Charity business plans are usually produced for businesses that have registered (or intend to register) as 501c3 corporations, doing business as non-profits in the pursuit of some public good. These companies can be informational (like the “dot-orgs†online) or humanitarian (like a not-for-profit outreach) or both. Mostly they are community-based, volunteer-led, and deeply invested in a cause. If your charity is something along these lines, you should develop a business plan with an eye towards showing how you can serve a specific need in your market. The more pressing, the better. Do you address homelessness? Malnutrition? Educational concerns? Show what your cause is, who you intend to help, and how much money you need in order to do so. The charity business plan should demonstrate:
• What your core services (or products) will be
• The geographic areas in which you operate
• The way you apply the funding you receive
• The timeline on which it will be diminished
• The point(s) at which you might need additional funding
The business plan should identify your leadership positions and give biographical details about anyone else attached to the venture. Many charities have businesspeople or community members on their boards or working in an advisory capacity; if profiling these individuals would add legitimacy to your plan, then do so. You will also need a brief competitive overview, which in the case of non-profits is typically a look at potential collaborators more than a risks assessment. Finally, develop a working financial model that shows three years of your likely bookkeeping – what will eat up most of your funding? Can you be sure you'll have enough to cover all important expenses? If you need guidance with charity business plans, consider calling the experts at MasterPlans. We have written almost 10,000 business plans to date including a large number of non-profit and charity plans. Call 877-453-2011.
