Tips for creating and forecasting a managed funds budget

AimeeAddison

As we all strive to effectively manage and grow our funds to support our mission and community, I’m interested in learning more about best practices for creating and forecasting a managed funds budget. Specifically, I’d like to hear from you on the following points:

1. Revenue Projections: How do you estimate investment income, administrative fees, and new contributions? Are there particular tools or methodologies you find most accurate?
2. Expense Management: What strategies do you use to budget for investment management fees, administrative costs, and grant distributions? How do you ensure these expenses align with your revenue projections?
3. Handling Market Volatility: How do you plan for market volatility and potential downturns in your budget? Do you maintain contingency funds or other financial safeguards?
4. Engaging Donors: What approaches do you use to communicate with donors about the performance and impact of their funds, and how does this affect your budgeting process?
5. Monitoring and Adjustments: How often do you review and adjust your budget throughout the year? What key metrics do you monitor to ensure you stay on track?
6. Technology and Tools: Are there any specific software or tools you recommend for budgeting and forecasting managed funds?

We are always interested in refining our budgeting process and look forward to hearing from you.