Nonprofit Business Plan Template
If you want to start a nonprofit business or expand your current nonprofit organization, you need a business plan.
Fortunately, you’re in the right place. Our team has helped develop over 100,000 business plans over the past 20 years, including thousands of nonprofit business plans.
The following nonprofit business plan template and example gives you the key elements you must include in your plan. In our experience speaking with lenders and investors, the template is organized in the precise format they want.
Nonprofit Business Plan Example
I. Executive Summary
Organization Overview
[Organization Name], located at [insert location here] is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to at-risk youth in Westchester County, NY. For the past 10 years, [Organization Name] has helped over 10,000 teenagers learn valuable skills and become more education-focused in order to improve their ability to live fulfilling lives.
Services Offered
[Organization Name]offers group counseling services as well as one-on-one mentoring to youth. We also provide training, individualized coaching and support, and numerous group activities to supplement the one-to-one support.
Customer Focus
[Organization Name]primarily serves the at risk youth within a 5 mile radius of our Somers, NY. The demographics of these customers are as follows:
- 27,827 residents
- Average income of $34,700
- 58.9% married
- Unemployed: 23%
- Below Poverty Line: 8.3%
- Median age: 38 years
Management Team
[Organization Name]is led by [Director’s Name] who has been in the non-profit world for 20 years. [Director’s Name] has successfully led [Organization Name] for the past 5 years in serving over 10,000 at-risk youth.
[Director’s Name] is supported by a team which includes [individual 1] and [individual 2] that have experience running both for-profit and non-profit ventures. Specifically, our team has solid experience in organizing events, marketing to the local community and achieving key goals.
Success Factors
[Organization Name] is uniquely qualified to succeed due to the following reasons:
- There is a massive need to serve at-risk youth in our community. Doing so will increase the quality of life and decrease crime rates among numerous other benefits.
- There is no other organization supporting this critical need.
- The management team has a track record of success achieving the goals of our organization and other organizations for which we have worked.
- Members of our community fully support and believe in our mission.
Financial Highlights
[Organization Name] is currently seeking additional donations of $[X] in order to fulfill our mission. Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $200,000 | $300,000 | $400,000 | $500,000 | $600,000 |
| Total Expenses | $176,390 | $230,030 | $250,431 | $261,901 | $273,920 |
| EBITDA | $23,610 | $69,970 | $149,569 | $238,099 | $326,080 |
| Depreciation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| EBIT | $23,610 | $69,970 | $149,569 | $238,099 | $326,080 |
| Interest | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| PreTax Income | $23,610 | $69,970 | $149,569 | $238,099 | $326,080 |
| Income Tax Expense | $13,344 | $19,409 | $52,349 | $83,334 | $114,128 |
| Net Income/Surplus | $10,266 | $50,561 | $97,220 | $154,764 | $211,952 |
II. Organization Overview
Who is [Organization Name]?
[Organization Name], located at [insert location here] provides assistance to at-risk you in Westchester County, NY. Since inception, [Organization Name] has helped over 10,000 teenagers learn valuable skills and become more education-focused in order to improve their ability to live fulfilling lives .
[Organization Name]offers group counseling services as well as one-on-one mentoring to youth. We also provide training, individualized coaching and support, and numerous group activities to supplement the one-to-one support.
[Organization Name]’s mission is to support 100% of at-risk youths in our community. We hope that through our training and support programs, that all youth in our community will have the opportunity to achieve success in their lives.
[Organization Name]’s History
[Organization Name] was founded by [Founder’s Name] because she felt nothing was being done to serve the at-risk youth in her community. [Founder’s Name] was unable to sit by and watch while her community “was being destroyed” by ignoring key problems.
[Organization Name] was founded in that year as a 501c3 non profit organization and has been growing ever since in terms of staff size and number of community members served
Since our founding, the Organization has achieved the following milestones:
- Staffed the organization
- Developed an outstanding Board of Directors and Board of Advisors
- Effectively impacted and improved the lives of over 10,000 at risk youths and their families
- Won several awards for outstanding community service
[Organization Name]’s Services
[Organization Name] has been dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth since we began.
In order to achieve this, we offer many services including the following:
- Recruiting adult volunteers to be matched one-to-one with youth
- Training programs to teach job skills
- Individualized coaching and mentoring
- Individualized support sessions
- Group activities to build teamwork skills and self-confidence
Our child mentoring services are perhaps our program with the most impact.
In order to offer these services, we recruit adults from the community and surrounding areas who have achieved personal and professional success in their lives.
We have a training program for these volunteers to teach them how to teach the youth the skills and lessons they have learned in a highly nurturing environment.
III. Industry Analysis
[Organization Name] operates in the U.S. youth mentorship market.The following industry size facts and statistics define the U.S. youth mentorship market.
The US Census showed that the United States has over 35 million young people between the ages of 10 and 18.
While all youth can benefit from youth mentoring, it is obvious that some young people, as a result of life circumstances, could benefit more than others from quality mentorship.
There are a number of factors that put youth particularly at risk of not becoming successful adults. Those factors include:
- performing poorly in school and dropping out
- engaging in substance abuse
- having sex at an early age
- engaging in delinquent behavior
Youth are categorized by risk status:
- Very high risk (10 percent of young people) – young people with multiple problem behaviors who commit serious offenses, drop out of school; use heavy drugs and have sex without contraception, etc.
- High risk (15 percent) – youth who participate in two or three problem behaviors but at a slightly lower frequency and with less deleterious consequences;
- Moderate risk (25 percent) – youth who tend to experiment in committing minor delinquent offenses, using substances occasionally but not hard drugs, have sexual intercourse with contraception, etc.; and
- Low risk (50 percent) – young people who do not commit any serious delinquent acts, do not abuse substances and are not yet sexually active.
Based on recent US population estimate, the number of high and moderate risk youth exceeds 15 million.
Within our surrounding areas, based on similar statistical reasoning, we believe there are 115,000 at-risk youths currently and the number is growing each year.
IV. Customer Analysis
Demographic Profile of Target Market
[Company Name] will serve the residents and businesses operating in [company location] holding special events and meetings.
The area we serve is affluent and has the disposable income/profits required to demand off-premises catering services.
The precise demographics of the town in which our business is based are as follows:
| Wilmette | Winnetka | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Population | 26,097 | 10,725 |
| Square Miles | 6.89 | 3.96 |
| Population Density | 3,789.20 | 2,710.80 |
| Population Male | 48.04% | 48.84% |
| Population Female | 51.96% | 51.16% |
| Target Population by Age Group | ||
| Age 18-24 | 3.68% | 3.52% |
| Age 25-34 | 5.22% | 4.50% |
| Age 35-44 | 13.80% | 13.91% |
| Age 45-54 | 18.09% | 18.22% |
| Target Population by Income | ||
| Income $50,000 to $74,999 | 11.16% | 6.00% |
| Income $75,000 to $99,999 | 10.91% | 4.41% |
| Income $100,000 to $124,999 | 9.07% | 6.40% |
| Income $125,000 to $149,999 | 9.95% | 8.02% |
| Income $150,000 to $199,999 | 12.20% | 11.11% |
| Income $200,000 and Over | 32.48% | 54.99% |
Customer Segmentation
We primarily target the following three“customer” segments:
- Very high risk youths.
- As mentioned previously, these youth generally have committed serious offenses or dropped out of school.
- For these youth, we offer intensive one-on-one counseling, mentorship and training.
- High risk youth
- As mentioned above, these youth participate some problem behaviors but at a lower frequency.
- These youth are also offered intensive one-on-one counseling, mentorship and training
- Moderate risk
- These youth tend to experiment in committing minor delinquent offenses
- [Organization name] offers these youth training programs and mentoring to improve their life skills and train them to achieve success.
V.Competitive Analysis
Direct & Indirect Competitors
The following organizations provide related services either nationwide or locally to our customers:
Boys & Girls Club of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (or BGCA) is a national organization whose mission is to “enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has a lineup of tested and proven nationally recognized programs that address today’s most pressing youth issues, teaching young people the skills they need to succeed in life.
National programs are available in the areas of education, the environment, health, the arts, careers, alcohol/drug and pregnancy prevention, gang prevention, leadership development and athletics.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has more than 4,000 autonomous local Clubs which are affiliates of the national organization. Clubs serve some 4.8 million young people – generally between the ages of 6 and 18 – through membership and community outreach, and are located in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and on U.S. military bases in America and around the world. Professional Club staff total some 49,000 worldwide.
YMCA
The 2,686 US-based YMCAs make the organization one of the largest not-for-profit community service organizations in the United States.
Today’s YMCAs serve thousands of U.S. communities, uniting 21 million children and adults of all ages, races, faiths, backgrounds, abilities and income levels. YMCAs are committed to helping:
- Children and youth deepen positive values, their commitment to service and their motivation to learn
- Families build stronger bonds, spend time together and become more engaged with their communities
- Individuals strengthen their spiritual, mental and physical well-being
At every stage of life, YMCAs strive to help children, families and individuals reach their full potential.
YMCAs are the nation’s largest provider of child care, with nearly 10,000 child care sites across the country that provide high-quality, affordable care to more than 500,000 children.
Competitive Advantage/Differentiation
Boys & Girls Club of America and YMCA are excellent organizations. However neither organization provides the level of youth mentoring depth that is provided by [Organization Name]. Specifically, [Organization Name] offer the following advantages to our community:
- Location: [Organization Name]’s location is near the center of town, giving members of our community easy access. The nearest YMCA and/or Boys & Girls Club is 15 miles away. This makes them highly inconvenient for the at-risk youth who have no transportation.
- One-on-one mentorship: Neither the YMCA nor Boys & Girls Club offers one-on-one mentorship to at risk youth. While both programs provide meaningful interaction, at-risk youth need one-on-one help from volunteers who are trained and focused. [Organization name] provides this critical benefit.
- Recruitment: [Organization name] has recruited hundreds of adult volunteers in our surrounding community areas to help our youth. These volunteers have been recruited, checked and trained and only work for our organization.
VI.Marketing Plan
The Marketing Plan describes the type of brand [Organization Name] seeks to create and the Organization’s planned promotions and pricing strategies.
The [Organization Name] Brand
The [Organization Name] brand will focus on the Organization’s unique value proposition:
- Providing assistance to at-risk youth.
- Offering one-on-one mentorship and training programs.
- Providing a safe haven for youth
Promotions Strategy
[Organization Name]promotes itself to the community in order to reach at-risk youth and potential donors. The Organization’s promotions strategy to reach these individuals includes:
Direct Mail
[Organization Name] blanket neighborhoods with direct mail pieces. These pieces will provide general information on [Organization Name], and discusses program offerings and donation and volunteer opportunities.
Public Relations
We frequently contact local and area newspapers and television stations to tell them about the unique value proposition of [Organization Name].
Advertising
[Organization Name] does low-cost advertise in local newspapers and sponsors community events in order to gain awareness.
Ongoing Customer Communications
[Organization Name]maintains a website and publishes a monthly email newsletter to tell constituents about new events, accomplishments and more.
VII.Operations Plan
Functional Roles
In order to execute on [Organization Name]’s business model, the Organization needs to perform many functions including the following:
Executive Functions
- General management of the organization
- Meeting with key constituents including local government officials
- Hiring and training staff
- Maintaining the vision of the organization
Administrative Functions
- General & Administrative functions such as bookkeeping, etc.
- Tactical functions such as legal, marketing
Service Functions
- Recruiting and training volunteers
- Scheduling activities for youth
Special Functions
- Putting on our annual fundraising events
Milestones
[Organization Name] expects to achieve the following milestones in the following [] months:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| [Date 1] | Finalize location agreement |
| [Date 2] | Serve our 15,000th at risk youth |
| [Date 3] | Recruit and train our 500th volunteer |
| [Date 4] | Launch our first local celebrity mentorship program |
| [Date 5] | Reach $1 million in annual donations |
VIII. Management Team
Management Team Members
[Founder’s Name]currently serves as Executive Director for [Organization Name].
Prior to joining [Organization Name], [Founder’s Name] managed GE’s East Coast philanthropic and volunteer initiatives for more than ten years. She has served in the field as an educator, program manager, grant maker, and advisor for nonprofits and corporate philanthropy programs for the past 20 years.
[Founder’s Name] has directed partnerships with a diverse group of education based community organizations including The National Literacy Program, and the At-Risk Technology Grant Initiative.
[Founder’s Name] has also been involved in the National Philanthropy Day Steering Committee, and the Orange County Community Relations Consortium.
[Founder’s Name] graduated from the University of ABC where she majored in Communications.
Hiring Plan
In addition to our current team, upon successfully getting more donations, we plan to hire the following personnel:
- Public relations director
- Volunteer coordinator
- Finance director
IX. Financial Plan
Revenue and Cost Drivers
[Organization Name]’s “revenues” come from donations and the solicitation of donations from both individuals and corporations.
Capital Requirements and Use of Funds
[Organization Name] is currently seeking donations totally $300,000 in order to hire new staff and expand its program offerings.
Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:
- Salaries: $X,000
- Administrative Expenses: $X,000 to pay for lease costs and ongoing operational expenses
Key Assumptions & Forecasts
Below please find the key assumptions that went into the financial forecast and a summary of the financial projections over the next five years.
| Individual Donations | |
|---|---|
| Year | Dollars Raised |
| FY 1 | $100,000 |
| FY 2 | $150,000 |
| FY 3 | $200,000 |
| FY 4 | $250,000 |
| FY 5 | $300,000 |
| Corporate Donations | |
| Year | Dollars Raised |
| FY 1 | $100,000 |
| FY 2 | $150,000 |
| FY 3 | $200,000 |
| FY 4 | $250,000 |
| FY 5 | $300,000 |
5 Year Annual Income Statement
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | ||||||
| Product/Service A | $151,200 | $333,396 | $367,569 | $405,245 | $446,783 | |
| Product/Service B | $100,800 | $222,264 | $245,046 | $270,163 | $297,855 | |
| Total Revenues | $252,000 | $555,660 | $612,615 | $675,408 | $744,638 | |
| Expenses & Costs | ||||||
| Cost of goods sold | $57,960 | $122,245 | $122,523 | $128,328 | $134,035 | |
| Lease | $60,000 | $61,500 | $63,038 | $64,613 | $66,229 | |
| Marketing | $20,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | |
| Salaries | $133,890 | $204,030 | $224,943 | $236,190 | $248,000 | |
| Other Expenses | $3,500 | $4,000 | $4,500 | $5,000 | $5,500 | |
| Total Expenses & Costs | $271,850 | $412,775 | $435,504 | $454,131 | $473,263 | |
| EBITDA | ($19,850) | $142,885 | $177,112 | $221,277 | $271,374 | |
| Depreciation | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | |
| EBIT | ($56,810) | $105,925 | $140,152 | $184,317 | $234,414 | |
| Interest | $23,621 | $20,668 | $17,716 | $14,763 | $11,810 | |
| PRETAX INCOME | ($80,431) | $85,257 | $122,436 | $169,554 | $222,604 | |
| Net Operating Loss | ($80,431) | ($80,431) | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Income Tax Expense | $0 | $1,689 | $42,853 | $59,344 | $77,911 | |
| NET INCOME | ($80,431) | $83,568 | $79,583 | $110,210 | $144,693 | |
| Net Profit Margin (%) | - | 15.00% | 13.00% | 16.30% | 19.40% |
5 Year Annual Balance Sheet
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | ||||||
| Cash | $16,710 | $90,188 | $158,957 | $258,570 | $392,389 | |
| Accounts receivable | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Inventory | $21,000 | $23,153 | $25,526 | $28,142 | $31,027 | |
| Total Current Assets | $37,710 | $113,340 | $184,482 | $286,712 | $423,416 | |
| Fixed assets | $246,450 | $246,450 | $246,450 | $246,450 | $246,450 | |
| Depreciation | $36,960 | $73,920 | $110,880 | $147,840 | $184,800 | |
| Net fixed assets | $209,490 | $172,530 | $135,570 | $98,610 | $61,650 | |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $247,200 | $285,870 | $320,052 | $385,322 | $485,066 | |
| LIABILITIES & EQUITY | ||||||
| Debt | $317,971 | $272,546 | $227,122 | $181,698 | $136,273 | |
| Accounts payable | $9,660 | $10,187 | $10,210 | $10,694 | $11,170 | |
| Total Liabilities | $327,631 | $282,733 | $237,332 | $192,391 | $147,443 | |
| Share Capital | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Retained earnings | ($80,431) | $3,137 | $82,720 | $192,930 | $337,623 | |
| Total Equity | ($80,431) | $3,137 | $82,720 | $192,930 | $337,623 | |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY | $247,200 | $285,870 | $320,052 | $385,322 | $485,066 |
5 Year Annual Cash Flow Statement
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS | |||||
| Net Income (Loss) | ($80,431) | $83,568 | $79,583 | $110,210 | $144,693 |
| Change in working capital | ($11,340) | ($1,625) | ($2,350) | ($2,133) | ($2,409) |
| Depreciation | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 | $36,960 |
| Net Cash Flow from Operations | ($54,811) | $118,902 | $114,193 | $145,037 | $179,244 |
| CASH FLOW FROM INVESTMENTS | |||||
| Investment | ($246,450) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net Cash Flow from Investments | ($246,450) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING | |||||
| Cash from equity | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Cash from debt | $317,971 | ($45,424) | ($45,424) | ($45,424) | ($45,424) |
| Net Cash Flow from Financing | $317,971 | ($45,424) | ($45,424) | ($45,424) | ($45,424) |
| SUMMARY | |||||
| Net Cash Flow | $16,710 | $73,478 | $68,769 | $99,613 | $133,819 |
| Cash at Beginning of Period | $0 | $16,710 | $90,188 | $158,957 | $258,570 |
| Cash at End of Period | $16,710 | $90,188 | $158,957 | $258,570 | $392,389 |
