Nonprofit simulator
See what your nonprofit would turn over, how many supporters you'd win and who you'd lose them to — quarter by quarter for four years — before you spend real money.
Donors, grants and proving what the money did. This one opens as Open Door Trust: A local charity, with a shop and a drop-in, raising money from individuals and trusts to fund its work in the town and the towns around it. Rename it, reprice it, or describe your own nonprofit and let Nova rewrite it to fit.
What a steady nonprofit ends up with
Played steadily for all four years — quality first, then growth, a fair share of the bank spent each year — a steady nonprofit here ends its last year on $506k of revenue and $112k of profit, with 3,280 supporters and 13% of the market (#3 of 5).
It starts from nothing: $40k in the bank and you, 40 hours a week, with no supporters yet.
People who play it well do better, and a bad plan runs out of money.
Revenue in the last year: $506k
Profit in the last year: $112k
Supporters at the end: 3,280
Share of the market: From nothing to 13%
Where it finishes: #3 of 5
Years and decisions: 4 years, quarterly
What you'll decide each quarter
Each quarter you decide what to ask for, what to spend on finding new supporters against keeping the ones you have, how many staff the work needs, and which cities you work in.
Each decision shows on a forecast before you file it, and every period resolves against the rivals and the economy.
Who your supporters are
Nobody has to give, join or come along — they choose to. The supporters who stay are the ones who can see what their money did.
40,000 supporters in all, across your town, the next town over, the villages around, the county town and out by the ring road.
Occasional givers: They give when asked well and forget by next month. About 22,000 of them, worth $66 a year each.
Monthly donors: A standing order and a quiet expectation of being told what it did. About 12,000 of them, worth $185 a year each.
Major donors and trusts: Few, generous and demanding — reports, visits and a named project. About 1,200 of them, worth $2k a year each.
Volunteers and members: They give time first and money later, if they feel part of it. About 4,800 of them, worth $106 a year each.
Who you're up against
Three rivals are already in it, and they play to win: they cut prices, spend on marketing and answer what you do. Most of the market is theirs on day one.
The national charity: The biggest, and slow to change — it has stopped listening to its smaller customers. Holds about 30% of the market.
The local cause with the shops: Hasn't changed in years and is living off the customers it already has. Holds about 18% of the market.
The viral appeal: Clever and quick, but stretched thin and hard to get hold of. Holds about 8% of the market.
How it works
Free until you start: building and previewing cost nothing, and starting is $10, once.
Build it — free: Press build and you get your own copy of this market: four kinds of supporter, three rivals and five cities.
Make it yours: Change any number, describe your nonprofit in a sentence or two and let Nova fill it in, or upload a profit and loss or a month-by-month sales history to fit it to your real figures.
Preview — free: See what a steady nonprofit ends up with, and every warning worth reading, before you pay anything.
Start — $10: Pay once to start, your seat included. Then run it quarter by quarter for four years.
Also for
charity · ngo · fundraising · donors · cause · foundation
How much does the nonprofit simulator cost?
Building and previewing are free: make your own copy of this nonprofit market, change anything in it and see what a steady nonprofit ends up with without paying. Starting the simulation is $10, once, and your own seat is included.
Can I make it match my own nonprofit?
Yes. Every number can be changed — the supporters and what they pay, the rivals, the cities, the costs and the starting cash. Or describe your nonprofit in a sentence or two and Nova, SparkTower's AI, fills every section in for one Nova action. If you already trade, upload a profit and loss or a month-by-month sales history and the simulation is fitted to your real numbers, starting from where your business stands today.
Are the numbers realistic for a nonprofit?
The template is checked against what real ones do: played steadily, a believable one finishes year four turning over between $80k and $800k, with between 500 and 6,000 supporters. This one's preview comes to about $506k and 3,280. Your own prices, costs and figures change that, which is the point of trying it here first.
Can I use it to test a nonprofit business plan?
That is what it is for. Put your plan's prices, costs and starting cash in, play it forward quarter by quarter, and see whether the money lasts, how many supporters you would need and what a rival's price cut does to you — before you put real money in.
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