How can non-financial program staff understand budgeting and reporting requirements?

How we budget, that is allocate resources, is reflection of our values. We invest in and support what we find valuable. If you want to know where your nonprofit’s priorities are and what it thinks is important, look at the budget and see what they allocate resources to and how much.

Un presupuesto es la guia financiera de la organizacion , el conductor de este vehiculo es el Gte. financiero y cada pasajero on board contribuye con el orden del autobus ...Este cuerpo financiero esta compuesto de unidades que complementaran ese todo con los ingresos o gastos que generen cada unidad . Nadie como cada encargado de esa unidad para predecir sus ingresos o gastos fijos o variables ya que tienen control directo de las actividades por temporadas a realizar ejm Venta de boletas o rifas, ferias , cursos educativos, presentaciones beneficas , gastos en visitas a potenciales donantes u otras recaudaciones ...así que estos encargados de area sirven de soporte al presupuesto general sobre la base del Plan Estrategico ...

Clarify that a budget is a plan for managing money, emphasizing its role in setting financial goals, controlling spending, and tracking the program implementation. Emphasize the importance of prioritizing spending based on needs versus wants. This helps in making informed financial decisions. Using visuals like charts or graphs can simplify complex information e.g. a pie chart showing the allocation of budget and expenses. Introducing the financial reports as tools for tracking and analyzing performance. Share practical examples of how budgeting and reporting impact everyday decisions e.g. forecast vs actual expenditures burn rate. Address any concerns or uncertainties to build confidence in handling financial matters.

Staying on top of the budget in a nonprofit is key to the success of all projects. Each person showed how the budget works and what it takes to make a project happen. So give a general accounting class and review the financial statements to make sure they have understanding.

A great someone I know always use to tell me and I quote "we're whatever we commit our time to". I believe, I never quite understood this statement until I began walking the path of humanitarianism. A nonprofit is what it commits and allocates it's resources to.

To help non program staff understand budgeting and reporting 1. Both Program and Accounts or Finance should be part of the project design for better understanding of entire project, activities and cost 2. Activity planning and evaluation should involve all as well. 3. Finance should equally be on the field to understand thinks beyond what is written on paper. 4. Programs department should also get involved with Accounting to reconcile narrative with financial, budget and report. 5. Ensure that Account department prepares sub or activity budget and report, that can build up to the entire project.

In my experience nonprofits tend to be nonspecific concerning the program budget, and this negatively affects the relationship with donors. In creating a budget, I try to use terminology that is helpful to donor communication—for instance I would say, "Christmas family giving project" as a header versus "Community outreach". A donor is excited when they know where and how their dollars and being used and make a difference. One of the most upfront means by which this can be communicated is via a detailed program budget. When we report on significant milestones toward our goals we connect giving and budget to achievements. "Your donations toward our budget funds our Christmas giving program, enabling us to serve families..." etc.

If you are creating an expense budget, be realistic and plan for growth. You need seed money for growth. You also need money for staff retention. Which is why program planning should include cross- department stakeholders. Your program budget is just a reflection of your program plan in numbers.

?? Crafting a stellar program budget for non-profits: 1??Know your numbers: Delve into historical data for accurate projections. ?? 2??Prioritize impact: Prioritize activities that drive your mission. ?? 3??Flexibility is Key: Build contingency plans for unforeseen changes. ?? 4?? Team Collaboration: Involve program staff for insights & ownership. ??Their insights are invaluable, fostering a sense of ownership & alignment?? 5??Tech-Savvy Approach: Utilize budgeting tools for efficiency and accuracy. ??? 6??Show Impact: Demonstrate how each budget line contributes to your organization's mission. ?? This builds transparency & trust among stakeholders. ?? 7?? Review & Learn: Regularly evaluate and apply lessons to enhance future budgets. ??

Creating a budget for a public grant or a private foundation ask is very different than creating an org wide yearly budget. Set an amount each new hire costs the org indirectly, normally about 20% of the salary, ad that to the salary to giveyou the true cost plus add any specific direct costs (flyer printing etc).Then the program team can estimate how many new hires to ask for and then agree on an outcome number, like 100 people served for $200k. Finance uses the orgs cost allocation strategy to write up the grant program budget. Direct costs programs want have to be easy to track for reporting. Tell staff how to track outcomes and time to the right grants for easy reporting, especially for supervisors and people funded by multiple grants.

Dive into your program budget with a focus on holistic impact! 1. Cover personnel costs, operational expenses, and allocate for materials and tech tools ???. 2. Invest in your team through training and development, and spread the word with a well-thought-out outreach and marketing budget ??. 3. Ensure continuous improvement by allocating resources for evaluation and monitoring ??. 4. Plan for surprises with a contingency fund, cover administrative costs, and budget for travel if needed. Every line item should resonate with your mission and goals. Stay agile, prioritize impact, and review and adjust as needed. Happy budgeting, and keep making those positive ripples! ???? #ProgramBudgeting #ImpactFirst

Financial reports gives valuable insights that helps smanagement to make informed decisions and Investors also rely on financial reports to make their decisions and clear info can boost their confidence, which in turn can attract more investments

Know what you want to report on during your program planning phase and build in funds for evaluation. Know how you and your stakeholders define success BEFORE you have to report on it.

Reporting may feel like a bit of a chore, but it matters. Here are some reasons why: 1. Accountability and Acknowledgment: Reporting is like saying, "We did what we said we would." It helps leaders and stakeholders know things got done, and without reports, it's hard to prove. 2. Learning and Improvement: Reports help pinpoint what worked and what didn't. This helps with making better plans to get the best results. 3. Future Funding and Partnerships: Reports are like a resume for organizations. They show what has been done and how resources were used. This builds trust with funders, partners, and other stakeholders.

Reporting is important so management and ultimately the Board can make sure they make the right decisions about what do do going forward. Many nonprofit organizations are subject to financial statement audits, so organizations have an incentive to make sure everything is reported correctly. In addition, many nonprofit organizations have to file informational returns in the U.S. with the IRS (Form 990) as well as many other state requirements. This information can mostly be public information, so it has to be correct. Donors and grantors may use the info to make decisions about the organization in the future.

Reporting is the heartbeat of your program, connecting you with internal and external stakeholders. It goes beyond mere numbers, offering a narrative of your financial journey to your management, board, staff, donors, auditors, & regulators. A robust report isn't just about financial indicators; it's a story of budget performance, variance analysis, cash flow, & more. This process is your compass, allowing you to track results, align actuals with budgets, & transparently explain any deviations. Reporting isn't just a task; it's your commitment to accountability, ensuring your program stays on course, remains effective, & complies with integrity. Dive into reporting, tell your story, and showcase your journey authentically and punctually!

It is effective to include lots of photos in program reporting if the type of nonprofit work allows for it. Numbers do not communicate effective use of dollars like pictures of people serving, helping, building, etc. No spreadsheet or quote is as powerful as a photo of someone making a tangible difference.

Get adequate inputs from different departments involved during execution of the projects to ensure your report reflects the true picture.

Si partir de lo general a lo específico, seria interesante agregar un peque?o historial sobre la apertura de esa unidad en caso de y porque fue aperturada en su momento...las necesidades que determinaron o justifican su apertura...

Whatever you did not track, cannot be measured. The only way improvements in project execution can be made is measuring achievements with projections.

One may not be an expert in a domain but can learn skills in that domain. As long as the non financial staff is willing and ready to learn, he/she can be thought financial reporting and taken through issues touching finance.

In two senior leadership positions I inherited in the past, I was shocked to learn that staff assigned to maintain reporting systems had little to NO idea of the significance of their own slice of the process. Many did not know or care if numbers transferred from spreadsheet to system were big, small, positive or negative. We collaborated to create a funds flow chart, in which each person could identify their step in the process and learn about upstream and downstream significance. It transformed our work environment and greatly improved overall job satisfaction as a bonus.

Non financial program staff can better understand the importance of budgeting and reporting by: 1. Making job related budgeting and reporting a part of program staff’s required training annually, semi-annually, or quarterly (depending on the program position) 2. Including program management in the budget creation process. 3. Creating a holistic culture of balancing fiscal awareness with outcome standards throughout the organization. 4. Prioritizing a culture of cooperative communication between administrative and program leads.

Algunas ideas para empezar seria bueno que cada división genere una historia concisa de porque y como ha sido sostenible a través del tiempo fortalezas y oportunidades de mejora ya que permite al final dominar a grosomodo la unidad.

It’s important to understand that things might completely change at implementation of the budget, it’s important to capture any change and report to the stakeholders as they happens or reflect this changes in your progress report.