humanitarian project business plan

How to build a Humanitarian Response Plan that makes a difference: tips on accountability and cash

23 September 2020 — By and Meg Sattler

The first half of 2020 has given us few reasons for optimism. And as humanitarian planning for 2021 gets underway, relief agencies and donors will be grappling with the acute challenges of skyrocketing needs and tightening donor budgets in the midst of a devastating pandemic. The task now, more than ever before, is to ensure that every aid dollar has the greatest impact – and meets recipients’ most basic needs .

According the World Food Programme, an estimated 130 million additional people could face serious food insecurity by the end of 2020 and up to half a billion people could be pushed into extreme poverty as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has also changed the ways humanitarians respond, with movement restrictions and distancing measures forcing new partnerships with local and community organisations, and closer government collaboration. Where humanitarian agencies are unable to reach people, various approaches – some more creative than others – are being piloted to assess need and remotely gather feedback on relief efforts.

COVID-19 provides further impetus for the scale up of cash programming. Crippling economic impacts are a primary concern in every community where Ground Truth Solutions is currently running coronavirus surveys . Public health measures make cash safer and more feasible than in-kind distributions . Many point to cash as the only way to save lives and protect livelihoods at scale. Governments are taking the lead, with new social transfer programmes in 131 countries since March.

So far, so revolutionary. But what’s all this got to do with the HRP?

Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) get mixed reviews. They are an uneasy compromise between the list of projects organisations would like to deliver anyway, political pressure and budget constraints. Let’s be honest: they are also a burden on coordination teams everywhere.

While we’ve got them, let’s see them as a reform opportunity.

The new templates and guidance put an emphasis on joint inter-sectoral needs analysis, robust response analysis, and links with national systems. Here are a few ideas to consider for more accountable HRPs this year:

Accountability: A response that gives people what they need, takes their opinions into account and measures quality from their perspective

A couple of years ago, the templates for the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian response Plan (HRP) were changed in small ways that could have made a big difference … if anyone had paid attention to them. The Accountability to Affected People (AAP) placeholders not only increased throughout the documents, but changed from focusing merely on planning, to seeking to demonstrate real evidence of people’s opinions. The most game-changing reform that slipped by almost unnoticed was the stipulation that perception indicators appear in the monitoring framework; for the first time, it was necessary for those coordinating the response to note how affected people saw things and to record their views as a performance metric. This has been championed by a growing number of Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs), notably some brave early-movers in Chad, Central African Republic, Iraq, and Somalia that saw the benefit of listening systematically at the response-wide level.

The templates are online and provide better steer, from a quality perspective, than much of the present accountability guidance that focus solely on collective planning. There is a real and present danger that nicely laid-out plans in HRPs still mean nothing in real life. To avoid this:

• Include perception indicators in the monitoring framework. These can be linked to specific strategic objectives and co-developed by clusters, and/or be linked to more holistic quality goals, such as those laid out in the Core Humanitarian Standard . There are benefits to both, and the rationale behind this couldn’t be simpler: if we just ask ‘what did we deliver?’ without asking what people think , we can’t claim to be taking accountability seriously.
• A working group does not equal accountability. The hype around collective accountability has generated numerous working groups. But before such a group makes its way into an HRP as ‘collective accountability’, be sure to assess whether it’s linked to response-wide decision-making. As evaluation after evaluation has shown, working groups can’t deliver on accountability unless they have clear practical outputs, and are used to advise response leadership and operational agencies who have ultimate accountability for listening to and acting upon the feedback of crisis-affected people. Common services should help to make things practical, but that doesn’t mean the buck should be passed onto ‘accountability’ or specialist communications agencies. A good collective accountability plan in an HRP should hold everyone accountable for informing, involving and listening to affected people, and should be developed by agencies, leadership, government, donors and the HCT – not just a working group of technical communicators. Such groups should also never be islands. Accountability and cash go hand in hand, for example, and yet last year any link between the cash and community engagement / accountability working groups was only mentioned in two HRPs out of 22 reviewed.
• A plan without implementation is no plan at all. Various global reform processes have hung their monitoring hats on accountability plans in HRPs – DFID’s Payment by Results and the Grand Bargain Participation Revolution, to name two. That’s because good intentions are easy to track. But if we must limit assessment of accountability to planning, every sectoral plan should include a reference to how communities will be able to assess whether or not that plan means anything . The 2021 Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) guidance asks us to, in an ‘accountability section’:
• Explain how affected people were consulted during the response planning process;
• Outline how continued engagement with communities will occur throughout the response operation;
• Articulate how community engagement will be coordinated throughout the response;
• Outline a collective approach to complaints and feedback;
• Describe how the community feedback will be used for potential course corrections in the response; and
• Outline vulnerable groups and how they will be consulted.

Doing this will already be a huge step forward for many responses (sadly), but it’s not enough. Begin with a reference to how well this went last year . If there’s meant to be a new plan every year, there must be some evidence on how efforts have gone so far. Include proof of which elements led to real community participation, or changes based on community feedback. If you can’t do that, add an extra section explaining how your new plan (with the six steps above) will be tracked. Disseminate it more widely than the HRP. Share it with key donors, and ask what they are doing to support it, to hold response leadership to account for making it happen, or to assess whether implementers at all levels are listening to those they are meant to be serving.

Cash: Building a response that strengthens local economies and maximises recipient choice

The use of cash and vouchers has doubled since 2015, now accounting for nearly 20 percent of humanitarian response. Cash and vouchers (CVA) as a tool of humanitarian assistance – where conditions and markets allow – can make a big difference. From increasing efficiency, bolstering local economies, reducing the risk of misuse and diversion, to increasing community resilience and strengthened national ownership. CVA is preferred by recipients compared to other forms of aid. But as the scale of cash increases, based on the recipients’ use, it challenges the traditional approach to response analysis and planning that works along sectoral lines.

The planning process has adapted to keep up with cash, although not as quickly or as clearly as many would like and with no clear place for cash.

Last year we set out the key cash-relevant changes to Humanitaria n Response Plans , including the inclusion of an optional section on multipurpose cash. The use of so-called multipurpose cash (MPC) is growing in almost all humanitarian responses, and understanding where it’s best used and how to plan and coordinate its delivery is an increasing challenge for Humanitarian Country Teams.

The revised templates give more emphasis to the response analysis part of the process, where Country Teams collectively decide how to best use available resources to meet needs. In theory the planning process now starts from an analysis of need across sectors leading to a decision point about which needs can be met through cross-cutting responses and which require sector-specific approaches. This rarely happens in practice, and clusters take the lead in preparing sector-by-sector response plans, meaning the scope for multisectoral response is low. Cash Working Groups (CWGs) should ensure they are part of this process and should make the case for where cash – and in particular multipurpose cash – is a suitable response tool, being as clear as possible about who should be targeted, the resources required, and how this should work in tandem with sectoral responses. CWGs should understand the process, ensure they are part of it, and support response planning with all the relevant data and learning at their disposal.

Based on an analysis of last year’s HRPs and feedback from Cash Working Groups, here are a few tips (also included in the CALP Network’s Cash Coordination Tip Sheet ):

• Cash Working Groups should ensure they are aware of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) process in country and ensure they are represented at all stages . They should make the case for where cash can be used effectively to meet needs, supporting the planning processes with clear, succinct data on the cash response, including market assessments, information on targeting and post-distribution monitoring data.
• Build market assessments and other cash feasibility information into the Humanitarian Needs Overview. Show where cash is a suitable tool to meet needs and lay the groundwork for responses which support recipient choice and strengthen local markets.
• Engage in the response analysis process to understand where cash is feasible and effective. In 2020 only six HRPs referred to a response analysis process that looked at the feasibility of different options. All response analyses should use available evidence to decide which mix of modalities, sector-specific and multisectoral, are best suited to meet needs.
• Use the optional multipurpose cash section in the HRP to set out a clear plan for the use of MPC, including a target and financial requirements if possible. Last year the updated HRP template introduced an optional section on multipurpose cash. Where MPC is being used, this section can help clarify targeting, requirements, and approach. An informal review of 22 HRPs conducted by OCHA (supported by CashCap) showed that 80 percent of countries had included an MPC section , but the vast majority used it simply to describe that cash was being used across the response and to set out the functions of the Cash Working Group. To maximise impact this section should set out an operational plan and ideally include a budget line.
• Understand what national social safety nets exist and define how CVA will link to and/or coordinate with these. Building links with national systems, where appropriate, can help reduce duplication, increase coverage, and strengthen national ownership. In 2020, 16 of the 22 HRPs analysed explored links with social protection systems, although most stopped at the intention to explore linkages rather than a concrete plan. This tip sheet sets out the key steps CWGs can take to understand and support linkages.

What are your thoughts on the Humanitarian Programme Cycle – burden or opportunity? How have you used the planning process to build better responses?

Let us know in the comments below.

Main image: Refugees arriving in Ecuador who live in food insecurity receive from WFP a cash-based transfer in the form of an electronic voucher. Credit: WFP/Berta Tilmantaite. May 2016

Related content

Eight top tips for the 2023 humanitarian planning season.

As disasters spiral globally and inflation increasing vulnerability for millions more, effective humanitarian planning has never been so important. But where to start? The CALP Network offers its top tips for humanitarians, ranging from CVA practitioners to leadership.

18 October 2022

Stay informed about Cash and Voucher Assistance

Subscribe now to our email updates and receive the latest jobs and training opportunities, CVA news and regional updates.

ANR #120: 10 Tips for Successful Humanitarian Project Management

Navigating the complex landscape of humanitarian project management demands a blend of strategic planning, empathy, and resilience. The response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami exemplifies this, where effective coordination, deep understanding of local contexts, and agile response strategies were crucial in delivering impactful humanitarian aid. Drawing from such high-stakes situations, this guide delves deeper into ten essential tips for managing humanitarian projects effectively.

1. Understand the Local Context

Grasping the project area’s socio-cultural, economic, and political landscape is paramount. For example, in Haiti’s post-earthquake reconstruction, understanding the local context helped deliver aid that resonated with the community’s specific needs.

Practical Tip : Conduct thorough research, engage in dialogues with community leaders, and build relationships to understand the local context better.

2. Establish Clear Goals and Objectives

Setting clear, realistic goals is fundamental. With its goal of global polio eradication, the Polio Eradication Initiative showcases how specific objectives can guide focused efforts and measurable outcomes.

Real Example : In Sudan’s WASH projects, clear objectives like improving sanitation facilities directly addressed health and hygiene needs, demonstrating goal-oriented project planning.

3. Foster Local Participation

Involving the community ensures that projects are relevant and sustainable. The Syrian Refugee Crisis response was strengthened by actively involving refugees in decision-making, which led to more effective and tailored aid programs.

Practical Tip : Facilitate workshops and community meetings to gather input and engage locals in planning and implementation.

4. Build Strong Partnerships

Collaborating with stakeholders, including local NGOs, government bodies, and international organizations, can amplify the project’s impact. The joint efforts in Yemen by the World Food Programme and local NGOs exemplify successful collaboration for effective aid distribution.

Real Example : The international collaboration during the Ebola crisis in West Africa was instrumental in managing and eventually containing the outbreak.

5. Adaptability and Flexibility

Humanitarian projects often operate in dynamic environments. The adaptability shown by humanitarian organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with adjustments to new health guidelines and operational protocols, highlights the need for flexibility.

Practical Tip : Establish a mechanism for regular project review and be prepared to pivot strategies in response to new challenges and opportunities.

6. Effective Resource Management

Efficient management of resources, including funding, materials, and human resources, is critical. The Mozambique flood relief operations demonstrated how well-managed resources lead to efficient and timely assistance.

Practical Tip : Implement resource management software and conduct regular audits to ensure resources are used effectively and transparently.

7. Prioritize Safety and Security

The safety of the project team and beneficiaries is non-negotiable, especially in areas with high-security risks like South Sudan.

Practical Tip : Develop comprehensive security plans, conduct risk assessments, and provide safety training to all team members.

Online Courses

8. Cultural Sensitivity and Respect

Understanding and respecting local cultures and traditions are essential for successfully implementing projects. For instance, educational initiatives in Afghanistan that respected local cultural norms regarding gender and education were more readily accepted and effective.

Practical Tip : Include cultural sensitivity training for project teams and consult with cultural experts to ensure programs are appropriately tailored.

9. Effective Communication

Clear, consistent communication with all stakeholders, including the project team, beneficiaries, donors, and the public, is crucial for transparency and effectiveness. The coordinated communication efforts during cholera outbreaks in Haiti post-earthquake played a vital role in spreading awareness and preventive measures.

Practical Tip : Use a mix of traditional and digital communication platforms to ensure broad and effective outreach.

10. Evaluate and Learn

Continuous evaluation and learning are crucial to improving humanitarian efforts. The post-tsunami reconstruction efforts in Indonesia incorporated regular monitoring and feedback, leading to adaptive and responsive project execution.

Practical Tip : Implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system and encourage a culture of learning and adaptation within the team.

Leveraging Insights for Impactful Humanitarian Aid

Successful humanitarian project management hinges on a deep understanding of these principles, as exemplified by responses to global crises like the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. By employing these strategies, humanitarian project managers can effectively navigate challenges and maximize their positive impact on needy communities.

Delve deeper into these strategies and discover additional resources at antonionietorodriguez.com and join my LinkedIn Newsletter . Embrace these insights to elevate your humanitarian project management practices.

See more on Linkedin

Share this article.

HBR Project Management Handbook

The one primer you need to launch, lead, and sponsor successful projects.

by Antonio Nieto Rodriguez

Join 60,000+ subscribers in keeping up to date with the latest trends and best practices in project management and strategy implementation.

Recent Posts

• ANR #143: Could AI Implement a One-Person Transformation Project? June 5, 2024
• ANR #142: How To Define A Successful Change Management Strategy May 30, 2024
• ANR #141: We Need To Connect Change And Project Management May 23, 2024

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Policy – Cookies policy – Terms and Conditions

© Copyright 2024 - Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez | All Rights Reserved

Webinar Series Revolutionizing Projects: AI Meets Ricardo Vargas and Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez

Join Ricardo Vargas and Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez for an engaging, free-flowing conversation about AI in Project Management. Tune in on the first Friday of each month for an informal and friendly discussion that explores trends, tools, concerns, and everything shaping the future of AI in project management.

Dates :  Jun 7,  Jul 5,  Aug 2, Sep 6, Oct 4, Nov 1, Dec 6, 2024  |  Time : 16:00 (CET)

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.

The Innovation Process

• Humanitarian Parameters
• Enabling Factors
• Ethics Resource
• Glossary of Terms
• About the Guide

Project Management

Design your project, learn in real time, and iterate your plan.

Humanitarian programming is often, though not always, characterised by urgent time frames and a lack of time or resources for exploration. This can easily undermine reflection, learning and adjustment. According to ALNAP ( 2018 ), the systems used – both externally with donors and internally – “have evolved in ways that restrict the range of options that humanitarians have at their disposal in a dynamic environment.”

In situations where there is significant uncertainty – an inherent feature of innovation pilots – a robust project management approach needs to fulfil several additional requirements. It must:

• Enable regular feedback from users and target groups in ways that allow for rapid learning and iteration.
• Allow the project team to rapidly review findings , discuss implications and take action to respond to changes on the ground or feedback from users and target groups.
• Support the tracking and documentation of key decisions and the reasons why they were taken and capture all relevant learning.

In comparison to log frame-based project management approaches commonly used in the humanitarian sector, an innovation pilot requires much greater flexibility so that changes can be made according to the evidence that presents itself. The Project Management workstream consists of a collection of tools and methods that are provided to help you implement an innovation pilot in a flexible and responsive way.

In the following sections we take you through a process of assessing the feasibility of your pilot and operational requirements, utilising agile management tools, putting in place necessary feedback mechanisms, and laying the foundations for sustainability and scale.

Although it’s important to consider sustainability and scale from the start of the innovation journey, many innovators put these thoughts aside during the pilot to focus on whether the solution works.  With limited time and budget it is often impossible to do everything, but at the end of this workstream we encourage you to return to the Social Business Model Canvas and to codify your solution.

Search form

Humanitarian planning.

Humanitarian needs and response analysis is a collective process through which the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) identifies humanitarian needs of affected populations and develops plans and mobilizes resources to respond to the most pressing ones on the ground.

IASC members and partners coordinate efforts to prepare, manage and deliver an effective humanitarian response through coordinating needs assessments and analysis to obtain a detailed vision of the humanitarian situation and needs. Likewise, they collectively undertake response analysis to prioritize and respond to acute and severe needs. Throughout the cycle, IASC partners monitor humanitarian needs and adjust collective and individual efforts accordingly.

IASC guidance to support field-level coordination and IASC members throughout the humanitarian programme cycle (HPC) is available here.

Key products developed by Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs)

Humanitarian Needs Overviews (HNOs)

Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs)

The Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO)

Operational Guidance on Coordinated Assessments in Humanitarian Crises

HPC 2022 Facilitation Package , including Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2022  Templates .

Subscribe to the IASC Newsletter

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

Press Release

10 June 2024

Jigjiga, Ethiopia (ILO News) – A groundbreaking Business Plan Competition (BPC) concluded with the selection and awarding of the best 50 business ideas, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs from refugee and host communities in Ethiopia's Somali region. The initiative, spearheaded by the International Labour Organization (ILO), through the PROSPECTS Programme in partnership with HASI Consulting, aims to foster entrepreneurship, drive economic growth, and create sustainable livelihoods for host communities and refugees in Ethiopia’s the Somali Region.

Launched in June 2023, the BPC generated significant interest, receiving a staggering 1,931 proposals from young aspiring entrepreneurs across diverse sectors. A rigorous evaluation process selected 100 of the most promising business plans as the first-round winners, whose creators then received intensive training and mentorship provided by members of the Business Development Services Providers Association of Ethiopia (BDSPA). This crucial step equipped the BPC entrants with the necessary skills to refine their business ideas,, develop comprehensive business plans, and strengthen their entrepreneurial capabilities.

Following the training, the BPC culminated in a high-stakes pitching event. The first-round winners presented their refined business plans to a panel of judges and industry experts, demonstrating the viability and potential of their ventures. 50 outstanding businesses were selected to receive grant funding to start or expand their business ventures, along with ongoing business coaching and mentorship to ensure long-term sustainability of the business ventures.

• “The BPC has played a pivotal role in nurturing entrepreneurship, fostering innovation, and driving economic growth" stated Stephen OPIO, Chief Technical Advisor, International Labour Organization, PROPSECTS Programme, Ethiopia. "By empowering individuals to turn their ideas into successful and sustainable businesses, this initiative has the power to spread the spirit of entrepreneurship among the communities they belong to." 
• “This initiative has been instrumental in fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Fafan Zone of the Somali region” said Tiest Sondaal, Deputy Head of Cooperation and Regional Refugee and Migration Coordinator for the Embassy of the Netherlands. “This approach is not just about building businesses; it's about empowering forcibly displaced persons and their hosts to become self-reliant contributors to their communities. By equipping them with the skills and resources they need, we are empowering them to build a brighter future."
• "The success of the Business Plan Competition is a testament to the power of collaboration. By working together, with the ILO PROSPECTS program, HASI Consulting, the regional bureaus and the local communities in the Fafan zone, we've fostered an environment where innovative ideas can flourish” said, Abdirahman Ali Hirsi , CEO of HASI Consulting. “This public-private partnership empowers aspiring entrepreneurs and strengthens the local economy, creating a lasting impact for both refugees and host communities." 

The BPC has been implemented in close collaboration with the National Business Development Service Providers Association, Ethiopia’s Refugees & Returnees Service (RRS), Somali Region’s Skills and Job Creation Bureau and financial service providers. 

The 50 winning business ideas will receive follow-up technical support, business coaching and mentorship in establishing and strengthening their businesses. Work permits and business licences will be facilitated by RRS and the Somali Region’s Skills and Job Creation Bureau. 

About the PROSPECTS Programme:

PROSPECTS Programme, an innovative partnership bringing together five agencies ie; IFC, ILO, UNHCR, UNICEF and WB, is spearheaded and funded by the Government of the Netherlands . The partnership aims to shift the paradigm from a humanitarian to a development approach in responding to forced displacement crises focusing on four pillars: education and learning; economic inclusion; protection and social protection; and critical infrastructure. Completing the first phase of the program from 2019 to 2023 with success, the Government of the Netherlands is committed to the continuation of the PROSPECTS Programme, including in Ethiopia, from 2024 through 2027 with a total budget of EUR 800 million for all eight participating countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Sudan and Uganda. The regional launch of PROSPECTS 2.0 is marked today along with the BPC winners award event.  

About HASI Consulting:

Founded in 2013, HASI Consulting is a regional consulting firm specializing in a wide range of services including strategic management, leadership, research, marketing, human development, training & development, and trade and investment facilitation. They serve small, medium, and large business organizations, NGOs, and government institutions. Additionally, HASI Consulting offers expertise in project management, the development of proposals, and strategic plans, as well as the drafting of policies and procedures.

For more information, please contact:

• Eirmyas Kaase, Senior Programme Officer at ILO -  [email protected] or +251 911 16 76 047
• Muktar Omer -Deputy Managing Director at HASI Consulting  [email protected] or +251 961 26 68 10.

You may also be interested in

Encouraging entrepreneurs

ILO launches business plan competition to boost entrepreneurship in Ethiopia’s Somali region

Start and improve your business

ILO extends capacity building support to business development service providers in Ethiopia

Press release

ILO supported Business Development Service Providers Association established in Ethiopia

ILO and Shabelle Bank pilot innovative product for financial inclusion of hosts and forcibly displaced in Ethiopia

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.

Global Humanitarian Overview

• Abridged report
• Global achievements
• Cost of inaction
• Climate crisis
• Economic hardship
• Disease outbreaks
• Food insecurity
• Forced displacement
• Localization
• AAP and PSEA
• Humanitarian diplomacy
• Overview for 2024
• Results from 2023
• Eastern Europe
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Middle East and North Africa
• Pacific Islands
• Southern and East Africa
• West and Central Africa
• Regional Refugee Response Plans
• Other plans
• March and April update
• February update
• January update
• Full PDF and Abridged (AR, EN, FR, SP)
• Master dataset
• GHO Update (February 2024)
• GHO Update (January 2024)
• GHO Update (March - April 2024)
• Download PDF / Abridged (AR, EN, FR, SP)
• GHO Update (December 2023)
• GHO Update (October 2023)
• GHO Update (September 2023)
• GHO Update (August 2023)
• GHO Update (July 2023)
• GHO Update (mid-year, June 2023)
• GHO Update (April 2023)
• GHO Update (March 2023)
• GHO Update (Jan-Feb 2023)

Golongolong, Maiduguri, Nigeria

With a grant from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, (NHF), local CSO Greencode delivers water to internally displaced people who fled their homes five years ago and are now living in an informal settlement about an hour outside Borno State capital Maiduguri. Before the NHF-funded project started, this community had no access to water. OCHA/Eve Sabbagh

• Humanitarian response plan

Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan 2024

• Published on 23 January 2024
• Keywords Nigeria, HRP

Response Plan Overview

• Crisis Context and Impact
• Key figures and historical trends

Response Priorities

• Planning assumptions and scope of the HRP
• Strategic objectives and response approach
• Anticipatory Actions (AA)
• Costing methodology
• Operational capacity and access
• Gender equality programming
• PSEA and AAP
• Focus on the Strengthening of Local Capacity
• Multi-purpose cash

Response monitoring

• Monitoring approach

Sector response plan

• Overview of sectoral response
• Camp Coordination and Camp Management
• Early Recovery and Livelihoods Sector
• Food Security
• Shelter / Non-Food Items
• Water Sanitation and Hygiene
• Coordination
• Emergency Telecommunication
• Refugee and Asylum Seeker Response
• Camp Coordination and Camp Management Early Recovery and Livelihoods Education Emergency Shelter and NFI Food Security Health Nutrition Protection Water and Sanitation Emergency Telecommunications Logistics Coordination and Support Services Multi-Purpose Cash

Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 / Response Plan Overview

The 2024 Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) aims to address the critical needs of 4.4 million people impacted by conflict in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states at a total cost of US$926.7 million. The requirement is divided as follows: Borno State $472 million for 2.4 million people, Adamawa $203 million for 1 million people and Yobe $185 million for 1 million people. Further prioritization and targeting of the most vulnerable resulted in the number of people targeted for humanitarian interventions narrowing to 4.4 million. The most critical of those needs is targeting 1.9 million people in local government areas (LGAs) with extreme severity needs, as identified by the Joint Intersectoral Analysis Framework (JIAF) 2.0 analysis. The success of this response plan hinges on the collaboration of 130 operational partners, comprising eight UN agencies, 37 international NGOs, 73 national NGOs and 12 government partners, all dedicated to meeting the needs of the most affected people in north-east Nigeria.

Strategic Objectives

Affected people receive life-saving assistance to remedy and avert the most severe threats to life and health, in order to reduce (excess) mortality and morbidity., the affected people enjoy adequate protection of their rights, including safety and security, unhindered access to humanitarian assistance and solutions that fulfil norms and standards., affected people’s lives are transformed – they are enabled and empowered through humanitarian and development action where opportunities exist so that they no longer need humanitarian assistance., people targeted and severity of needs.

Search form

Nigeria humanitarian response plan 2024, attachments.

Introduction by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i for Nigeria

As the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) shows, there are many humanitarian needs across Nigeria. In the north-west and north-central regions, humanitarian needs are rooted in poverty and underdevelopment, weak rule of law and increased competition over natural resources. Armed banditry and intercommunal conflict, coupled with many of the struggles described above, profoundly affect people’s vulnerability.

The 2024 Humanitarian Programme Cycle needs analysis in the HNO covers the whole of Nigeria. However, this Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is only focused on humanitarian crises in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states in north-east Nigeria, where more than 14 years of conflict has ravaged social infrastructure and killed and maimed tens of thousands of people, depriving them of their ability to eke out a living. At least 7.9 million people need humanitarian assistance in 2024. Of these, we are seeking to reach 4.4 million of the most vulnerable people. Some 4.4 million people will face severe hunger during the lean season, including about 2 million children affected by acute malnutrition. In 2023, I visited nutrition stabilization centres in Maiduguri, Borno State, where the number of children admitted for treatment was higher than in 2022. The numbers for 2024 are expected to be just as high, if not higher. The 4.4. million people targeted for assistance include more than 2 million internally displaced people in continued need of support.

In 2024, we will be confronted with some stark and difficult choice, as resources for humanitarian assistance are dwindling not just in Nigeria, but globally. We must consider even more carefully how to maximise dwindling resources and how to organize the humanitarian operation. Reflecting these challenges, further prioritisation and targeting of the most vulnerable means that the number of people targeted for humanitarian interventions has reduced from 6 million to 4.4 million people. We must ensure that we do not spread too thinly, and this is one of the reasons why the HRP will retain its focus on aiding the most vulnerable people affected by the armed conflict in the BAY states. In the rest of Nigeria, we will utilize different approaches, leveraging government leadership and working in tandem with development partners to address vulnerability and its causes. We have long recognised that humanitarian aid is not the solution to the underlying problems causing needs in Nigeria, including in the north-east.

For the 2024 HRP, we are promoting a differentiated approach to analysis and response planning for each of the three BAY states. Where conditions allow, the UN and its partners will support the Government in implementing more lasting development solutions to internal displacement, which will help reduce people’s vulnerabilities and build their self-reliance. Government service provision must be supported by development actors. In parts of the BAY states that have become more secure, investment in social infrastructure and livelihoods will be critical to reducing dependence on humanitarian assistance.

As in 2023, we anticipate that there will be areas, especially in Borno State, where affected people will have little or no access to humanitarian assistance. Where government and humanitarian actors are unable to reach people in need or people are unable to reach assistance, we will continue advocating with civilian and military authorities to allow civilians unhindered freedom of movement to seek protection from conflict and access to humanitarian assistance. Moreover, in Borno, most primary supply routes remain insecure for civilians, humanitarian workers and suppliers. As a result, the humanitarian operation continues to rely on the UN Humanitarian Air Service to reach humanitarian hubs, which protect aid workers and enable operations in the deep-field locations.

Protection concerns continue to dominate work in the north-east. While there were fewer attacks on military and civilian infrastructure in the BAY states in the last two years, attacks on civilians by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) are worryingly increasing. In particular, women and girls lack adequate protection, access to justice and access to services. They are threatened by violence, abduction, rape, gender-based violence, forced and child marriage, and other violations of their rights. Young boys are targeted for recruitment by NSAGs.

Women and girls are not only among the most vulnerable in north-east Nigeria, but also in the rest of the country as reflected in the HNO analysis. Supporting the most vulnerable women and girls and making space for their voices must be a key priority for all of us. Addressing their plight includes enabling and empowering women-led organizations through their inclusion in the Humanitarian Country Team and other coordination mechanisms, in addition to enabling women-led organisations through the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund.

This year cannot be business as usual and we must prioritise the most critical lifesaving and life preserving activities. The Humanitarian Strategy for 2024-2025 is a step in the right direction. We will need to improve the way we work by innovating and making sure that we can make scarce resources go further. More must be done to reduce the cost of providing assistance through greater efficiency and effectiveness. Even greater emphasis will be given to cash or vouchers, which reduce transaction costs and give people choice. We must strengthen our two-way communication with affected people to improve our understanding of what they need and ensure the relevance and appropriateness of our actions to support them.

We hope and expect that federal and state governments will increasingly lead and commit resources towards humanitarian needs. I am encouraged by the Government’s Renewed Hope agenda and see the plans to establish a national trust fund for humanitarian activities and poverty alleviation as a positive development.

We have only been partially successful in achieving localization, one of the key commitments of the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit. Localization is about enabling and empowering local authorities and civil society to take action. Further shifts towards national and local leadership will make humanitarian action more impactful. Moreover, when local partners are funded directly, transaction and overall costs are further reduced.

We will continue to build on the lessons learned from several years of the lean season and rainy season plans derived from the HRP. This has enabled us to adopt a less siloed approach to ensure a more integrated, joined up, and coordinated response. Similarly, a focus on states and the most affected people and areas enables an area-based approach.

The crisis in the BAY states is, unfortunately, far from over. Though security has improved in Adamawa and Yobe, as well as in parts of Borno, there are still nearly 8 million people in peril due to conflict, violence and related causes in the north-east. We face immense challenges in 2024, but I remain optimistic that we can make a profound difference. I am grateful to our partners for their tireless efforts to alleviate suffering and save lives under difficult circumstances. Last, but not least, I also want to recognise the continued strong commitment of our donors who have stood with the people of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in their time of need. With your support and solidarity, we will continue to work with the Government and all involved actors to protect and provide improved and more dignified lives for the people of Nigeria.

Matthias Schmale United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. for Nigeria