Nonprofit Business Plan Template

A business plan is a written document that provides an overview of your nonprofit entity, its mission and objectives, strategies for achieving success, potential problems that may arise and how to handle them, the resources you need to implement your nonprofit business plans and how you will measure success.

If you're starting a new nonprofit business, you need to create a business plan. If your organization is already in operation, it may help to create one regardless because it can help you clarify and communicate your mission statement. A nonprofit business plan also helps ensure that all of the important aspects of the company are working together to achieve the same goal, and in the same direction. If you are trying to secure funding or attract investment from major donors, the business planning process will help you organize your business idea and the financial projections to support your request. To save time writing a business plan, you can use our nonprofit business plan template which walks you through each essential section. Our templates make it easy for nonprofits to get started and/or grow to reach their financial goals.

You should review your plan frequently--at least yearly or more if there is a major change in the organization's direction or operation. It should be a living document that is updated as your organization grows.

To write a nonprofit business plan, you should include the following essential sections: Executive Summary - In this section, you will provide an overview of you nonprofit organization including highlights from each section of the business plan. Because it highlights all other sections of your plan, it should be the last section written despite it being the first page of your plan. Company or Organization Overview - This section would include a description of your nonprofit, its mission, history, board members, location and so on. Products, Programs and Services - Describe the services, programs and/or products you are planning to offer. Also include information about the needs these products, programs and services are designed to meet. Industry or Market Analysis - Here you will describe who your competitors are in the marketplace, why people should care about your nonprofit's services or products, how you are different from other nonprofit organizations, what is unique about your organization and why it is needed. Customer Analysis - Identify your target audience and what you know about them. This includes where they live, their income levels and any other information that is relevant to your nonprofit's mission. Marketing Plan - A marketing plan consists of three major components: 1) an analysis of your target market; 2) marketing strategies for reaching this market, 3) methods for evaluating your efforts. Operations Plan - Your operational plan will include information about the organizational structure, day-to-day operations, location of your facilities, equipment you need to implement your plan and anything else that pertains to how your organization actually carries out its mission. Management Team - In this section, identify your management team and their credentials. You may also include information about the individual members of your team, their personal achievements and how they all work together to make the organization successful. You can also identify gaps in your management team and a job description for each position that still needs to be filled. Financial Plan - In this section, include a detailed description of all sources of revenue you will use to support the company's operations including earned income, contributed income, grants from foundations or corporations, privately donated funds and any other sources. It should also include financial statements such as an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. You may also have a fundraising plan where you have detailed how you will bring in additional funds.

A non profit business plan could be as short as 5-8 or 30-40 pages long depending on the organization, the mission, its complexity and its needs.