A schedule is a plan for accomplishing a series of events during a period of time.
Foundations like a schedule. When they invest, like all investors, they are looking at completion or progress within a nonprofit in a reasonable amount of time.
A schedule is not only the future, but the past. There should be consistency on a track of time with accomplishments along the way. When submitting a grant application, I always insert a schedule in the description, even if it is not required. I want the foundation to know the nonprofit has a plan forward based on the past.
Each project should have their own schedule. In a grant application, the schedule should be broad without detail. It is meant as a guide to achieving the mission’s purpose. Details are unnecessary since they, many times, change a lot.
A successful schedule should be supported with a stable board of directors, consistent success, and a continuous flow of money. However, this is not realistic. Directors can change, the success can be intermittent, and the flow of money not so continuous. But the time to finish everything should be reasonable.
A schedule is going from one point to another. To start and get to the end can be erratic, but in a grant application it is a plan and should show what is hoped will happen. It is not necessary to wonder about all the “what ifs” that can occur. Outline with confidence a schedule to follow. It doesn’t have to have a beginning, but it should have an ending.