Create a True and Honest Budget For Your Nonprofit

I was emailing back and forth with a prospective client.  I asked why he’d reached out? His answer was simple...

"We want to start raising to our org’s true & honest budget every year."

Seems simple, right? Well, if it were that easy everyone would be doing it.

[And for real….I have this conversation daily] Here’s how it goes:

"Our budget for next year is $3.4M."

❓Is that a squeak-by budget?  

🟰Yes

❓Is that number based on last year and a little more?  

🟰Yes

❓Does it include what you really need to retain staff & propel growth?  

🟰No

❓Does it include a number that builds your reserve fund?  

🟰No

❓Does it include staff & resources that would yield $3.4M?  

🟰We don’t know.

In all honesty, their budget might be $3.9M…. their true need might even be $4.1M.

So, why not put a budget, plan, and team in place to raise to $4.1M over the next few years?

[crickets]

Yep. You can do that. And, donors WANT to give to you when you do this.

I see it every day.

You can actually make this shift....creating your true budget and then building the team that can shift into the activities that yield that number every year.

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Whenever you’re ready, here are THREE things you can do next:

👣 Follow me on LinkedIn where I share the same lessons I teach my clients about attracting larger gen-ops dollars and adding 7-figures + to their bottom line. 

🍎 Read my GUIDE! THE TRUTH ABOUT GIVE/GETS :: Top 5 Reasons Your Board’s Give/Get Is Leaving Thousands (Sometimes Millions) on the Table. See how limiting board members to the Give/Get model restricts gifts and keeps your staff from reaching their full fundraising potential. Here to get it.

📈 Work with me to scale your org's revenue by 2-5X and fund your organization’s Strategic Plan // If you’re a business-minded CEO already raising MILLIONS but need to diversify revenue and secure more general-operating dollars to invest in growth, you can apply to work with me here.