HSNF 2 | Human Service Nonprofit Budgeting 101

Thursday, October 22, 2026, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM ET through Thursday, October 29, 2026, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM ET

Online via Zoom

Continuing Education Offered

• 6 hours general live interactive online

Description

Human Service Nonprofit Budgeting 101 offers a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of budgeting for human service organizations. This course emphasizes the critical role of operational budgets in supporting programmatic and organizational sustainability. Participants will explore basic types of budgets and budgeting approaches, learn to identify and evaluate the key components of an operational budget, and develop practical skills for creating, revising, and managing program budgets. Through interactive lectures, real-world case studies, and hands-on exercises, learners will address common challenges faced by human service organizations, including the allocation of shared costs, cash flow management, and the establishment of sound budgeting policies and procedures. The course equips participants with the tools and strategies needed to confidently construct and adjust organizational budgets that drive mission-focused results.

Objectives

1. Differentiate among common types of nonprofit budgets (e.g., operating, program, cash flow, and capital budgets) and explain their appropriate use in human service organizations.
2. Identify and analyze the core components of an operational budget, including revenue sources, direct and indirect expenses, shared costs, and reserves.
3. Construct a basic program or organizational operating budget using the provided data, assumptions, and organizational constraints.
4. Apply cost-allocation methods to allocate shared and indirect costs across multiple programs in a human service nonprofit context.
5. Assess budget scenarios to identify risks related to cash flow, sustainability, and compliance, and recommend adjustments to address identified challenges.
6. Develop and justify budget policies and procedures that support financial transparency, fiscal control, and mission-aligned decision-making.

Agenda

Thursday, October 22, 2026

• 6:00pm–6:30pm Importance of budgeting
• 6:30pm–7:00pm Basics of budgeting
• 7:00pm–7:30pm Different budgeting approaches
• 7:30pm–8:00pm Case study on dilemmas in budgeting processes
• 8:00pm–8:30pm Making sense of a sample budget
• 8:30pm–9:00pm A checklist for building a budget

Thursday, October 29, 2026

• 6:00pm–6:30pm Setting up budgeting policies and procedures
• 6:30pm–7:00pm Overview of developing an operating budget
• 7:00pm–7:30pm Projecting incomes and expenses
• 7:30pm–8:00pm Allocation of administrative, overhead, and shared costs
• 8:00pm–8:30pm Revising draft operating budget
• 8:30pm–9:00pm Presenting the draft operating budget

Instructor

Sue Ann Savas, MSW

CE Approval Statement

The University of Michigan School of Social Work, provider #1212, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 5/15/2026–5/15/2029. Social workers completing this course receive 6 general continuing education credits.

Please see the CE Policies page for more information about continuing education.