When preparing a nonprofit organization expense budget, I generally favor using a programs and operations approach rather than an expense by line-item method. The one exception is budgeting for staff costs (salaries, employee benefits, and payroll taxes), which is usually the largest expense line-item in a nonprofit’s budget. Preparing a separate labor budget at the front end of the budget building process will enhance planning and improve management of the organization’s workforce. One way to explore revenue models is to conduct a “competitive analysis.” Pull the publicly available Form 990s of nonprofits in your community that are similar to yours in size and/or mission. Then, see if you can find out how many paid development staff they have by checking their website. Every nonprofit’s business model is unique, but you can often glean insights from seeing how https://nerdbot.com/2025/06/10/the-key-benefits-of-accounting-services-for-nonprofit-organizations/ similar organizations are putting it all together.
How much is too much when it comes to nonprofit executive compensation?
To make the numbers look good to outsiders, some boards get creative in allocating spending to intentionally muddy the waters. Considering this, certain large fundraising events such as high-ticket galas or telemarketing campaigns may move nonprofits over the 35% threshold, yet they can be very profitable. Get our FREE guide to nonprofit financial reports, featuring illustrations, annotations, and insights to help you better understand your organization’s finances. Get our FREE GUIDE to nonprofit financial reports, featuring illustrations, annotations, and insights to help you better understand your organization’s finances.
The Essential Guide to Nonprofit Budgets in 2024
Think staff salaries, benefits, rent, utilities, office supplies, taxes, independent contractors, postage, technology equipment, and subscriptions (just some examples). A nonprofit operating The Key Benefits of Accounting Services for Nonprofit Organizations budget breaks down the annual projected revenue and expenses for the organization. It breaks down your revenue by different funding sources and your operating expenses by program and overhead costs. That means that you’re spending 10 hours, or 25% of your 40 hour work week at the program. So yes, a general rule of thumb is that a higher proportion of a nonprofit’s budget should go to program expenses.
What About Ratings on Sites Like Charity Navigator?
- Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds serve nonprofits in various roles and for varying lengths of time.
- However, like every business, the payment of nonprofit workers is essential for the efficient operation of nonprofit organizations.
- Your board also has to consider compliance issues related to fundraising expenses.
- That may be possible because many nonprofits are large organizations that hire highly educated and well-compensated employees.
- A standard rule of thumb is to include a 3-5% bonus and benefits/tax costs at a rate of 25-30% of each employee’s salary.
- There are also external factors to consider, such as local competition for donor dollars, recessions, or the decline in donations we’re currently seeing across the nonprofit sector.
Grants can make up a significant portion of a nonprofit’s budget, accounting for around 10% of all nonprofit funding. An impact report costs money to print and mail, but it tells your top donors exactly how you spent their money. If you never share with your donors how you are spending their money, you risk never getting another donation from them.
How much of a nonprofit budget should be salaries?
A common fundraising goal is to nurture and expand awareness for the cause, project, or brand that you are raising money for. Increasing awareness will multiply the number of people that will help and engage with your new fundraiser. Therefore, funding an investment portfolio can bolster their balance sheets and give their organization more legitimacy. Possibly they are saving for a large capital expenditure, or just for an emergency pot of money. The report further documents how fundraisers of color must be prepared to encounter explicit racial bias both internally in their own organization and in their external relationships, such as with donors.
Resigning from a Board: A How-To Guide
We’re going with the definitions used by the IRS, where 501(c)(3) organizations are classified by size of total assets, with cutoffs at $100K, $500K, $1M, $10M, $50M, and greater than $50M. Using these standards, small nonprofits are those having total assets of $500K or less. As we stated above, there is no limit to how much money a nonprofit can have in reserve.
Prioritize Cash Flow Management
Some executive directors negotiate having their cell phones covered or even getting tuition reimbursement or guaranteed coaching support. Every organization and situation is different, which means additional factors may affect an executive director’s pay. The most obvious factors are the salary of the previous executive director, the salary of the next highest-paid employee, and internal compensation policies. The Better Business Bureau Standards for Charity Accountability state that nonprofits should spend at least 65% of their total expenses on program activities and no more than 35% of related contributions on fundraising. According to an analysis of IRS Form 990 statistics for 209,755 nonprofits, 87% of funding was spent on program expenses, 12% on Management and general expenses, and 1% on fundraising. Anything over 20-30% may decrease your chances of securing grant funds when you apply to foundations or government agencies.