DIY Founder: Funding Your Vision (The Back-End Work)
If Part 1 was about finding the money, this blog is about what you do once you get it. And let me just say this from the top: if I could rewind time and change one thing, it would be getting my financial tracking in order from day one.
As a DIY founder, you wear all the hats—and bookkeeping might feel like one too many. But financial organization isn’t optional. It’s what builds trust with funders, earns you credibility, and saves you from future stress (and audits). I learned this the hard way, so I’m sharing everything I wish someone had told me when I started.
Documentation is non-negotiable.
Once your organization opens a bank account, treat it like a business. Here’s how to set yourself up:
Get a nonprofit account with low fees
Ensure it accepts e-transfers and can issue them too
Track every income and expense
Use a spreadsheet, QuickBooks, or a basic accounting tool
Save every single receipt
Funders and auditors will eventually ask where every penny went. Having a clean, transparent financial history from the beginning is a gift to your future self—and a credibility booster with external partners.
Bookkeeping tips for beginners:
Hiring a bookkeeper might not be feasible right away, but you can still stay organized:
Track expenses monthly if you're spending frequently, or quarterly if volume is low
Reconcile your accounts at the end of each quarter
Do an annual financial check-in with an accountant
Digitize your receipts and records
When the time comes to prepare financial statements for grants or apply for charitable status, this kind of organization makes the process ten times easier.
Also, a little-known fact: nonprofits can often reclaim taxes on eligible expenses—but only if you’ve done your bookkeeping and file taxes properly. That refund can be a small lifeline during lean periods.
Financial sustainability is the end goal.
Once you get over the initial hurdle of figuring out where money will come from, you need to work on how it will keep coming.
Ask yourself:
Do we have an event or campaign that can bring in revenue annually?
Can we build a social enterprise model (like offering services or renting space)?
Is there a grant we can reliably apply for each year?
Can we nurture long-term sponsorships?
The key is to build a base level of consistent income—even if it's small at first. That consistency is what allows you to scale without burning out or stalling.
At the end of the day, the worst place to be is having a powerful program idea with no money to execute it. And the only way to avoid that is to build systems that bring in funding year after year.
To conclude:
Transparency, order, and a simple spreadsheet can take you further than you think. Even if you’re still learning like I am, every receipt saved and every dollar tracked is a seed planted toward long-term sustainability.
We often talk about impact, mission, and passion—but without a system behind the scenes, even the best ideas struggle to thrive. So take this as your sign to get your house in order.
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