Why have a financial plan?

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Duncan Moogi

Hello class and prof.

It is important for organizations to create accurate and up-to-date annual budgets to maintain control over their finances, and to show funders exactly how their money is being used. How specific and complex the actual budget document needs to be, depends on how large the budget is, how many funders you have and what their requirements are, how many different programs or activities you are using the money for, etc. At some level, however, the budget will need to include:

Projected expenses. The amount of money expected to be spent in the coming fiscal year, broken down into the categories expect to be covered – salaries, office expenses, etc. Projected income. The amount of money expected to be taken in for the coming fiscal year, broken down by sources — i.e., the amount expected from each funding source, including not only grants and contracts, but also internal fundraising efforts, memberships, and sales of goods or services. The interaction of expenses and income. What gets funded from which sources? In many cases, this is a condition of the funding: a funder agrees to provide money for a specific position, for instance, or for activities or items. If funding comes with restrictions, it is important to build those restrictions into the budget, to make sure money is spend as told to the funder. Adjustments to reflect reality as the year goes on. The budget will likely begin with estimates, and as the year progresses, those estimates need to be adjusted to be as accurate as possible to keep track of what is really happening.

Why have a financial plan?

It sharpens understanding of goals.   It gives the real picture – by accurately showing what you can afford and where the gaps in funding are, the budget allows to plan beforehand to meet needs, and to decide what is able to be done each year.  It also encourages effective ways of dealing with money issues – by showing what you cannot afford with known income, a budget can motivate you to be creative – and successful – in seeking out other sources of funding.  It fills the need for required information – the completed budget is a necessary element of funding proposals and reports to funders and the community.  It facilitates discussion of the financial realities of the organization. It helps you avoid surprises and maintain fiscal control. (community toolbox n.d.)

According to Jason Gordon (20 December 2020), operating budget is the daily expenses that are projected from daily operations, including raw materials, machinery, labor, and utility expenses, among others. The company will generally use income projections when planning for an operating budget. Operating budgets are usually created before the start of a new financial year. They are often presented in an income statement format with a schedule that allows the management to provide updates of monthly expenses incurred. In addition, they are always prepared before the financial budget since many of the financing activities are not known until the operating budget is made. There is a variety of examples regarding operating budgeting including travel costs for employees or providers, telephones, mobile phones, internet connection, computer for employees and providers, maintenance costs, any lawyers the facility may need, and any unexpected costs.

Capital budgets are developed for two main reasons: expansion and replacement. Successful companies continually evaluate market conditions and analyze opportunities. They may decide to expand by entering other geographic areas or may add new products to their offering. Capital budgeting includes the receipts which are loans that are government from the public (market loans), any borrowing from the ban or other parties through sale of treasury bills, loans from the government or foreign bodies, and any recovery loans which are granted by the “Central government to state and Union Territory governments and other parties,” spent on equipment like CT machine, MRI, Ultrasound, or x-ray (Jeff Fulton 11 February 2019)