Free template
Church budget template
A ready-to-use annual budget worksheet with the income and expense categories most churches need — and the percentages to sanity-check each line. Download it, drop in your numbers, and you have a board-ready budget.
Download the template (CSV)
Opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers.
What's in the template
Income
- Tithes & offerings
- Designated / restricted gifts
- Facility / rental income
- Fundraising & events
- Interest & other income
Expenses (with typical %)
- Personnel (salaries, housing, benefits)45–55%
- Facilities (mortgage, utilities, maintenance)15–25%
- Ministry & programs10–20%
- Missions & benevolence10%+
- Administration & office5–10%
- Reserves / savings5–10%
How to use it
- 1. Start from last year's actuals — pull income and spending by category from your books.
- 2. Set income first (be conservative with giving), then build expenses to fit it.
- 3. Use the percentages as a gut-check, not a rule — personnel is the biggest line for most churches.
- 4. Build in a reserve line until you have 3–6 months of operating expenses saved.
- 5. Review budget-versus-actual with the board every month.
For the reasoning behind the categories, see the guide to building a church budget and the breakdown of healthy church budget percentages. Want a recommended split from your income? Try the church budget calculator.
This template is a starting point, not legal or tax advice. Want your budget tracked automatically against actuals? Start free in Vestrybooks.