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19 Essential Samples and Templates for Nonprofit Organizations

Letters, Charts, Mission Statements and More

Sometimes, to do things right for your nonprofit, you just need something to get started.

There are so many items you must fill out, create, write, or pull together when working in a nonprofit setting. It's always helpful to have a starting point. That's the idea behind some of this site's most popular content.

Here are the most popular of our sample letters, charts, and grant proposal ideas. Plus, we've included some how-tos for those complex guides and publications.

Nonprofit Mission Statements for Today's Donors

Group of women huddle before running in charity race. — SDI Productions/E+/Getty Images

What's the best way to get ready to write your mission statement? Read the missions of other great nonprofits. Today's mission statements are very different than they were even a few years ago.

Charities now realize that a mission statement is not just for insiders and funders, but are great branding tools as well. Many charities put them on their websites, develop fundraising materials around them, and create taglines to complement them.

Check out these examples of terrific mission statements and then read about how to write them too. Here are the dos and don'ts.

Examples of Direct Mail Fundraising Letters

Woman showing partner the mail while he carries their son. — Hispanolistic/E+/Getty Images

Could there be anything more tightly connected to fundraising success than the letters you send every year?

But sometimes you just run out of ideas. So, here is a collection of direct mail letters plus six tips that just might get you moving again.

There is no template for the perfect fundraising letter, but these examples could set your creativity on fire.

Sample Donation Thank You Letters

Volunteer holding a sign saying thank you. — adamkaz/E+/Getty Images

Your donor would love one of these thank you letters. That's because they treat donors like heroes and let them know just what their donation will accomplish.

For more technical issues, such as when to send your letter, how to organize it, and what parts you just have to get right, see 10 Tips for Writing Donor Thank You Letters.

Are you sending enough hand-written notes? There's nothing quite like them for letting a donor know you cared enough to take the time for a personal note. Learn when to send a handwritten note and how to do it.

Sample of a Thank You Postcard

Assortment of vintage postcards. — FlamingPumpkin/E+/Getty Images

Postcards are sweet, a reminder of a simpler past, perhaps. That's why saying thank you via postcards is back in style.

Postcards have all sorts of applications these days. We see annual reports on postcards, invitations to events on postcards, and also thank you notes.

Have you tried sending a postcard by mail to a treasured donor or volunteer? It's easy to create a postcard right online and send it for a nominal fee.

Elements of a Business Plan for a Nonprofit Organization

A man and woman looking at a business plan on a white board. — Paul Bradbury/Caiaimage/Getty Images

The business plan can be used throughout the life of a nonprofit, changing as the organization does. A startup's business plan may be quite brief, while a mature nonprofit plan may be quite long.

Business plan formats for nonprofits vary according to the type of organization, but several elements seem to show up frequently. Check out the nine features you should include.

Sample Gift Range Chart

Woman looking at charts on her laptop. — Caiaimage/Rafal Rodzoch/Getty Images

A gift range chart is a simple planning tool you can use for any fundraising campaign.

Gift charts are based on the fact that most of your donations will come from a small number of donors. It's often called the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of your fundraising campaign results come from twenty percent of your donors.

The gift chart helps you figure out how many donors, large and small, to target for any fundraising goal. You can use standardized calculators to do the numbers for you.

Sample Press Release for Nonprofit

Press Release text on top view office desk table of Business workplace and business objects. — syahrir maulana/iStock / Getty Images Plus

Does a press release seem old-fashioned? They are still quite useful and have adapted to the digital world. You may post one online for everyone to see on your website or email it to the news media.

But, besides delivery methods, the nuts and bolts of press releases haven't changed much. Sure, they might have links now, but they still need to be easy to read and follow a predictable format.

How to Create a Volunteer Handbook for Your Nonprofit

Volunteer at an animal shelter — Camille Tokeru/The Image Bank/Getty Images

Do you have volunteers? If so, then you need a volunteer handbook.

A volunteer handbook will save you countless hours of training and repeated instructions because it is a one-stop resource for all the wonderful people who help you keep going.

There are dozens of ways to put together a volunteer handbook, but we've laid out the things you should cover and many tips for creating one.

Letter of Inquiry Sample

Two women discussing a proposal. — Nikada/E+/Getty Images

Many foundations now prefer that nonprofits send a letter of inquiry (LOI) rather than a full proposal when first asking for grant money.

An LOI will save both you and the foundation time. You won't have to put in as much work just to get turned down. The foundation can quickly screen many more letters than full proposals.

Not sure just what kind of proposal you should send and to whom? Don't miss 3 Types of Grant Proposals: Which One Should You Write?

Sample Evaluation Section for Your Grant Proposal

Coworkers discussing evaluation data in office. — Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision/Getty Images

Results. They are on everyone's minds, especially foundations and other funders. Evaluating what worked and what didn't can be crucial for your funding and your project. Here's how to write the evaluation section of your grant proposal.

Sample of a Needs Statement for Your Grant Proposal

Professionals discussing a proposal in meeting at conference table. — Maskot/Maskot/Getty Images

It's hard to say what part of a proposal is most important. But, the needs statement is right up there. Here you will explain what you need from your funder and why. Write it persuasively and with care.

Perhaps the best way to understand a needs statement is to look at a successful one.

Sample Sustainability Section for Your Grant Proposal

Businesswoman talking with potential project collaborators. — pixelfit/E+/Getty Images

No funders like to think that their grant will only fund a project for a short time. That's why you need to give careful attention to the sustainability section.

Before investing in your project, your funder will want to know your plans for carrying the project into the future. What other funds can you get? How will you support the project long term? With whom will you collaborate?

Sample Executive Summary for a Grant Proposal

Business women discussing a proposal. — Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision/Getty Images Plus

A well-written summary invites the reader of your grant proposal to read on, and delivers, succinctly, the basics of what you are asking for.

Your summary can turn a reviewer on or away. So, just because it may be the last section you write, take a deep breath, and write as though your project depends on it because it does.

Sample of Methods Component for a Grant Proposal

Two women discussing a project in an office. — Charday Penn/E+/Getty Images

So you have your proposal all planned out, but just how will you accomplish your goals? Use the methods section of your project to lay out precisely how you'll do it all. Attach your methods to each of your objectives.

There are numerous ways to format those methods. Here are a few possibilities.

Sample Cover Letter for Grant Proposal

Colleagues working on a proposal. — Ales-A/iStock/Getty Images Plus

A cover letter for your grant proposal may or may not be required by your funder. If it is, make it count. Think of your cover letter as a mini-proposal or the inviting doorway to your full proposal. Cover letters are hard because they have to contain so much in a short space. Use this example and tips to make yours perfect.

The Nuts and Bolts of Writing a Nonprofit Annual Report

Colleagues designing an annual report. — utah778/iStock/Getty Images Plus

We all know that corporations send out annual reports to their shareholders. Well, nonprofits, although not legally required to do so, should write annual reports too, for the sake of their donors and other supporters.

Here's a checklist of the things you should include in that annual report and tips on how to prepare one.

Annual reports have also changed a lot. They used to be printed, but now they are just as often digital.