Second Haven is a newly recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates virtual spaces for social connection and belonging, particularly for people who may experience isolation due to chronic illness, disability, neurodivergence, socioeconomic barriers, or other life circumstances.
We are at an early stage of building our organizational infrastructure and preparing to seek funding. We do not yet have an operating budget, and I would like to use this session to work with someone experienced in nonprofit budgeting or financial planning who can help me understand how to build one from the ground up.
I am looking for guidance on questions such as:
* What categories should be included in the operating budget for a small, primarily virtual nonprofit?
* How should we estimate expenses when we have very little financial history?
* How should we distinguish general organizational expenses from direct program expenses?
* How might we budget for a small pilot program we are developing?
* How should volunteer-supported work be reflected, if at all?
* How should we account for work that is currently performed by volunteers but may eventually need to be performed by paid staff or contractors?
* What types of administrative, technology, insurance, program, fundraising, and other costs are commonly overlooked by new nonprofits?
* How should we approach revenue projections when we are just beginning to pursue grants and donations?
* How can we structure the budget so that it is useful for both internal planning and future grant applications?
During the session, I would like to talk through Second Haven's current activities, anticipated programs, and likely expenses with the consultant and begin identifying the appropriate budget categories and assumptions.
By the end of the session, I hope to understand what our first operating budget should contain and have a clear framework I can use to begin building drafting it afterward.
I'm not expecting a finished budget to be produced during the one-hour session. I'm looking for an experienced person who can help me ask the right questions, identify what needs to be included, and get the budgeting process started correctly. The biggest value this session will have for us is in elucidating what falls in the "don't know that we don't know" category.
