

It also comes with a self-paced online certificate course which offers you a unique learning opportunity to develop a winning business plan capable of attracting investors and keeping the business on the right track.

At the end, you will:

• Know how to develop a ready-to-be implemented and investment attractive Business Plan.
• Have a copy of your Business Plan.
• Get a course certificate

Curriculum Overview

The curriculum breakdown of this course is highlighted below:

• Importance of Having a Business Plan
• Critical Component of a Business Plan
• Developing Your Business Plan
• Business Plan Developer Tool

MAKE PAYMENT

Already a student, who can apply.

To be eligible, you must be:

• Computer Literate
• Have Access to a Laptop or Data-Enabled Device (Mobile phone)
• Able to participate all through the required programme duration

When Can I Apply?

Do i get to download my business plan.

Yes, you get to download your business plan which you can share with your team and investors

Will the business plan contain every necessary info that investors need to know?

Yes, the FATE Foundation Business Plan Developer Tool gives you tips and examples of what is expected to be in every session of your business plan

Does the payment cover the tool and the course?

Yes. You pay for the tool and you get both the tool and the course

Where should I send any further Enquiries?

Email [email protected]  Also follow @FATE Foundation on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date.

For more information about these courses send an email to elearning@fatefoundation. org

WhatsApp us

CALL FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) – THE TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION (BUSINESS PLAN REVIEW)

The tony elumelu foundation.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalyzing job creation across all 54 African countries, and increasing women economic empowerment. Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has trained over 1.5 million young Africans on its digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed nearly USD$100 million in direct funding to 18,000 African women and men, who have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.

The Foundations aims to:

• Promote entrepreneurship development in Africa with a focus on startups and existing MSMEs (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises).
• Provide entrepreneurship skills training to startups and emerging African entrepreneurs.
• Deliver Business Development Services (BDS) necessary for startups and existing MSMEs across Africa for growth and diversification.
• Promote innovation, mentoring, technology development, networks, and market linkages among African Entrepreneurs.
• Undertake initiatives that promote access to affordable credit, working capital, guarantees, and other financial services suitable for startups and small businesses in Africa.
• Advance policy advocacy by facilitating partnerships with state and non-state actors to improve the operating business environment for local enterprises’ development in Africa.
• Setting up systematic monitoring and evaluation of the impact on African Entrepreneurs.
• Engage private sector leaders, corporations, and businesses to support the development of African entrepreneurs.

The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme directly addresses some of the most endemic challenges to African start-ups through a 4-step process:

• An online toolkit – The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme provides access to TEF’s proprietary online Start-up Toolkit training, which is comprehensive, practical training that equips entrepreneurs with resources on financial planning, market analysis, product marketing, business management skills, and many more. Over a period of 8 weeks, the entrepreneurs are assigned training modules with assignments that are completed with dedicated mentors. A weekly webinar is held by TEF to facilitate a deeper understanding of the principles covered and respond to questions. Interpretation in French, Portuguese and Arabic are available for non-English speaking entrepreneurs to follow the training as well.
• Mentoring – The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme matches mentors selected from all over the world with entrepreneurs to coach and guide them through the training window. The mentorship leverages online tools such as the TEFconnect platform, emails, social media, etc. Mentor selection and matching is carefully conducted to ensure alignment with the entrepreneurs’ goals and objective
• Business plan preparation and review – The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme further supports entrepreneurs that have been through the training to develop a business plan using a simplified template provided. After this, a business plan certification competitive process occurs to review, provide feedback, and refine the document to ensure feasibility.
• Seed capital investment – Upon certification of the business plan, the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme and its funding partner will provide a non- refundable seed capital investment of up to USD2,000 or its equivalent in local currency in a corporate bank account in the business name of the entrepreneur. A due diligence exercise is conducted in which the entrepreneur is required to fulfill certain compliance criteria before being eligible for the funding.

SCOPE of Work

• Establish the extent through which the entrepreneur has imbibed/utilized the key learnings from the TEF Business Management Training to advance their ideas/businesses.
• Determine the level of readiness (or otherwise) of the business with respect to receiving the non-returnable seed capital investment.
• Categorize all TEF EP entrepreneurs/businesses based on the degree of effort required by the entrepreneur for her business to be considered ready for the seed capital and select the top 220 . [It is worthy to note that exceptional consideration will be given to 69 uniqueparticipants; the selected vendor will be informed of whom they are and why].

REVIEW CRITERIA

The criteria below should be used as the metric for review:

Methodology

• Recommendations should have a clear audience and be specific, accessible, and actionable.
• Appendices should include a list of evaluators, evaluator(s) brief biography, and measured indicator metrics.

Ethical Considerations

It is expected that this business plan review will be ethically conducted. Proposals submitted should adhere to inclusion principles (i.e fair representation across all states for selected participants.) in the review.

In addition, the vendor is required to respect the following Ethical Principles1:

• Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: The consultant should make the most of the existing information and the full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results.
• Competence: The consultant should possess the abilities, skills, and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence.
• Honesty and integrity: The consultant should be transparent with any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information.
• Respect for people: the firm respects the security, dignity, and self-worth of respondents and program participants. The consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age, and ethnicity.

Quality Assurance and Management

All proposals will be reviewed and approved by TEF Team prior to acceptance and selection of the final vendor. The proposal detailing the proposed method and work plan is also to be approved by the TEF team.

2 weeks (commencing on October 1, 2023)

Minimum Organizational Requirements

• Sound general organizational capacity and demonstrated ability to provide sound business plan review services.
• Have suitably qualified key experts for the provision of the services including experts in Business Strategy, Finance/Accounting experience, and Market Research.
• Experience in similar work with top tier organizations on similar programme or projects.

Criteria for Selection

Upon the advertisement of the RFP, a qualified Consultancy Firm is expected to submit the proposal with an inclusive commercial:

• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. In this regard, the respective weight of the proposals are:

STANDARD TECHNICAL PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

Confidentiality and PROPRIETARY Interests

The consultants shall not either during the term or after the termination of the assignment, disclose any proprietary or confidential information related to the project without prior written consent. Proprietary interests in all materials and documents prepared by the consultants under the assignment shall become and remain properties of the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Annex I. Vendor Deliverables and timeline

Send your proposals to [email protected]

Join our list

Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously

• Search for: Search Button
• Africapitalism
• Founder’s Letter
• Co-Founder’s Letter
• Coalition For African Entrepreneurs
• Our Impact Pillars
• Our Approach
• TEF Entrepreneurship Programme
• Our Past Programmes
• TEF Annual Reports
• TEF Audited Financial Statements
• TEF Impact Reports
• TEF Partners & Impact
• Beneficiaries Success Stories
• TEF Case Studies
• BeGreen Africa
• Research & Publications
• News & Stories
• The TEFCircle
• Other Ways to Get Involved
• Eastern Africa
• Northern Africa
• Southern Africa
• Western Africa
• TEF CONNECT

PRIVACY POLICY UPDATE

We have made changes to our Privacy Policy to better protect your personal data! Please review and understand our updated Privacy Policy

I agree to the updated Privacy Policy. I understand that the use of my personal data by the Tony Elumelu Foundation will be in accordance with the updated Privacy Policy.

• 0 Shopping Cart $ 0.00 -->

Start with the foundation

The Foundation

We all know that building any structure starts with a solid foundation. The same is true of your business plan. The foundation for your business plan is your BUSINESS PLAN SUMMARY.

Your plan summary contains five important pieces of information. The rest of your plan extends from this foundation and is easier to assemble when you have this document clearly written.

The five pieces of your summary are:

• Your  Unique Business Proposition – what makes your company special, unique and different?
• The  Purpose  of your business – Why does your company exist, as seen from the customer’s perspective? At a fundamental level, what value or benefit does your company create for your customers?
• Your Destination – Your longer term goals, your picture of success 3 years from now.
• Your  One Year Goals –  Desired outcomes in the next 12 months?
• Your  Strategy – In broad terms, how you will achieve these results?

Let’s look at the first two points on this list.

Unique business proposition: In a couple of sentences, describe what makes your business unique, special and different. This can usually be found in:

What you do.

How you do it.

Where you do it.

Who you are.

When you write this information down and begin discussing it with your leadership team, it will lead to crystallizing these ideas. (Tip: Always good to check with your customers for their perspective on this).

Your Purpose:

Why does your company exist, as seen from the customer’s perspective?

Every business has a purpose. What is yours?

Something like: “we protect our customers from foundering on hidden perils at sea”

Pontish Yeramyan, CEO of Gap International, wrote about being purposeful:

“The 21st Century Organization can also differentiate itself by operating within a bigger context than a vision or mission, something more expansive. It’s not enough anymore to simply have a clear direction – people must be able to throw their entire selves into the game to be successful, with full engagement of heart and mind. We have found that when leaders leverage Purpose, it creates a competitive advantage that’s difficult or even impossible to replicate. Purpose creates the ability for people to care about something much bigger than their personal concerns and fully apply their talent to meaningful endeavours.

  If you think about it, Being Purposeful creates the platform for organization success, because it taps into a reservoir of potential energy latent within the organization. When peoples’ orientation to their job transforms from performing work to that of making a difference, they become exponentially more effective at coming together to produce extraordinary results. It becomes possible to consistently produce results beyond what is predictable in the normal flow of business. Powerful strategies can be created and re-created when purpose is present.

Purpose gives people a far more expansive space to create and grow, where creative, purpose-based thinking replaces crisis-based, fire fighting thinking. An organization of people who have connected themselves to something bigger can thrive rather than simply survive –they can move fast together and nimbly adjust strategies and tactics to succeed.”

Once you have draft versions of your Unique Business Proposition and Purpose statement, it’s time to do some goal setting. Move on to sections 3,4,5 of your plan summary.

Here’s the good news, unlike a physical foundation, you can come back and revise these sections of your plan if you aren’t completely satisfied with your initial efforts.

You might also like

Leave a Reply

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Plan Genie will help you clarify and document the future direction for your company in a complete and coherent format.

As you work through these self-learning workbooks, you will gain a deep understanding of the component parts of every business, how these parts are interrelated, and why this leadership tool is so important to the future success of your business.

Free Nonprofit Business Plan Templates

By Joe Weller | September 18, 2020

• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn

Link copied

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Discover why over 90% of Fortune 100 companies trust Smartsheet to get work done.

From Idea to Foundation

Master the Essentials: Laying the Groundwork for Lasting Business Success. 

Funding and Approval Toolkit

Shape the future of your business, business moves fast. stay informed..

Discover the Best Tools for Business Plans

Learn from the business planning experts, resources to help you get ahead, free operational foundation workbook, free workbook.

Examine the essential steps for crafting a robust operational foundation and setting your startup up for success with our comprehensive, free workbook.

With this Workbook, you can:

• Dissect your key activities and create detailed process maps to visualize and optimize your startup’s operational components
• Identify potential bottlenecks, streamline processes, and allocate resources effectively to ensure smooth day-to-day operations
• Engage stakeholders and leverage their insights to refine your operational plans and mitigate risks
• Align your key resources and partnerships with your value proposition, setting a strong foundation for your business’s growth and success

Use this guide to develop a well-defined operational framework for launching and growing your business with confidence.

Creating a strong foundation and architecture for your operations will minimize a leading factor in early business failure. But how do you start developing an operational plan before you’ve launched your business?

This workbook is designed to help you identify, detail, and expand upon the critical actions your business must take to effectively deliver on its value propositions. By breaking down each activity into actionable steps, you’ll be able to visualize and refine the key operational components that are essential to your business’s success.

Through a systematic process mapping exercise, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of your business’s key processes, empowering you to optimize your operations and deliver on your value propositions more effectively. This level of understanding is crucial for streamlining your operations, allocating resources effectively, and ensuring that your business runs smoothly from day one.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is an operational plan?

An operational plan is a detailed outline of the day-to-day tasks and processes required to run your business effectively. It helps you translate your business strategy into actionable steps, ensuring that your operations align with your goals and value proposition.

• Is this workbook really free?

Yes, this workbook is absolutely free. We believe in providing entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to succeed, without any cost barriers.

• How will this workbook help me create an operational plan?

This workbook will guide you through a step-by-step process to identify, analyze, and optimize your key activities, resources, and partnerships. By completing the exercises in this workbook, you’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of your business’s operational needs and create a robust operational plan.

• Do I need to have business experience to use this workbook?

No, you don’t need prior business experience to benefit from this workbook. The exercises are designed to be accessible and easy to follow, making it suitable for entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey.

• How long will it take me to complete this workbook?

The time it takes to complete the workbook will vary depending on the complexity of your business and the depth of your analysis. However, most entrepreneurs find that dedicating a few focused sessions of 1-2 hours each is sufficient to work through the exercises and develop a solid operational plan.

• Can I use this workbook if I haven’t launched my business yet?

Absolutely! This workbook is specifically designed for entrepreneurs in the pre-launch phase. By working through the exercises before you launch, you’ll be better prepared to handle the challenges of running a business and make informed decisions from the start.

• Will I need any additional tools or resources to complete this workbook?

No, you won’t need any additional tools or resources to complete this workbook. All the exercises can be completed using the workbook itself and your own knowledge of your business idea. However, you may find it helpful to have your Business Model Canvas on hand as a reference.

Get Your Free Operational Foundation Workbook!

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive insights, tips, and updates directly to your inbox.

Welcome to Businessplan.com

Currently in beta test mode.

Products available for purchase are placeholders and no orders will be processed at this time.

Let’s craft the ultimate business planning platform together.

Have questions, suggestions, or want a sneak peek at upcoming tools and resources? Connect with us on X or join “On the Right Foot” on Substack .

This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.

Ok, Got It.

Privacy Policy

Your current User-Agent string appears to be from an automated process, if this is incorrect, please click this link:

• Business Type
• Business Plan for Foundation

Foundation Small Business Idea and Business Plan

Starting your own small business in the UK isn’t easy but having a properly developed business plan will help you achieve success.

To start a Foundation business in the UK, take the time and explain the idea via a business plan.

Understanding all of the aspects of the business idea will be the key to getting the Foundation business running like a well-oiled machine. The business plan you develop will help you organize the elements needed into a strategy that you can actually use to startup, by paving a clear road map as to what you need to follow for the lifespan of your business.

Starting a Foundation business isn’t easy, but when done right, it can lead to a lot of success.

To help you get started, you can use the free business plan builder tool to develop your own Foundation business plan.

The business plan template is very easy to use, is interactive and will quickly and easily help you create your business plan just by answering the needed questions about your small business idea.

Create your own Foundation business plan for free using the Business Plan Builder

The free business plan template builder is divided into a few easy to follow steps.

The free business plan builder template is provided by UKStartups.org to help you develop your own business plan. For step by step guidance, see the 5 steps below.

Once completed, the result will be a clean, professional plan that will help you start your own Foundation small business in the UK.

When you have completed your Foundation business plan, the next step will be to find available funding that will help, or to speak with a funding adviser who will assist you each step of the way to securing the needed funds to make your Foundation business startup.

If you are looking to limit your startup costs when starting up a Foundation small business in the UK, this free business plan builder tool will be it.

Starting a Foundation business is only one of the ways others have used this free business plan tool. There are hundreds of different ideas you can start, and if you need guidance, do reach out to a UKStartups expert to get the needed assistance and guidance.

Step 1. Your business information

To develop a proper Foundation business plan with the free business plan builder template, it is important to answer each of the questions about your business to the best of your abilities.

What is your business? What are the products/services you provide? Who are your customers? What are your goals…etc?

Having a clear explanation will help you create a in-depth business plan that you can actually use to start the Foundation business and to apply for needed funding to cover your startup costs.

Step 2. Projecting your revenues/income

The Foundation industry can have great results. Planning and projecting the financial figures to approximate what you will make each year is crucial to building a strong business plan.

What do you think your business will make from each of its products/services? Simply list your products/services, enter the appropriate financial figures (costs and expenses).

If you don’t have the figures, in many cases it is recommended to do a a bit more research on other Foundation businesses locally and within your own region to get an idea of potential revenue. You can do your best to estimate the figures and growth potential.

If you need assistance in projecting, you can always contact UK Startups funding experts for the help.

Step 3. Your business market

As a Foundation business, having a clear explanation of the market and industry that you are in will help you plan for the figure and will ensure you can take the business to the next level.

Explain your location of business, share specifics about your customers, showcase your competition and explain the advantages you have over your competition.

Step 4. The future plan

Starting your own Foundation business and getting it off the ground is important to you.

No matter if you’re planning on applying for government funding for your Foundation business or not, it is important to plan out the future and provide an explanation of how you will grow the business. This means explaining your marketing plan, your sales strategy and clearly outlining a growth plan for the next few years.

Be sure to break this down step by step to show how you intend on making sure your Foundation business can grow each year.

Keep in mind that often business plans are focused on key people. Be sure to discuss yourself, your role and any other key figures in the business as well.

Step 5. The financials

In the end, it all comes down to the financials. If you are seeking funding, or not – the business plan you develop needs to have clearly defined financials or projections. The business plan builder tool makes it easy to develop your financial charts by simply entering your expected revenues per month and year. If you don’t have the figures as it’s a new business be sure to project the figures based on your expectations. If you need help with this, ask the UK Startups experts .

A clear breakdown of your funding needs is also recommended in case you are seeking funding and this free business plan template will help you with exactly that. When developing your Foundation business plan using this free template, the above 5 steps are recommended in order to succeed. While there are other key points that will assist you in starting your business, finding funding...etc, the free template will help put you on the right path

Be sure to request a professional to review your business plan , to answer any questions you may have and to help you with the funding search once you’ve done the initial free template. You can request this directly via UKStartups.org and through the Small Business Startup Platform as a member.

If starting a Foundation business is just one of your ideas, perhaps considering other options, here are some popular small business’s others have chosen to startup

• Embroidery Service
• Private Hospital
• Metal Detecting Equipment Supplier
• Nepalese Restaurant

INSTANT ACCESS - Early JUNE Government Funding Options

See ALL government funding options now

This will close in 24 seconds

START YOUR ECOMMERCE BUSINESS FOR JUST $1

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content

A magazine for young entrepreneurs

The best advice in entrepreneurship

Subscribe for exclusive access, business startup funding: a beginner’s guide.

Written by Assya Barrette | February 28, 2024

Comments -->

Get real-time frameworks, tools, and inspiration to start and build your business. Subscribe here

Your brilliant idea has no startup funding to back it up.

Sound familiar?

Maybe you’ve chosen the right business model, locked down a co-founder, and drawn up a goal pyramid to outline your first steps.

But there’s still that one big problem: you lack funding.

You need to learn your best options on how to fund a startup . Here’s a quick guide to get you started on getting funding for a startup business.

If you’re just not sure where to begin, and always wanted to see a clear-cut menu of funding options out there in this modern world of startups, this post is for you.

Types of Startup Funding

1. Self-Funded (Bootstrapped)

2. friends and family, 3. crowdfunding platforms, 4. government grants or loans, 5. business loans, 6. accelerators, 7. corporate partners, 8. investors.

Which Should You Choose?

The Basic Categories of Funding

There are two models for funding a startup: that which costs you equity, and that which costs you debt.

There is a third, grants, and gifts, but this is less common for profit-seeking businesses.

Debt as a Form of Funding

Debt, a form of funding so many of us are unfortunately familiar with, is money that you’re obligated to pay back with interest over an agreed-upon time period.

This can be in the form of a bank loan or just racking up a bunch of money on credit cards. The latter is probably the easiest and fastest way to scare up some money, but there’s a reason it’s a bad idea.

Rates are usually terrible, and if you don’t have a lot of cash flow, you can end up saddled with that burden for years. Small business loans are one traditional avenue for funding, but they are often restricted to people with existing cash flow or some kind of collateral to put up.

Offering Equity in Exchange for Funding

Equity, on the other hand, means a percentage of ownership in your business offered up at market value in exchange for money.

This is what investors will typically deal with. Clearly, to offer equity to an investor, you need to have some perceived value or proof of concept to instill confidence.

Grants and Gift Grants

Grants are much more common for endeavors like charities, nonprofits, or social enterprises. Don’t be envious, though, it’s hard work to get a foot in the door with a grantmaker, and often funds come with stringent requirements and oversight.

As far as grand gifts go, well, here’s hoping a bag of money lands on your doorstep. If you’ve ever watched the show Shark Tank this will be familiar to you, as the sharks will often haggle over what kind of stake they get in exchange for the money they’re going to sink into the business.

Entrepreneurs tend to want to reduce the amount of equity they give away because this means lower profits for them in the future. This can also be risky because if more than half of a company’s equity is sold, that means a potential loss of control.

Now, how do you get your entrepreneurial paws on this cash? On to the juicy bits:

Don’t Skip: How to Start a Startup (Advice from Those Who’ve Done It)

8 Funding Options for Your Startup

There are costs and benefits for each of the 8 most common types of startup funding. Let’s break them down.

We know that’s not what you wanted to hear, nor is it quite on point with the purpose of this article. Technically, this isn’t really a source of funding. You’re just paying for it yourself with your hard-earned cash, minimizing expenses such that you can still cover bills.

But this hard medicine is what you need to accept when it comes to funding: It will be much harder to convince someone, to take a chance with their money on your idea if you haven’t done the same first.

That means working on your project as a side hustle , self-funding it as much as possible, and burning the midnight oil to cover labor yourself. Or, that might mean saving up enough money so you can have a few months of runway, building out the basis for your idea before seeking out external funding.

And in doing this, you’re certainly not alone. Alongside the burgeoning generation of young entrepreneurs has come a sharp decline in reliance on investors. This means more young entrepreneurs have started building their value through bootstrapping as a primary source of initial funding for their startups.

A lot of people swear by bootstrapping, and for good reason. In fact, foundr itself was a bootstrapped business run by our CEO, who moonlighted in the early days and gradually scaled up the business over time.

Bootstrapping can be extremely gratifying, like building something with your bare hands. And it’s great for first-time entrepreneurs because it proves you can hack it, making it easier to land funds as you launch future businesses.

This is not to say you can’t get your startup funding after you’ve bootstrapped. As Chris Strode of Invoice2go once told foundr:

What I’d tell…every other early entrepreneur out there, is to bootstrap your startup for as long as possible. Founders are often eager to raise funding and take their businesses to the next level, but if you can build a profitable business on your own, you’ll be better positioned to have a favorable conversation with VCs when the time is right. Focus on getting your product right where you want it for your users, and grow it from there.

This method is advantageous as it lets you grow an audience and a user base that will serve as awesome validation and possibly even lead to revenue or profit before you seek out additional funding.

And, of course, you get to keep all the equity.

Want to self-fund your business (or fund it with a business partner) ? Follow these steps to fund your startup online business yourself:

• Sacrifice and save: If you’re self-funding, you will need to sacrifice in order to save the funds you need. This looks different for every entrepreneur, but many sell assets such as cars or even homes to help free up cash to start their businesses.
• Find a co-founder you can trust: Regardless of how good you are at saving, sometimes you may simply need more funds. A problem shared is a problem halved, so to solve this, consider bringing on a co-founder. If you’re both investing significantly in the business, though, you’ll need to find someone you can trust. Try friends or business connections, but if you can’t find anyone suitable, consider using websites such as CoFoundersLab .
• Freelance on the side: Starting a business can be an all-consuming, full-time commitment. But if you’re self-funding and you’re concerned you’ll run out of funds, consider freelancing on the side so you can continue to earn an income.

A great piece of startup advice is to start with your inner circle and branch out when it comes to selling your business. In other words, start seeking funding for your business from family and friends.

We know this might send chills down some of your spines. And depending on your relationships with certain friends and family, it’s clearly not an option for everyone.

But the important thing here is taking stock of your existing support network. So often, entrepreneurs try to build something utterly from scratch, as if they have to concoct success within a vacuum. The truth is, most of us have a lifetime of connections all around us, many of whom may have tremendous confidence in us and may even be part of our target audience.

Friends and family are one of the most common sources of funding. Over 38% of entrepreneurs report raising money for their ideas from loved ones’, and over $60BB is raised in startups from family and friends each year. Although these people may not have endless cash to throw your way, the money they are able to support you with may come with many advantages:

• Those close to you’re much more likely to take a chance on you and your idea in good faith and lend you money at a low-interest rate or even no interest rate or may ask for a lower amount of equity.
• Money coming from people you know makes you much more committed to success and providing a good return for their money.
• There is a better chance that your friends and family will stay at a supportive distance instead of breathing hungrily down your neck as some investors might.

Remember that you’re looking for a kind of partnership with like-minded people you have an existing connection with. If they truly believe in you and your business, they’ll be excited to get on board, and you couldn’t ask for a better backer than that. And if they’d use your product or service themselves, you’ve also got a potential test market, and early adopter rolled up in one.

At the end of the day, though, this is a very personal decision that needs to be taken seriously. Some of the best startups in the world resulted from friendships… as did some classic disasters. Tread carefully.

Even if you’re looking for funding options for a startup online business (which can cost less money in many cases), if the issue is that you’re simply embarrassed to ask your family and friends to back your startup, then maybe it’s time to rethink your business idea. If you’re shy about going to people who know and love you, it’s not going to be any easier approaching investors.

Crowdfunding has rapidly become a premier way for entrepreneurs to get their startups funded. Since platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo came on the scene, it has cracked open virtually infinite possibilities for companies to get started.

Long story short, crowdfunding involves getting a large group of people to back your company with relatively small individual contributions. These backers will not always get a say in how your business is operated, depending on the platform, and they collectively share a relatively small risk each, because together they enthusiastically want the project in question to exist.

Even veteran investors like Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran told Foundr she’s been blown away by the potential of crowdfunding:

The access to capital isn’t at your local bank—it’s online. I would say that at least 40 percent of all the entrepreneurs we met on Shark Tank had already raised a lot of money online through crowdfunding. You can teach yourself how. Analyze successful campaigns. Figure out what works.

This funding model can not only be used to gather up some initial funding but can be used for subsequent fundraising for future products and services. Just for one example chosen completely at random, there’s our first print publication, Founder Version 1.0, which we funded with our first Kickstarter campaign. It went great!

While earning funding through these platforms is incredibly convenient for both financial purposes and public exposure, it can be even more successful if you have a little something already saved up. According to Forbes , having around 25% of your monetary goal already raised before approaching the crowd can help account for relevant fees, while also enticing potential investors to keep the momentum going and the funding coming.

Crowdfunding is a great way to land some cash, but it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s both art and science, and now that it’s such a widespread practice, it takes some real work and even investment of its own to build up and execute a successful campaign.

If you’re interested in using crowdfunding for your startup, start by researching which crowdfunding platform best suits your needs. Look for:

• What types of campaigns was the website designed for
• Whether you have to hit a goal to receive the contributions
• Cost of using the crowdfunding platform
• How the platform integrates with social media

This is an often-overlooked way to get your startup funded.

Many people don’t know that their government may be offering convenient loans or full-on grants for aspiring entrepreneurs in their midst. Because new businesses are a large source of economic growth in industrialized economies, governments have it in their best interests to support the individuals looking to throw their chip into the ring.

Mission-driven organizations are also well-suited to pursuing grant funding, as there are more and more grant programs popping up to support sustainable and socially conscious businesses that have the potential to fuel a regenerative economy.

The downside of grants is that they are highly competitive, and it’s often time-consuming to apply. If you decide to seek out grant funding, choose a grant program that matches your business. It’s better to take a targeted approach rather than casting a wide net. You may also want to consider hiring a consultant who specializes in grant writing to give you the best shot of securing a grant. If you go this route, make sure to ask the consultant for examples of grants they’ve secured for other businesses. You may even want to ask what the grant amounts were relative to what the consultant billed for help writing the grant, so you can decide if the investment is worth the return.

If you’re young (say, under 35 years old) or if you’re creating a new business in science or technology especially, you’ll have a decent shot at landing some funding. What’s more, governments at various levels tend to have their own individual loans available. To find this funding, search at the city, province/state, and federal levels.

Business loans provide you with a sum of money that then has to be repaid to the lender with interest. Business loans allow you to maintain equity and control of your business without having to worry about answering to an investor or giving up equity. The downside of business loans is that they come with a short-term cost of capital that needs to be repaid and depending on what type of business loan it is, that cost can get high.

A bank or lender typically makes their decisions based on 3 factors: your time in business, your revenue, and your personal or business credit score. Because a startup by definition doesn’t have much time in business and doesn’t have established business credit, your loan options are more limited.

The Loans You Might Qualify For as a Startup

SBA loans are backed by the US Small Business Administration, which means the government agency guarantees the loans with the lender in case you default on the loan (think of it like having the US government co-sign your loan). In terms of startup loans, you’re not going to find better terms or interest rates than an SBA loan. There are several different SBA loan options, but the most common is the SBA 7(a).

The tradeoff of these rare and majestic loans is that they come with government-level paperwork and they’re highly competitive. If you choose to go the loan route, it’s worth rolling up your sleeves and trying for an SBA loan.

Short Term Loans

Short term loans are best used when your burn rate is going to put you into a short-term bind. You can use a short term loan to cover inventory for large purchase orders or to make payroll while you wait on payment from a client. Short term payments come with pretty high interest rates because they’re designed to be repaid quickly and that structure allows the lender to still make money from the loan. This small business loan type can be an asset if used wisely, but if you wait to pay it off it can get very expensive very quickly.

Line of Credit

A line of credit allows you to borrow against a predetermined amount of money, repay it, and borrow again as many times as you like over the term of the loan. A line of credit can be a tremendous asset for a startup founder. It gives you the capital you need to finance your startup growth , and you only pay interest on what you borrow. That gives you flexibility and control.

Equipment Loan

An equipment loan is specifically for equipment and can be used for anything from computers to an espresso machine to Square card readers to robotic mining equipment. Because the loan is secured by the equipment itself, this loan is easier to qualify for than other small business loans, and it typically comes with lower interest rates.

Business Credit Cards

Okay, this might surprise you but business credit cards can be a pretty solid way to bootstrap a startup, especially if your capital needs are on the lower end of the spectrum. Business credit cards can be used to finance everything from office supplies to equipment purchases. If you need to make some large purchases and know you’ll have the funds to repay them within 6 months to a year, you could consider a 0% introductory APR credit card. These cards don’t collect any interest during the introductory period, which can make them a clutch option for entrepreneurs, especially those who don’t qualify for other forms of funding.

Now we’re getting into the fast lane. If you’re looking for much more than a simple bit of money tossed your way, accelerators are a great option to consider, especially if you’re interested in getting funding for a tech startup.

Accelerators focus on supercharging early-stage business growth by providing short programs (usually 2-4 months long).

They will take applications, dole out funding to those that pass in exchange for equity, plus usually welcome you, your business, and your small team (if you have one) into their program.

The program will often feature an enticing mixture of mentorship and office space. These programs are usually grueling affairs, but if you’re looking to speed up a stage in your business growth, these are the best option. One of the defining factors is their short-term timeframes (incubators, by contrast, tend to last a few years), often culminating in a big presentation session or “demo day.”

These accelerators also tend to present startups with great opportunities to network with other startups and mentors in the business world. In fact, it’s worth noting that accelerators are often much more focused on developing the entrepreneurs or founding teams themselves than a business’s idea.

Applications for accelerators tend to be very competitive, especially for “elite” accelerators such as TechStars and Y Combinator . These two accept only between 1% to 3% of their applicants.

But there are actually quite a few of them, something like 200, and more are always starting. Most of the top accelerators are based in California, including Alchemist , AngelPad , and 500 Startups . But not all of them, and TechStars actually has 20 programs all over the country. Sometimes they’re broad, others are industry-focused.

We suggest starting with local accelerators in your area or looking at niche accelerators targeted to your background or industry.

Big businesses aren’t what they used to be. The average lifespan  of a corporation has plummeted from 24 years in the 1960s to just 12 now. Companies everywhere are looking at ways to transform and innovate, and partnering with your startup might just be the way they do so.

There’s actually a lot of corporate-partner sponsored startups, but you wouldn’t know it, as the partnership isn’t always obvious. One example of a hugely successful startup that began through a corporate sponsorship is Crowdz. Crowdz, which recently completed a Series A funding round for $5.5 million, was created in partnership with Barclays bank .

With corporate partnerships being so lucrative, how do you secure one? We spoke to Carrie Kwan, the founder of Mums & Co , to find out. Mums & Co, a business community for mothers, was created in partnership with IAG insurance.

Carrie was pregnant with her second child when she came across the idea for the company. Through a business connection, she was introduced to someone who would eventually become her corporate partner:

“I was introduced to Phuong Ly, the executive general manager of IAG, and it became evident that we had a mutual interest in reaching the small business community, particularly mothers.”

This mutual interest was extremely beneficial to Carrie, and after deciding it was something she wanted to pursue, she spent a frenetic few months developing an MCP with the backing of IAG. But during that time, she made it clear that it wasn’t just funding that she was after. She wanted a corporate partner who shared her values:

“I was halfway through my second pregnancy when I was in discussions with IAG. But when I raised this, they said, ‘Congratulations. You shouldn’t have to choose between your family and your career.’ This gave me assurance that they shared my values and understood my vision.”

Carrie signed on as a corporate partner for IAG, and the partnership remains strong today, over three years later.

Want to find a corporate partner to help fund your startup? Follow these steps:

• Build out an MVP: Just like any other investor, a corporate partner will need to understand your vision before partnering with you.
• Network, network, network: Meet everyone in your network, and pitch them our idea. Then ask them who they can refer you to. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
• Connect with other founders who’ve secured a corporate partner: They will be able to provide guidance and possibly introductions.
• Approach corporations directly: Many large companies that have innovation agendas will run incubators, demo days, pitch nights, or networking events. Research corporations that you think share your target audience and values, and see what they have to offer. You can also apply directly to corporate programs through websites such as CoVentured .

Before diving into the intricacies of how they operate, let’s look at the basic definition of an investor .

An investor is a person who has control over some pool of assets, and who invests money into a project in exchange for shares. This means they are not neutral actors in your business.

Investors will have expectations that you use the money in frugal and wise ways, such as for expanding market share through marketing, and not wasting funds on unnecessary expenditures. Second of all, investors by definition expect a return on their investments within a certain period—this return is often a 10x return within up to 5 years. This usually occurs either when your company goes “public” or is sold off.

These expectations can make dealing with investors difficult and stressful. The emphasis will often be placed on growth, and pressure to expand your business asset will be coming from outside you and your team. Still, just as with bootstrapping, there are entrepreneurs who swear by raising capital.

If you’re looking to grow a huge business, accepting investment is usually the only option. Companies that grow large and fast can usually only do so through accepting an injection of investor cash.

Onto the types of investors. They fall into three main groups: personal, venture, and angel investors.

Personal Investors

Personal investors or angel investors are typically in the form of friends and family, as described above.

Venture Capital

Venture Investors, or Venture Capitalists, usually come in the form of experienced investors looking to make large returns by investing in business ideas. Rather than a loan, which a recipient is legally bound to pay back, a VC accepts a certain amount of risk that they won’t make the money back, in hopes that some of their investments pay off huge. Although there is acceptance of risk, they are very selective of who they support.

They will rarely be interested in pouring money into a new/unproven idea and will demand a track record and some demonstrable value before placing money into a business endeavor. Venture capitalists don’t deal in 100s or 1,000s of dollars—we’re talking in terms of millions of dollars invested. If you’re just starting out, a VC is probably not the breed of investor you should seek out.

Angel Investors

Angel Investors are the investors that you’ll be looking for if you’re a burgeoning young business. These are investors who are looking to give relatively small amounts (usually tens or hundreds of thousands) into businesses in exchange for equity and will often be tolerant of other forms of growth besides revenue.

They are often other entrepreneurs who have wealth of their own, as opposed to huge pooled investment funds, and are looking to seed people or businesses they believe in at the early stages of their growth. They sometimes fill a gap between friends and family support and larger forms of investment such as venture capital.

In contrast to Venture capitalists, angel investors may not require a part-ownership of the company. Instead, he or she may request a percentage of return on her/his investment. But, as with venture capitalists, there will be situations where angel investors require ownership and management decisions in your company.

Understanding Startup Funding Stages

What the heck is a seed round? Will you need a Series A, B, and C? This financial mumbo jumbo (technical term) can feel intimidating for an aspiring entrepreneur, but it doesn’t need to be. The multiple funding round structure has become more common in recent years, especially in the tech industry. But as tech startups have seen wild success, the model has also spread to other industries as well.

You may not need to know anything about how a Series B works. Many small businesses find the funding they need without going this route. You’ll likely only encounter this if you plan to seek out external investors like an angel investor or venture capitalist.

Seed Funding

Seed capital is an outside investment in a startup during the nascent stages in exchange for equity in the company. The typical investment made during seed funding ranges from $10,000-$2,000,000. Seed funding is especially popular in tech. The benefit of seed money is that it gives you quick access to larger amounts of capital, allowing you to grow and scale a startup quickly and gain more traction. In the seed stage, these investments often come from friends and family members

Because the company doesn’t yet have a straightforward valuation, seed round investors typically receive a convertible note. A convertible note provides equity as repayment rather than interest or stock.

Series A Round

Series A funding is usually the first funding round to come from outside investors. A Series A typically comes after a startup has begun to generate revenue but isn’t yet profitable. In return for their investment, Series A investors are usually given preferred stock (which gives no voting rights to shareholders) that can be converted into common stock at a later time.

Because Series A investors are taking on substantial risk—the company isn’t’ profitable yet and a lot of startups fail—their stock will typically give them a pretty substantial payout if the company is successful.

Series B Round

Startups that seek a Series B round are more established. They’ve gone through the seed round and the Series A. They have either broken even, or they’re close, but they’re generating enough revenue that they carry a solid valuation. Series B investors again tend to receive preferred stock in return for their capital investment. Because there is (or theoretically should be) less risk during Series B funding, investors during this stage typically receive a smaller return than Series A investors.

Series C Round

Series C funding comes when a business is in the later stage of the funding cycle and growth process. It works similarly to the Series B round. Typically, investors want to see a higher valuation in the Series C than in previous rounds. That shows that the company is healthy, profitable, and growing. Because there is the least risk associated with Series C investment, it gives investors the smallest payout for their investment.

Keep Learning: Series Funding for Startups – Terms and Jargon Explained

Which Type of Funding Should You Choose?

Now that you understand funding a startup and the different routes you can choose, what’s next?

While there’s no one right way to fund a startup, there are mistakes to avoid.

Before you ask your family for cash or reach out to potential investors, follow these steps from Alexa von Tobel , founder of Inspired Capital, to avoid wasting time and potentially failing before you’ve even started.

• Identify Your Goals: Where do you want to go, and what do you want your business to achieve?
• Getting Organized: Make sure you’re covered and set up for success with the core essentials of a business, from bank accounts to financial staff and checking accounts.
• The Basics: Familiarize yourself with the essentials of business finance so you can understand your financial statements.
• Your Business Model: Build a business model that suits your business, helps you get the most from your resources and network, and guides your interactions with your accountant and CFOs.
• Creating Good Habits: Create weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly financial habits to stay ahead of your business’ finances.
• Scaling Your Business: Know when and how funding can make your business more valuable, then reach out to investors.

If you have a solid financial plan for your startup, any funding search will be easier. Remember that the best startup funding is the one you have access to. Most entrepreneurs don’t know a guy who works at a Silicon Valley incubator, and that’s okay. The most successful startups pull from multiple funding sources as they scale.

Need more specifics? Here’s a rule of thumb when choosing the right startup funding.

• Service Startup: Self-funded, friends and family, business loans, government grants or loans.
• Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Product Startup: Self-funded, friends and family, crowdfunding, accelerators, or seed funding (later in the journey).
• Business-to-Business (B2B) Startup: Business loans, accelerators, corporate partners, or seed funding.
• SaaS Startups: Crowdfunding, business loans, accelerators, corporate partners, or seed funding.
• Niche Industry Startups (healthcare, civics): Business loans, accelerators, corporate partners, seed funding, government grants, or loans.

Keep Learning: Business Startup Costs Checklist: How Much and Where to Spend

You Know Your Way Around Startup Funding. What’s Next?

There are many different ways to get funding for a business, and a lot of it really varies based on your experience level and track record. For early entrepreneurs, we here at foundr are big fans of bootstrapping as long as possible, as attested by many of the entrepreneurs that foundr has featured. And we’ll show you how to do it.

Check out our trainings on everything from launching an ecommerce business to growing your online platform and making a killing with YouTube ads.

About Assya Barrette

Assya is a content strategist and consultant based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her and her client's work have been featured in outlets including Yahoo!, Salon.com, Qz.com, and others. You can see her work and learn more here: Kangen Demo

Related Posts

How Much To Unapologetically Charge For Public Speaking

How to Get Sponsored: From 0 to $50,000 in 4 Weeks

How To Develop a Million-Dollar Pitch Deck For Potential Investors

Business Not Making Money? Here’s the Reason(s) Why

What Is ROI? And How Can You Calculate It like a Pro?

Profit and Loss Statement: What Is It and Why Your Business Needs One

How Much Do Consultants Make? Get Ready to Consult.

These Founders Bought Back Their Business: Chris Savage and Brendan Schwartz of Wistia

Annual Recurring Revenue: Calculate Your Subscription Revenue

Revenue vs Profit: What’s the Difference and Why it Matters

How to Build Business Credit Fast: Everything You Need to Know

Series Funding for Startups: Terms and Jargon Explained

16 Financial Concepts Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know

Is Your Business Not Making Enough Money? Here’s How to Fix It

How to Sell Your Business: 5 Tips from a Business Investor

FREE TRAINING FROM LEGIT FOUNDERS

Actionable Strategies for Starting & Growing Any Business.

FREE FINANCE MASTERCLASS!

Set up your business finances "the smart way" to earn more and keep more of what you make..., with no coding, no investor capital & no chasing ideas that won’t work, don't miss out get instant access to foundr+ for just $1, 1000+ lessons. customized learning. 30,000+ strong community..

How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy in 9 Easy Steps [Free Template]

Creating your social media marketing strategy doesn’t need to be painful. Create an effective plan for your business in 9 simple steps.

A social media marketing strategy is a summary of everything you plan to do and hope to achieve on social media. It guides your actions and lets you know whether you’re succeeding or failing.

The more specific your plan is, the more effective it will be. Keep it concise. Don’t make it so lofty and broad that it’s unattainable or impossible to measure.

In this post, we’ll walk you through a nine-step plan to create a winning social media strategy of your own. We’ve even got expert insights from Amanda Wood, Hootsuite’s Senior Manager of Social Marketing.

How to create a social media strategy:

Bonus: Get a free social media strategy template   to quickly and easily plan your own strategy. Also use it to track results and present the plan to your boss, teammates, and clients.

What is a social media marketing strategy?

A social media strategy is a document outlining your social media goals, the tactics you will use to achieve them and the metrics you will track to measure your progress.

Your social media marketing strategy should also list all of your existing and planned social media accounts along with goals specific to each platform you’re active on. These goals should align with your business’s larger digital marketing strategy.

Finally, a good social media plan should define the roles and responsibilities within your team and outline your reporting cadence.

Create. Schedule. Publish. Engage. Measure. Win.

Creating your own social media marketing strategy (video guide)

No time to read the whole article? Let Amanda, Hootsuite’s own Senior Manager of Social Media Marketing, guide you through our free social media marketing strategy template in less than 10 minutes:

How to create a social media marketing strategy in 9 steps

Step 1. choose goals that align to business objectives, set s.m.a.r.t. goals.

The first step to creating a winning social media strategy is to establish clear objectives and goals. Without goals, you have no way to measure success and return on investment (ROI) .

Each of your social media marketing goals should be SMART : s pecific, m easurable, a ttainable, r elevant and t ime-bound.

Psst: Need help getting started? We’ve got social strategy guides for small businesses , financial services , government , higher education , healthcare , real estate , law firms , and non-profits .

Oh, and if you need examples of smart social media goals , we’ve got you covered there too.

Once you’ve decided on your goals, track them in a social media strategy doc — grab our free template if you don’t have one already.

Track meaningful metrics

Vanity metrics like number of followers and likes are easy to track, but it’s hard to prove their real value. Instead, focus on things like engagement, click-through, and conversion rates.

For inspiration, take a look at these 19 essential social media metrics .

You may want to track different goals for different social media networks, or even different uses for each network.

For example, if you use LinkedIn to drive traffic to your website, you would measure click-throughs. If Instagram is for brand awareness, you might track the number of Instagram Story views. And if you advertise on Facebook, cost-per-click (CPC) is a common success metric.

Social media goals should align with your overall marketing objectives. This makes it easier to show the value of your work and secure buy-in from your boss.

Start developing a successful social media marketing plan by writing down at least three goals for social media.

“ It’s easy to get overwhelmed by deciding what to post and which metrics to track, but you need to focus on what you want to get out of social media to begin with,” says Amanda Wood, Hootsuite’s Senior Manager of Social Marketing. “Don’t just start posting and tracking everything: match your goals to your business, and your metrics to your goals.”

Step 2. Learn everything you can about your audience

Get to know your fans, followers, and customers as real people with real wants and needs, and you will know how to target and engage them on social media.

When it comes to your ideal customer, you should know things like:

• Average income
• Typical job title or industry

Here’s a simple guide and template for creating audience/buyer personas .

Don’t forget to document this information in your strategy doc!

Social media analytics can also provide a ton of valuable information about who your followers are, where they live, and how they interact with your brand on social media. These insights allow you to refine your strategy and better target your audience.

Jugnoo, an Uber-like service for auto-rickshaws in India, used Facebook Analytics to learn that 90% of their users who referred other customers were between 18- and 34-years-old, and 65% of that group was using Android. They used that information to target their ads, resulting in a 40% lower cost per referral.

Check out our guide to using social media analytics and the tools you need to track them .

Step 3. Get to know your competition

Odds are your competitors are already using social media, and that means you can learn from what they’re doing.

Conduct a competitive analysis

A competitive analysis allows you to understand who the competition is and what they’re doing well (and not so well). You’ll get a good sense of what’s expected in your industry, which will help you set social media targets of your own.

It will also help you spot opportunities and weaknesses you can document in your social strategy doc.

Maybe one of your competitors is dominant on Facebook, for example, but has put little effort into X (Twitter) or Instagram. You might want to focus on the social media platforms where your audience is underserved, rather than trying to win fans away from a dominant player.

Use social media listening

Social listening is another way to keep an eye on your competitors.

Do searches of the competition’s company name, account handles, and other relevant keywords on social media. Find out what they’re sharing and what other people are saying about them. If they’re using influencer marketing, how much engagement do those campaigns earn them?

Pro tip : Use Hootsuite Streams to monitor relevant keywords, hashtags and accounts in real-time.

Try Hootsuite for free. You can cancel anytime.

As you track, you may notice shifts in how your competitors and industry leaders are using social media. You may come across new, exciting trends. You might even spot specific social content or a campaign that really hits the mark—or totally bombs.

Use this kind of intel to optimize and inform your own social media marketing strategy.

Just don’t go overboard on the spy tactics, Amanda advises. “ Make sure you aren’t ALWAYS comparing yourself to the competition — it can be a distraction. I’d say checking in on a monthly basis is healthy. Otherwise, focus on your own strategy and results.”

Step 4. Do a social media audit

If you’re already using social media, take stock of your efforts so far. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What’s working, and what’s not?
• Who is engaging with you?
• What are your most valuable partnerships?
• Which networks does your target audience use?
• How does your social media presence compare to the competition?

Once you collect that information, you’ll be ready to start thinking about ways to improve.

We’ve created an easy-to-follow social media audit guide and template to walk you through each step of this process.

Your audit should give you a clear picture of what purpose each of your social accounts serves. If the purpose of an account isn’t clear, think about whether it’s worth keeping.

To help you decide, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is my audience here?
• If so, how are they using this platform?
• Can I use this account to help achieve my goals?

Asking these tough questions will keep your social media strategy focused.

Look for impostor accounts

During the audit, you may discover fake accounts using your business name or the names of your products.

These imposters can be harmful to your brand—never mind that they’re capturing followers that should be yours.

You may want to get your accounts verified too to ensure your fans know they are dealing with the real you.

Here’s how to get verified on:

• X (Twitter)

Step 5. Set up accounts and improve profiles

Decide which networks to use.

As you decide which social networks to use, you will also need to define your strategy for each.

Benefit Cosmetics’ social media manager, Angela Purcaro, told eMarketer : “For our makeup tutorials … we’re all about Snapchat and Instagram Stories. [X], on the other hand, is designated for customer service.”

Hootsuite’s own social team even designates different purposes for formats within networks. On Instagram, for example, they use the feed to post high-quality educational infographics and product announcements and Stories to cover live events or quick social media updates.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite)

Pro tip : Write out a mission statement for each network. A one-sentence declaration to keep you focused on a specific goal.

Example: “We will use X for customer support to keep email and call volumes down.”

Or: “We will use LinkedIn for promoting and sharing our company culture to help with recruitment and employee advocacy.”

One more: “We will use Instagram to highlight new products and repost quality content from influencers.”

If you can’t create a solid mission statement for a particular social media channel, you may want to ask yourself if it’s worth it.

Note : While larger businesses can and do tackle every platform, small businesses may not be able to — and that’s ok! Prioritize social platforms that will have the most impact on your business and make sure your marketing team has the resources to handle content for those networks. If you need help focusing your efforts, check out our 18-minute social media plan .

Set up your profiles

Once you’ve decided which networks to focus on, it’s time to create your profiles. Or improve existing ones so they align with your strategy.

• Make sure you fill out all profile fields
• Include keywords people would use to search for your business
• Use consistent branding (logos, images, etc.) across networks so your profiles are easily recognizable

Pro tip : Use high-quality images that follow the recommended dimensions for each network. Check out our always-up-to-date social media image size cheat sheet for quick reference.

We’ve also got step-by-step guides for each network to walk you through the process:

• Create a Facebook business page
• Create an Instagram business account
• Create a TikTok account
• Create a X (Twitter) business account
• Create a Snapchat account
• Create a LinkedIn Company Page
• Create a Pinterest business account
• Create a YouTube channel

Don’t let this list overwhelm you. Remember, it’s better to use fewer channels well than to stretch yourself thin trying to maintain a presence on every network.

Optimize your profiles (and content) for search

Never heard of social SEO ? It’s time to learn.

44% of Gen Z consumers use social platforms to research their purchase decisions, which means it’s extra critical that your channels are optimized for social search.

That means making sure your profile names are clear and descriptive, you’re including relevant hashtags and keywords in your bio and on every post, and you’re using features like alt text and captions to include your target keywords as naturally as possible.

Step 6. Find inspiration

While it’s important that your brand be unique, you can still draw inspiration from other businesses that are great on social.

“ I consider it my job to stay active on social: to know what’s trending, which campaigns are winning, what’s new with the platforms, who’s going above and beyond,” says Amanda. “This might be the most fun step for you, or the hardest one, but it’s just as crucial as the rest of them.”

Social media success stories

You can usually find these on the business section of the social network’s website. ( Here’s Facebook’s , for example.)

Case studies can offer valuable insights that you can apply to your own social media plan.

Award-winning accounts and campaigns

You could also check out the winners of The Facebook Awards or The Shorty Awards for examples of brands that are at the top of their social media game.

For learning and a laugh, check out Fridge-Worthy, Hootsuite’s bi-weekly awards show highlighting brands doing smart and clever things on social media.

Your favorite brands on social media

Who do you enjoy following on social media? What do they do that compels people to engage and share their content?

National Geographic, for example, is one of the best on Instagram, combining stunning visuals with compelling captions.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo)

Then there’s Shopify. The ecommerce brand uses Facebook to sell themselves by showcasing customer stories and case studies.

And Lush Cosmetics is a great example of superior customer service on X. They use their 280 characters to answer questions and solve problems in an extremely charming and on-brand way.

Source: lushcosmetics on X

Notice that each of these accounts has a consistent voice, tone, and style. That’s key to letting people know what to expect from your feed. That is, why should they follow you? What’s in it for them?

Consistency also helps keep your content on-brand even if you have multiple people on your social media team.

For more on this, read our guide on establishing a compelling brand voice on social media .

Ask your followers

Consumers can also offer social media inspiration.

What are your target customers talking about online? What can you learn about their wants and needs?

If you have existing social channels, you could also ask your followers what they want from you. Just make sure that you follow through and deliver what they ask for.

Step 7. Create a social media content calendar

Sharing great content is essential, of course, but it’s equally important to have a plan in place for when you’ll share content to get the maximum impact.

Your social media content calendar also needs to account for the time you spend interacting with the audience (although you need to allow for some spontaneous engagement as well).

Set your posting schedule

Your social media content calendar lists the dates and times at which you will publish types of content on each channel. It’s the perfect place to plan all of your social media activities—from images, link sharing, and re-shares of user-generated content to blog posts and videos. It includes both your day-to-day posting and content for social media campaigns.

Your calendar also ensures your posts are spaced out appropriately and published at the best times to post .

Pro tip: You can plan your whole content calendar and get recommended best times to post on every network based on your past engagement rate, impressions, or link click data in Hootsuite.

Hootsuite’s Best Time to Publish feature

Determine the right content mix

Make sure your content strategy and calendar reflect the mission statement you’ve assigned to each social profile, so that everything you post is working to support your business goals.

(We know, it’s tempting to jump on every meme, but there should always be a strategy behind your social media marketing efforts!)

You might decide that:

• 50% of content will drive traffic back to your website
• 25% of content will be curated from other sources
• 20% of content will support lead-generation goals (newsletter sign-ups, ebook downloads, etc.)
• 5% of content will be about your company culture

Placing these different post types in your content calendar will ensure you maintain the right mix.

If you’re starting from scratch and you’re not sure what types of content to post, try the 80-20 rule :

• 80% of your posts should inform, educate, or entertain your audience
• 20% can directly promote your brand.

You could also try the social media content marketing rule of thirds :

• One-third of your content promotes your business, converts readers, and generates profit.
• One-third of your content shares ideas and stories from thought leaders in your industry or like-minded businesses.
• One-third of your content is personal interactions with your audience

Whatever you decide on, be sure to document it in your strategy doc.

Don’t post too much or too little

If you’re starting a social media marketing strategy from scratch, you may not have figured out how often to post to each network for maximum engagement yet.

Post too frequently and you risk annoying your audience. But, if you post too little, you risk looking like you’re not worth following.

Start with these posting frequency recommendations:

• Instagram (feed): 3-7 times per week
• TikTok: 3-5 times per week
• Facebook: 1-2 times per day
• X (Twitter): 1-5 times per day
• LinkedIn: 1-5 times per day

Pro tip : Once you have your social media content calendar planned out, use a scheduling tool to prepare messages in advance rather than updating constantly throughout the day.

We might be biased, but we think Hootsuite is the best social media management tool. You can schedule social media posts to every network and the intuitive calendar view gives you a full picture of all your social activity each week.

Try It Free

Step 8. Create compelling content

Remember those mission statements you created for each channel in Step 5? Well, it’s time to go a bit deeper, a.k.a. provide some examples of the type of content you’ll post to fulfill your mission on each network.

If you’re not sure what to post, here’s a long list of social media content ideas to get you started. Or (to make it even easier) you can use an AI tool like OwlyWriter to generate on-brand content in a flash.

The idea here is to:

• Keep your content aligned with the purpose of each network;
• Show other stakeholders (if applicable) what kind of content they can expect to see on each network.

This last point especially will help you avoid any tension when your colleagues want to know why you haven’t posted their case study/whitepaper/blog post to TikTok yet. It’s not in the strategy, Linda!

Ideally, you will generate content types that are both suited to the network and the purpose you’ve set out for that network.

For example, you wouldn’t want to waste time posting brand awareness tweets if you’ve designated X/Twitter for primarily customer support. And you wouldn’t want to post super polished corporate video ads to TikTok, as users expect to see short, unpolished videos on that platform.

It might take some testing over time to figure out which type of content works best on which type of network, so prepare to update this section frequently.

We won’t lie: content creation isn’t as easy as everyone not on the social team seems to think. But if you’re struggling, Amanda suggests going back to basics.

The first question to ask is: is there cohesion between your content types? Is your content providing value? Do you have a good mix of entertaining, or educational content? What does it offer that makes a person stop and spend time? Creating a few different content pillars or categories that encompass different aspects of storytelling for your brand, and what you can offer your audience is a good start.

This brings us to Step 9.

Step 9. Track performance and make adjustments

Your social media marketing strategy is a hugely important document for your business, and you can’t assume you’ll get it exactly right on the first try.

As you start to implement your plan and track your results, you may find that some strategies don’t work as well as you’d anticipated, while others are working even better than expected.

That’s why it’s important to document your progress along the way.

Look at performance metrics

In addition to the analytics within each social network (see Step 2), you can use UTM parameters to track social visitors as they move through your website, so you can see exactly which social posts drive the most traffic to your website.

Benchmark your results

You’ve got your numbers, but how do they stack up to the competition in your industry? Industry benchmarks are a great way to evaluate your performance against other businesses in your category.

If you’ve got Hootsuite Analytics , you can use our built-in social media benchmarking tool to compare the performance of your social accounts against the average of brands in your industry with just a couple of clicks.

You can set up custom timeframes, switch between networks — Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and TikTok — and look up benchmarks for metrics like followers, audience growth rate, engagement rate, clicks, shares, and much more.

You’ll also find resources to improve your performance  right in the summary section:

Re-evaluate, test, and do it all again

Once this data starts coming in, use it to re-evaluate your strategy regularly. You can also use this information to test different posts, social marketing campaigns, and strategies against one another. Constant testing allows you to understand what works and what doesn’t, so you can refine your social media marketing strategy in real time.

You’ll want to check the performance of all your channels at least once a week and get to know the basics of social media reporting so you can track your growth over time.

Pro tip: If you use Hootsuite, you can review the performance of all your posts on every network in one place. Once you get the hang of checking your analytics, you may even want to customize different reports to show specific metrics over a variety of different time periods.

Surveys can also be a great way to find out how well your social media strategy is working. Ask your followers, email list, and website visitors whether you’re meeting their needs and expectations, and what they’d like to see more of. Then make sure to deliver on what they tell you.

Finalizing your social media strategy

Spoiler alert: nothing is final.

Social media moves fast. New networks emerge, others go through demographic shifts.

Your business will go through periods of change as well.

All of this means that your social media marketing strategy should be a living document that you review and adjust as needed. Refer to it often to stay on track, but don’t be afraid to make changes so that it better reflects new goals, tools, or plans.

When you update your social strategy, make sure to watch our 5-step video on how to updating your social media strategy for 2024:

Social media strategy template

Ready to start documenting? Grab your free social media strategy template below!

What’s next? When you’re ready to put your plan into action, we’re here to help…

Save time managing your social media marketing strategy with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can easily:

• Plan, create, and schedule posts to every network
• Track relevant keywords, topics, and accounts
• Stay on top of engagement with a universal inbox
• Get easy-to-understand performance reports and improve your strategy as needed

Try Hootsuite for Free

With files from Shannon Tien .

Do it better with Hootsuite , the all-in-one social media tool. Stay on top of things, grow, and beat the competition.

Become a better social marketer.

Get expert social media advice delivered straight to your inbox.

Christina Newberry is an award-winning writer and editor whose greatest passions include food, travel, urban gardening, and the Oxford comma—not necessarily in that order.

Amanda Wood is a senior social marketing professional who combines analytical and creative thinking to build brands.

As head of social at Hootsuite, Amanda oversees the global social strategy encompassing organic and paid social on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn, a social engagement and listening strategy, and an employee advocacy program.

As the leader of a high-performing social team, she has extensive experience collaborating with creatives to bring campaigns to life on social and drive business results.

Related Articles

How To Set and Exceed Social Media Goals [9 Examples]

Struggling with structuring your efforts on social? Set yourself up for success with our guide to setting and achieving smarter social media goals.

How to Run the Easiest Social Media Audit [FREE TEMPLATE]

A social media audit is the best way to review and improve any social marketing strategy. Check in on your efforts with this free template.

How to Create a Social Media Calendar and Stay Organized

Social media content calendars are the best way to plan and organize your content. Build one in 4 easy steps or use our free templates.

Social Media Marketing Tools: The Complete Guide

Automate your work, save time, and build better relationships with your audience by using the right social media marketing tools.

How to Write a Nonprofit Business Plan

Angelique O'Rourke

13 min. read

Updated May 10, 2024

Believe it or not, creating a business plan for a nonprofit organization is not that different from planning for a traditional business. 

Nonprofits sometimes shy away from using the words “business planning,” preferring to use terms like “strategic plan” or “operating plan.” But, the fact is that preparing a plan for a for-profit business and a nonprofit organization are actually pretty similar processes. Both types of organizations need to create forecasts for revenue and plan how they’re going to spend the money they bring in. They also need to manage their cash and ensure that they can stay solvent to accomplish their goals.

In this guide, I’ll explain how to create a plan for your organization that will impress your board of directors, facilitate fundraising, and ensures that you deliver on your mission.

• Why does a nonprofit need a business plan?

Good business planning is about setting goals, getting everyone on the same page, tracking performance metrics, and improving over time. Even when your goal isn’t to increase profits, you still need to be able to run a fiscally healthy organization.

Business planning creates an opportunity to examine the heart of your mission , the financing you’ll need to bring that mission to fruition, and your plan to sustain your operations into the future.

Nonprofits are also responsible for meeting regularly with a board of directors and reporting on your organization’s finances is a critical part of that meeting. As part of your regular financial review with the board, you can compare your actual results to your financial forecast in your business plan. Are you meeting fundraising goals and keeping spending on track? Is the financial position of the organization where you wanted it to be?

In addition to internal use, a solid business plan can help you court major donors who will be interested in having a deeper understanding of how your organization works and your fiscal health and accountability. And you’ll definitely need a formal business plan if you intend to seek outside funding for capital expenses—it’s required by lenders.

Creating a business plan for your organization is a great way to get your management team or board to connect over your vision, goals, and trajectory. Even just going through the planning process with your colleagues will help you take a step back and get some high-level perspective .

• A nonprofit business plan outline

Keep in mind that developing a business plan is an ongoing process. It isn’t about just writing a physical document that is static, but a continually evolving strategy and action plan as your organization progresses over time. It’s essential that you run regular plan review meetings to track your progress against your plan. For most nonprofits, this will coincide with regular reports and meetings with the board of directors.

A nonprofit business plan will include many of the same sections of a standard business plan outline . If you’d like to start simple, you can download our free business plan template as a Word document, and adjust it according to the nonprofit plan outline below.

Executive summary

The executive summary of a nonprofit business plan is typically the first section of the plan to be read, but the last to be written. That’s because this section is a general overview of everything else in the business plan – the overall snapshot of what your vision is for the organization.

Write it as though you might share with a prospective donor, or someone unfamiliar with your organization: avoid internal jargon or acronyms, and write it so that someone who has never heard of you would understand what you’re doing.

Your executive summary should provide a very brief overview of your organization’s mission. It should describe who you serve, how you provide the services that you offer, and how you fundraise. 

If you are putting together a plan to share with potential donors, you should include an overview of what you are asking for and how you intend to use the funds raised.

Brought to you by

Create a professional business plan

Using ai and step-by-step instructions.

Secure funding

Validate ideas

Build a strategy

Opportunity

Start this section of your nonprofit plan by describing the problem that you are solving for your clients or your community at large. Then say how your organization solves the problem.

A great way to present your opportunity is with a positioning statement . Here’s a formula you can use to define your positioning:

For [target market description] who [target market need], [this product] [how it meets the need]. Unlike [key competition], it [most important distinguishing feature].

And here’s an example of a positioning statement using the formula:

For children, ages five to 12 (target market) who are struggling with reading (their need), Tutors Changing Lives (your organization or program name) helps them get up to grade-level reading through a once a week class (your solution).

Unlike the school district’s general after-school homework lab (your state-funded competition), our program specifically helps children learn to read within six months (how you’re different).

Your organization is special or you wouldn’t spend so much time devoted to it. Layout some of the nuts and bolts about what makes it great in this opening section of your business plan. Your nonprofit probably changes lives, changes your community, or maybe even changes the world. Explain how it does this.

This is where you really go into detail about the programs you’re offering. You’ll want to describe how many people you serve and how you serve them.

Target audience

In a for-profit business plan, this section would be used to define your target market . For nonprofit organizations, it’s basically the same thing but framed as who you’re serving with your organization. Who benefits from your services?

Not all organizations have clients that they serve directly, so you might exclude this section if that’s the case. For example, an environmental preservation organization might have a goal of acquiring land to preserve natural habitats. The organization isn’t directly serving individual groups of people and is instead trying to benefit the environment as a whole. 

Similar organizations

Everyone has competition —nonprofits, too. You’re competing with other nonprofits for donor attention and support, and you’re competing with other organizations serving your target population. Even if your program is the only one in your area providing a specific service, you still have competition.

Think about what your prospective clients were doing about their problem (the one your organization is solving) before you came on this scene. If you’re running an after-school tutoring organization, you might be competing with after school sports programs for clients. Even though your organizations have fundamentally different missions.

For many nonprofit organizations, competing for funding is an important issue. You’ll want to use this section of your plan to explain who donors would choose your organization instead of similar organizations for their donations.

Future services and programs

If you’re running a regional nonprofit, do you want to be national in five years? If you’re currently serving children ages two to four, do you want to expand to ages five to 12? Use this section to talk about your long-term goals. 

Just like a traditional business, you’ll benefit by laying out a long-term plan. Not only does it help guide your nonprofit, but it also provides a roadmap for the board as well as potential investors. 

Promotion and outreach strategies

In a for-profit business plan, this section would be about marketing and sales strategies. For nonprofits, you’re going to talk about how you’re going to reach your target client population.

You’ll probably do some combination of:

• Advertising: print and direct mail, television, radio, and so on.
• Public relations: press releases, activities to promote brand awareness, and so on.
• Digital marketing: website, email, blog, social media, and so on.

Similar to the “target audience” section above, you may remove this section if you don’t promote your organization to clients and others who use your services.

Costs and fees

Instead of including a pricing section, a nonprofit business plan should include a costs or fees section.

Talk about how your program is funded, and whether the costs your clients pay are the same for everyone, or based on income level, or something else. If your clients pay less for your service than it costs to run the program, how will you make up the difference?

If you don’t charge for your services and programs, you can state that here or remove this section.

Fundraising sources

Fundraising is critical for most nonprofit organizations. This portion of your business plan will detail who your key fundraising sources are. 

Similar to understanding who your target audience for your services is, you’ll also want to know who your target market is for fundraising. Who are your supporters? What kind of person donates to your organization? Creating a “donor persona” could be a useful exercise to help you reflect on this subject and streamline your fundraising approach. 

You’ll also want to define different tiers of prospective donors and how you plan on connecting with them. You’re probably going to include information about your annual giving program (usually lower-tier donors) and your major gifts program (folks who give larger amounts).

If you’re a private school, for example, you might think of your main target market as alumni who graduated during a certain year, at a certain income level. If you’re building a bequest program to build your endowment, your target market might be a specific population with interest in your cause who is at retirement age.

Do some research. The key here is not to report your target donors as everyone in a 3,000-mile radius with a wallet. The more specific you can be about your prospective donors —their demographics, income level, and interests, the more targeted (and less costly) your outreach can be.

Fundraising activities

How will you reach your donors with your message? Use this section of your business plan to explain how you will market your organization to potential donors and generate revenue.

You might use a combination of direct mail, advertising, and fundraising events. Detail the key activities and programs that you’ll use to reach your donors and raise money.

Strategic alliances and partnerships

Use this section to talk about how you’ll work with other organizations. Maybe you need to use a room in the local public library to run your program for the first year. Maybe your organization provides mental health counselors in local schools, so you partner with your school district.

In some instances, you might also be relying on public health programs like Medicaid to fund your program costs. Mention all those strategic partnerships here, especially if your program would have trouble existing without the partnership.

Milestones and metrics

Without milestones and metrics for your nonprofit, it will be more difficult to execute on your mission. Milestones and metrics are guideposts along the way that are indicators that your program is working and that your organization is healthy.

They might include elements of your fundraising goals—like monthly or quarterly donation goals, or it might be more about your participation metrics. Since most nonprofits working with foundations for grants do complex reporting on some of these, don’t feel like you have to re-write every single goal and metric for your organization here. Think about your bigger goals, and if you need to, include more information in your business plan’s appendix.

If you’re revisiting your plan on a monthly basis, and we recommend that you do, the items here might speak directly to the questions you know your board will ask in your monthly trustee meeting. The point is to avoid surprises by having eyes on your organization’s performance. Having these goals, and being able to change course if you’re not meeting them, will help your organization avoid falling into a budget deficit.

Key assumptions and risks

Your nonprofit exists to serve a particular population or cause. Before you designed your key programs or services, you probably did some research to validate that there’s a need for what you’re offering.

But you probably are also taking some calculated risks. In this section, talk about the unknowns for your organization. If you name them, you can address them.

For example, if you think there’s a need for a children’s literacy program, maybe you surveyed teachers or parents in your area to verify the need. But because you haven’t launched the program yet, one of your unknowns might be whether the kids will actually show up.

Management team and company

Who is going to be involved and what are their duties? What do these individuals bring to the table?

Include both the management team of the day-to-day aspects of your nonprofit as well as board members and mention those who may overlap between the two roles. Highlight their qualifications: titles, degrees, relevant past accomplishments, and designated responsibilities should be included in this section. It adds a personal touch to mention team members who are especially qualified because they’re close to the cause or have special first-hand experience with or knowledge of the population you’re serving.

There are probably some amazing, dedicated people with stellar qualifications on your team—this is the place to feature them (and don’t forget to include yourself!).

Financial plan

The financial plan is essential to any organization that’s seeking funding, but also incredibly useful internally to keep track of what you’ve done so far financially and where you’d like to see the organization go in the future.

The financial section of your business plan should include a long-term budget and cash flow statement with a three to five-year forecast. This will allow you to see that the organization has its basic financial needs covered. Any nonprofit has its standard level of funding required to stay operational, so it’s essential to make sure your organization will consistently maintain at least that much in the coffers.

From that point, it’s all about future planning: If you exceed your fundraising goals, what will be done with the surplus? What will you do if you don’t meet your fundraising goals? Are you accounting for appropriate amounts going to payroll and administrative costs over time? Thinking through a forecast of your financial plan over the next several years will help ensure that your organization is sustainable.

Money management skills are just as important in a nonprofit as they are in a for-profit business. Knowing the financial details of your organization is incredibly important in a world where the public is ranking the credibility of charities based on what percentage of donations makes it to the programs and services. As a nonprofit, people are interested in the details of how money is being dispersed within organizations, with this information often being posted online on sites like Charity Navigator, so the public can make informed decisions about donating.

Potential contributors will do their research—so make sure you do too. No matter who your donors are, they will want to know they can trust your organization with their money. A robust financial plan is a solid foundation for reference that your nonprofit is on the right track.

• Business planning is ongoing

It’s important to remember that a business plan doesn’t have to be set in stone. It acts as a roadmap, something that you can come back to as a guide, then revise and edit to suit your purpose at a given time.

I recommend that you review your financial plan once a month to see if your organization is on track, and then revise your plan as necessary .

Angelique is a skilled writer, editor, and social media specialist, as well as an actor and model with a demonstrated history of theater, film, commercial and print work.

Table of Contents

Related Articles

5 Min. Read

How to Write a Growth-Oriented Business Plan

11 Min. Read

Fundamentals of Lean Planning Explained

8 Min. Read

What Type of Business Plan Do You Need?

14 Min. Read

How to Write a Five-Year Business Plan

The Bplans Newsletter

The Bplans Weekly

Subscribe now for weekly advice and free downloadable resources to help start and grow your business.

We care about your privacy. See our privacy policy .

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

Try our Standard plan!

Find out why customers see up to 24x ROI* using the Standard plan. Cancel or downgrade to our Essentials or basic Free plans at any time.

Send up to {numOfSends} emails each month.

Free Trial available for large list sizes

$20.00 /month*

Starts at $20 per month for {contacts} contacts

* Overages apply if contact or email send limit is exceeded.

The ultimate expert-assisted platform for growth at scale

Get our most comprehensive tools to engage your audience and increase sales, with the dedicated support of experts to migrate your data, provide strategic guidance, and more—exclusive to the Premium plan.

Free trial available for large list sizes. Call +1 (800) 330-4838 or contact sales .

$350 /month*

Starts at $350 per month for {contacts} contacts

Why do we recommend Standard?

Customers on Standard see up to 24x ROI.* Start scaling faster with advanced automations and data-driven optimization.

Basic plans for smaller businesses

Get started with limited features with 50% off for 12 months on our Essentials plan. If your business has fewer than 500 contacts, try our basic Free plan.

Work with a trusted industry leader

Switch to Mailchimp with expert migration services

Minimize downtime and data gaps, import your audience, and connect your integrations. Our exclusive migration service is tailored to meet the needs of customers on our Premium plan.

Easily get started with a personalized product tour

An onboarding specialist is here to help you get started with confidence—it’s included with Standard and Premium plans.*

Not sure which plan to pick?

Let us do the hard work so that you can focus on the stuff that matters most. It will only take a couple minutes.

Rates for nonprofits and charities

Mailchimp offers a 15% discount to nonprofits and charities. To request the discount, sign up for a free account, and contact our Billing team with your username and a link to your organization’s website.

Prefer to pay as you go?

Instead of paying a monthly recurring charge, you can buy email credits as needed through our Pay As You Go plan. It's best for infrequent senders.

*Disclaimers

• #1 AI-powered email marketing platform: Based on December 2023 publicly available data on number of customers of competitors that also advertise using AI to enhance their email marketing and automation products and services.
• #1 email marketing and automation platform: Mailchimp is the #1 email marketing and automation platform based on December 2023 publicly available data on competitors' number of customers.
• SMS Marketing: SMS is available as an add-on to US paid plans only and SMS credits are added to your account after purchase. Application and agreement to terms is required before purchasing credits. Credits are issued monthly and unused credits expire and do not roll over. Pricing varies. MMS is only available on Premium and Essential plans. See terms for details.
• Intuit Assist: Intuit Assist functionality (beta) is available to certain users with Premium, Standard and Legacy plans in select countries in English only. Access to Intuit Assist is available at no additional cost at this time. Pricing, terms, conditions, special features and service options are subject to change without notice. Availability of features and functionality varies by plan type. Features may be broadly available soon but represents no obligation and should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision. For details, please view Mailchimp’s various plans and pricing.
• Custom Premium pricing: For users with more than 250,000 contacts, several plan options are available to align monthly email limits to your marketing needs. Please contact sales for further details and pricing.
• Personalized onboarding: Onboarding services differ per plan and are available for new or upgraded users with a Standard or Premium plan for the first 90 days after account creation or upgrade. Onboarding services are currently offered in English, Spanish and Portuguese for Premium plans, and in English for Standard plans.
• Premium Migration: Premium Migration Service is available for new to Mailchimp Premium plan account holders that contact Sales to sign up for Mailchimp and discuss migration needs. Services available for the first 30 days after account creation. Eligibility and agreement to terms is required. See terms for details.
• Availability of features and functionality varies by plan type. For details, view plans and pricing .
• Phone support: All calls with the Mailchimp support team are currently only available in English.
• Up to 7x more orders: Up to 7x more orders with Customer Journey Builder automations generated through users' connected stores versus when they used bulk emails for Jan 1 2022 - Jul 1 2023 period. Features and functionality of CJB varies by plan.
• Up to 141% more revenue: Up to 141% more revenue for users' connected stores using predictive segmented emails versus non-predictive segmented emails for Jan 1 2022–Jul 1 2023 period. Standard and Premium plans only.

JD Logistics Partners with World Wildlife Fund and One Planet Foundation to Launch the Mangrove Ecological Restoration Action Plan

- June 6, 2024 —

On June 5th, World Environment Day, JD Logistics (also known as Jingdong Logistics), in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), One Planet Foundation, and the Urban Planning and Construction Bureau of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, launched the Mangrove Ecological Restoration Action Plan. This initiative aims to restore the mangrove ecosystem in the Hengqin National Wetland Park by planting approximately 20,000 square meters of mangroves within the next year. This effort underscores JD’s long-term commitment to fostering a sustainable and green supply chain.

In addition to this initiative, JD Logistics is committed to biodiversity protection. In May, JD Logistics, in collaboration with the China Express Association, One Planet Foundation, and WWF, launched the “Protecting Endangered Species and Rejecting the Delivery of Illegal Wildlife and Products Initiative.” This campaign will distribute 100 million delivery boxes with “Protecting Biodiversity” themed shipping labels to raise consumer awareness about the importance of protecting biodiversity.

In 2017, JD Logistics launched the “Green Stream Initiative”, a comprehensive plan aimed at reducing carbon emissions throughout supply chain, including packaging, warehousing, transportation and more. Since its inception, the initiative has attracted participation from over 300,000 enterprises and millions of consumers. Key highlights include:

• Green Warehousing: Through innovations like rooftop distributed photovoltaic power systems, rainwater collection systems, “dark warehouses” powered by intelligent devices and automated systems, and smart consumables algorithm recommendations, the “Green Stream Initiative” has achieved significant green warehousing milestones. JD Logistics has established China’s first carbon-neutral logistics park and installed photovoltaic power systems, with a total installed capacity of 114.48 MW by the end of 2023.
• Green Transportation: JD Logistics has deployed new energy vehicles across China and is actively applying battery swapping and hydrogen-powered vehicles. By the end of 2023, the company introduced 8,290 self-operated new energy vehicles for road transportation and expanded the use of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The company aims to achieve 100% new energy logistics transportation by 2030.
• Green Packaging: JD Logistics established the first e-commerce packaging laboratory in China and the first packaging standard for the e-commerce logistics industry. It promotes reusable, recyclable, and reduced packaging, including launching “ Delivered with Original Package ” program (DWOP) in collaboration with suppliers and brands. By the end of 2023, these initiatives had reduced carbon emissions by approximately 69,515 tons. In 2023 alone, one million reusable packages were put into use, and DWOP program has helped reduce secondary-packaging by 800 million times.

([email protected]; [email protected])

Release ID: 89132040

Should you come across any errors, concerns, or inconsistencies within this press release's content, we urge you to reach out without delay by contacting [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our committed team will promptly address your feedback within 8 hours and take appropriate measures to resolve any identified issues or guide you through the removal process. Providing accurate and dependable information remains our utmost priority.

More From Forbes

Essential steps to establishing a strong business foundation.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Laying The Groundwork: Essential Steps To Establish A Strong Business Foundation

An estimated 20% of businesses will not make it to the one-year mark, according to Investopedia. For many entrepreneurs, the trouble is that they expected overnight success. However, successful entrepreneurs know that a strong foundation is the key to long-term growth.

Building that foundation requires a lot of perseverance, grit, and determination. It's a process that intertwines various elements, from clarifying your business idea to understanding your market and setting up efficient operations.

The Fundamentals Of Building A Business

A skyscraper requires a solid base if it's going to withstand external pressure. Likewise, a business needs a well-thought-out foundation to navigate the market's complexities. This foundation encompasses a clear business plan, a deep understanding of the target market, a coherent branding strategy, and efficient operational frameworks.

“Your foundation sets the stage for sustainable growth. It’s what makes you resilient when the market changes or you're faced with a crisis that's out of your control. Without this groundwork, a business risks instability and inefficiency, akin to a structure built on shifting sands,” says Kristi Bogan, MD, founder of Gioventù Med Spa , which will expand to multiple locations in the next few years. “Don’t think of a strong foundation as a preliminary step, but a continuous investment in the future stability and prosperity of the business.” Here are the fundamentals every business needs to ensure its short- and long-term success.

A Clear Business Idea

Every successful business is rooted in a clear, well-thought-out idea. “Clarifying your business idea is a foundational step that goes beyond identifying what product or service to offer; it demands an understanding of the unique value proposition of your business. It involves asking critical questions about the problems your business intends to solve and how it differentiates itself from existing market solutions,” says Bogan.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of September 2023

Best 5% interest savings accounts of september 2023, a strong business plan.

Businesses with a clear plan are twice as likely to succeed as those that don’t, according to Small Biz Trends. “Think of creating a comprehensive business plan as a roadmap for your entrepreneurial journey. This blueprint details your business goals and the strategies to achieve them, encompassing market analysis, product or service descriptions, marketing and sales tactics, and financial projections. Not only does a solid business plan guide your strategic decisions, but it also plays a crucial role in securing investments and loans,” advises Bogan.

Market Understanding

Deeply understanding your target market is a requirement for any business. “This requires thorough market research to grasp potential customers' needs, preferences, and behaviors. You'll need to conduct a thorough competitive analysis to figure out what already exists and where the gaps are that you can fill. This process will shape your product development, pricing, and marketing strategies,” says Bogan.

Legal Structure And Financing

“Entrepreneurs are visionaries and dreamers who often ignore the mundane but essential aspects of legal structure and financing,” says Bogan. “The legal structuring of your business significantly impacts aspects from liability to taxation. Coupled with this is the need to secure financing, whether through personal savings, loans, or investors. Navigating these choices requires careful consideration and often expert advice.”

Brand Building And Operational Setup

Even in the beauty industry, building a strong brand extends beyond visual elements; it encapsulates the total experience customers have with your business. “Setting up efficient operations, forms the backbone of your business. This can encompass everything from production to inventory management, customer service, and the customer experience,” Bogan says.

Operational setup must include employees. “Your team should align not just in skill but also in vision and values. Giving exceptional customer service 100% of the time will surprisingly separate you from your competitors. In return, your customers will become loyal fans who refer you to their networks.”

Adaptation And Evolution

“The business landscape is dynamic, which means your business model will need to adapt as your business grows. This might mean modifying your offerings or strategies to stay aligned with market and technological changes,” says Bogan. “Additionally, investing in marketing and sales is crucial for brand visibility and revenue generation. They will be most successful when you have a strong foundation.”

Your business’s foundation won’t be constructed overnight. Instead, building that foundation is a continuous process requiring dedication and attention. By integrating these elements into your strategy, you can establish a robust base for your business, fostering growth and resilience. With the right approach and commitment, your business can withstand challenges and achieve enduring success.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.