Strategic budgeting

We have spent the last few meetings learning about, drafting, and reviewing operating budgets. Initially, I asked everyone to create a Year One budget assuming income of $50,000. Most recently, the assignment was to create a three-year budget, showing what choices are made as the organization's budget doubles in size to $100,000. That's the thing about creating budgets. The process of thinking through a budget--and then the next year's budget and the one after that--forces you to look very concretely at how you are pursuing your mission in terms of dollars. What decisions will you make about how to allocate your limited resources? Which line items will you prioritize? What sounds great as a goal but will realistically need to be saved for a future year? 

See a participant's three-year budget draft below. 

Next stop, fundraising plans...