Commons Collection – Strategy and Planning

Annual Budgeting

Tips & Insights

• Budgeting for Nonprofits (National Council of Nonprofits)
• An Exploration of Nonprofit Budgeting (NFF)
• Budgeting for Programs, Grants and the Organization (CompassPoint)
• Budget Tips to Help Keep Your Program on Track (Third Sector New England)
• 10 Steps to Creating a Nonprofit Budget

Videos & Webinars

• How to Build a Budget from Scratch: Creating the Budget Template

Tools & Templates

• Budgeting Toolkit (Wallace Foundation)
• True Program Costs: Program Budget and Allocation Template and Resource (Propel)

Managing Deficits and Surpluses

Articles & Case Studies

• “A Board’s Guide to Surpluses and Deficits” (Nonprofit Quarterly)
• Using Surplus Budgeting to Advance and Sustain Your Mission (Journal of Accountancy)

Scenario Planning

Tips & Insights

• Making Sense of Uncertainty: Nonprofit Scenario Planning

Tools & Spreadsheets

• Scenario Budget Planning Template (Propel)
• Plan for Different Revenue Scenarios (Wallace)

Articles & Case Studies

• Proactive, Not Perfect, Scenario Planning: A Short Guide for Our Times (Nonprofit Quarterly)

Cash Flow

Tips & Insights

• Cash Flow Management (Propel)

Videos & Webinars

• Understanding Cash Flow (Propel)

Tools & Spreadsheets

• Cash Flow Toolkit (Wallace)
• Cash Flow Projection Template (NFF)

Articles & Case Studies

• Cash Flow in the Nonprofit Business Model: A Question of Whats and Whens

Reserves & Capitalization

Archives from the NFC Forums

• Discussion: “Reserves are great to have – how to invest and manage them”
• Discussion: “Nonprofit Reserves: The Real Deal – Questions for Panelists”

Videos & Webinars

• Nonprofit Reserves: The Real Deal
• Alchemy in Action: The Role of the Nonprofit Strategist

Tools & Templates

• Operating Reserves for Nonprofits (National Council of Nonprofits)
• Operating Reserves with Nonprofit Policy Examples (Propel)

Articles & Case Studies

• Nonprofit Reserves: The Real Deal – Resources List

Assessing and Using Debt

• Nonprofits and Debt Capital: Embrace the Strategic Use of Borrowing
• 5 Reasons Why Nonprofits Should Consider More Than Interest Rates When Evaluating Loan Options (IFF)