Learn About the Burn Rate Report
Every nonprofit leader eventually asks the same question: how long can we keep going at this rate? The Burn Rate report answers that question by showing how quickly your organization is spending down its cash reserves and, if you're on track to run out, how much runway you have left.
What can the Burn Rate report tell me?
The Burn Rate report is built around two ideas:
- Burn: the average monthly net change in your cash over a lookback window you choose (the last 3, 6, or 12 months).
- Runway: how many months your current cash would last if that average pace continues.
If you're spending down cash faster than it's coming in, MonkeyPod calculates an estimated runway in months, along with a projected date when your cash would run out. If you're bringing in more than you're spending, you're not burning cash at all, so the report shows a Surplus status instead of a runway figure.
Note: For this report, "cash" means your total balance across bank accounts (excluding credit cards) and undeposited funds.
Where can I find the Burn Rate report in my MonkeyPod?
Choose Reports from the main menu and look under the "Operations" heading to find Burn Rate.
What are my options for configuring the report?
Use the Report Settings panel to choose your lookback window.
- Last 3 months: the default view, showing your most recent trend.
- Last 6 months: a mid-range view that smooths out month-to-month swings.
- Last 12 months: a full-year view for spotting seasonal patterns.
How do I read the results?
The Result Summary at the top of the report shows three figures at a glance:
- Current cash: your total Bank and Undeposited Funds balance as of today.
- Monthly change: your average monthly net change in cash over the lookback window.
- Runway: the number of months your cash would last at the current burn rate, or a Surplus badge if you're bringing in more than you're spending.
Below that, the Report tab shows more detail:
- Monthly cash flow table: the net change and ending cash balance for each month in your window, plus the average across those months.
- Projected cash balance chart: a forward projection of your cash balance at the current rate. If you're burning cash, the line trends down toward zero at your estimated run-out date. If you're in a surplus, it trends flat or upward instead.
Here's an example of a burn rate with a downward trend:
A note about new organizations or short histories
If your organization is new to MonkeyPod, or if some of the earliest months in your selected window come from before you started tracking cash activity, those empty months won't be allowed to skew your average. MonkeyPod bases the average only on months with actual activity, and lets you know when the effective window is shorter than what you selected. Watch for a note above the report whenever this applies, so you know your runway estimate is based on a shorter (but more accurate) window.
How can I get the Burn Rate report on my Dashboard?
Putting the Burn Rate report on your MonkeyPod Dashboard is a great way to keep this important financial projection front and center. To add it to your Dashboard, select the Customize Dashboard option at the top of the Dashboard, select the + icon to add the Burn Rate widget, and use the "handle" to drag it to the desired position in the list of widgets.
How can I save or export the Burn Rate report?
Yes. Click Save Report, give it a name, and it will appear under Saved Reports in your Reports menu.
To download the report as a spreadsheet, click the Export button above the Report tab.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as "cash" in this report?
Your Bank accounts and Undeposited Funds. Credit Card accounts are intentionally left out, since they represent what you owe rather than what you have.
Why don't I see a runway number?
If your organization brought in more cash than it spent over the selected window, you're in a surplus rather than burning cash, so there's no runway to calculate. You'll see a Surplus badge instead.
Can I trust the runway estimate if my organization is brand new to MonkeyPod?
Take an early estimate with a grain of salt. Runway is based on your average monthly burn, so with only a month or two of real activity behind you, the number will get more reliable as you build up history. MonkeyPod flags it any time the average is based on a partial window for this reason.
How is this different from the Working Capital report?
Working Capital looks at the change in your current assets and liabilities to give a broader picture of short-term financial flexibility. Burn Rate hones in specifically on cash: how fast you're spending it and how long it will last.