Operating Budget & Forecast Planner
Build an operating budget for a non-profit housing provider, seniors lodge, or community organization, then see the year-end forecast, monthly cash flow, a multi-year forecast, and the replacement reserve. The planner screens the results against the measures boards watch most closely: operating margin, debt coverage, days cash on hand, and reserve funding. Your numbers stay in your browser.
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The planner is free to use. We ask for a few details the first time you use it on this device, so we know who the tool is helping.
1. Organization & budget year
The example is Riverstone Community Housing Society, a fictitious 486-unit non-profit housing provider used in Dewling Strategies' Financial Reporting to the Board seminar. Its figures are illustrative. Replace any number with your own.
2. Revenue
Enter each revenue line with last year's actual, this year's budget, and how fast you expect it to grow in later years. Timing spreads the budget across the months of your fiscal year for the cash flow.
3. Expenses
List operating expenses the same way. Mark amortization as non-cash: it counts toward the surplus but not toward cash or debt coverage. Mortgage interest is calculated for you in section 5.
4. Year-to-date actuals & forecast settings
Building next year's budget? Leave months of actuals at 0. Reporting partway through the year? Enter the number of months closed and fill in the Actual to date column in sections 2 and 3. The planner then forecasts the year-end result.
5. Debt, cash & targets
Mortgage interest is estimated on the balance at the start of each year; the rest of each payment repays principal. Debt coverage is cash from operations (before amortization and interest) divided by principal and interest. Days cash on hand is operating cash divided by daily cash operating costs.
Targets the board watches
6. Replacement reserve & capital plan
Contributions move operating cash into the restricted replacement reserve. Capital projects listed here are paid from the reserve. Set the target from your building condition assessment or reserve fund study.
Capital projects paid from the reserve
7. Results
What the numbers are saying
8. Financial health checks
A screen against common board benchmarks and the targets you set in section 5. On track meets the target, Watch is close to a limit, and Action needs a plan. Your lender agreement and funding agreements set the limits that actually apply.
This year
Over the forecast
Statement of operations
This year's budget against last year's actual results.
Where the money comes from
Where the money goes
Year-end forecast vs. budget
Monthly cash flow
Budgeted operating cash through the year, after mortgage payments and reserve contributions. Changes in receivables, payables, and other working capital are not modelled.
Multi-year forecast
Replacement reserve
Sensitivity: surplus in the final forecast year
How the final-year result moves if revenue or expenses grow faster or slower than planned, in percentage points a year across every line. Green meets your operating margin target, amber is a surplus below target, and red is a deficit.