Financial Modeling & Budget Strategy for Nonprofit Growth

We are seeking a skilled volunteer to help us build a comprehensive budgeting and financial planning system that supports the next phase of growth for our nonprofit.

As Athenian moves into version 2.0, we need to transition from broad, high-level budgets into detailed, grant-ready financial models that accurately reflect both our organizational operations and individual program costs.

Specifically, we want to create:

• A complete annual operating budget for the organization
• Detailed program budgets for each major initiative
• Revenue projections across multiple income streams
• Clear funding models for grants, sponsorships, and donor requests
• Financial forecasting that supports long-term sustainability

Our current budget provides a basic overview of expenses, but we need expert guidance to structure our finances in a way that better reflects how nonprofit organizations present funding needs to grantmakers, sponsors, and institutional donors.

The ultimate goal is to create a budget system that helps us move from inconsistent donation-based funding to a more sustainable financial model supported by programs, book sales, memberships, sponsorships, and strategic partnerships.

We predict that this finance project will take from 36-48 hours to complete, with the heaviest time consumption at the start of the project. We're hoping that our pro bono partner will share three to five hours of their time each week with our team.

This project is critical to our organization’s growth and long-term sustainability.

Strong budgets do more than organize numbers—they help us clearly communicate impact, funding needs, and growth potential to grantmakers, sponsors, and donors. With stronger financial models in place, we can pursue larger funding opportunities with confidence and make smarter strategic decisions about scaling our programs.

This work will directly support our ability to expand access to educational programming, strengthen our library partnerships, and reach more students nationwide.

By improving our financial infrastructure, we can shift from operating in short-term funding cycles to building a sustainable organization capable of long-term impact.

Books That Build Skills powered by Athenian is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on helping students, specifically girls, ages 10–15 explore careers, build life skills, and gain confidence through STEM education. Through books, library partnerships, and podcast content, we help students better understand the real-world skills and careers shaping the future.

Our mission is to equip the next generation with the communication, critical thinking, and career readiness skills they need to succeed.

We will set this project up for success by providing the volunteer with strong organizational context, transparency, and access to all existing financial information.

We can provide:
• Current operating budget and financial documents
• Existing program budgets and planning documents
• Detailed descriptions of each program and initiative
• Funding priorities for the next 6–12 months
• Strategic goals for long-term organizational growth

Our team is highly collaborative, responsive, and committed to making this project as efficient as possible. We are prepared to answer questions quickly, provide supporting materials, and supply any additional information needed.
We are also willing to adapt or build additional documentation if needed so the volunteer has everything required to develop accurate and actionable budgets.

While financial modeling is outside our core expertise, we bring deep knowledge of our programs, mission, and growth goals, allowing us to partner effectively with someone who can translate that vision into strong financial strategy.