Budgeting and How to Build a Financial Plan
With Nancy Bacon

Your budget is your financial plan. It represents your organizational values. It communicates your priorities to audiences inside and outside of your organization. An effective budget allows you to make good decisions for your organization and community. It gives important information to funders.

In this interactive session, we will build together a strong budget for your organization. We will talk about how your values and core beliefs are reflected in your budget. We will show you where they show up and how you can shape your budget to stand for your mission.

We will cover the core elements of a budget: chart of accounts, cost allocation, and the budgeting process. Our goal is to expand your confidence in talking about money with others on your team. You will learn how the audience of your budget—board member, foundation funder, donor, or government contractor— might change how you present it. Different people need different information, and we’ll show you what that means when it comes to your budget. You will leave this session able to plan your budget before sitting in front of a computer, write a budget that represents the trust cost of your work, craft the right budget for your audience, and talk about your budget with someone outside of your organization.

Need more help? You are welcome to take advantage of our office hours to get one-on-one assistance. Contact nancy@nancybacon.com to schedule.

Nancy Bacon is a teacher, instructional designer, and learning strategist who creates and delivers in-person and online learning events for nonprofit and public sector people. In 2013, Nancy created “Finance Unlocked for Nonprofits,” a finance workshop delivered across Washington State.