READ TIME: 10 MINUTES

Get the Nonprofit Dimensions Checklist Worksheet

Dimensions can bring clarity to reporting—until they spiral into inconsistent naming, too many options, and “what does this code even mean?” moments.

This worksheet helps nonprofit finance teams plan, clean up, or reset how dimensions are used so your reporting stays useful (and your team stays sane).

Fill out the form for instant access to the fillable worksheet (best for collaboration and internal reviews). Prefer paper? You can download a printable version below.

Inside the worksheet, you’ll work through:

  • What you’re trying to answer with reporting (and what not to track in dimensions)

  • A practical way to choose the “right” dimensions—without overbuilding

  • Naming rules that prevent duplicates and confusion

  • A checklist to test reporting outcomes before you roll changes out

  • Governance prompts so dimensions don’t drift over time

 

 

Access the Dimensions Fillable Worksheet

Download the 23-Page Dimensions Planning Workbook

This 23-page workbook walks nonprofit finance teams through practical steps for cleaning up coding, mapping what matters most, and planning dimensions that support clearer reporting. You can download it in a fillable version (to complete on-screen) or a printable version (to work through by hand)—whichever fits your team’s style.

Preview: The Nonprofit Dimensions Planning Workbook: For Nonprofit Finance Teams

The Nonprofit Dimensions Planning Workbook For Nonprofit Finance Teams
The Nonprofit Dimensions Planning Workbook For Nonprofit Finance Teams (1)
The Nonprofit Dimensions Planning Workbook For Nonprofit Finance Teams (2)

SECTION ONE

What “Good” Looks Like for Dimensions

Dimensions should make reporting easier—not create a second chart of accounts.

Before you decide what to add, confirm what success means for your team:

Quick check

  • Decision-ready reporting: You can answer common questions without rebuilding spreadsheets each month.

  • Shared understanding: Two people code the same transaction the same way.

  • Clean structure: Most reporting comes from a small set of well-defined dimensions.

  • Sustainable over time: New programs and grants don’t cause constant rework.

Common warning signs

  • You’re tracking the same concept in more than one place (GL + dimension + notes).

  • Dimension lists are long, inconsistent, or full of “temporary” values that never get cleaned up.

  • Reporting depends on one person “who knows how it works.”

 

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SECTION TWO: Choose Your Dimensions Based on Questions, Not Structure

Start with the questions leadership asks repeatedly. Then map those questions to the fewest dimensions needed.

1) List your top reporting questions
Examples (use what fits your world):

  • What did we spend by program this month vs budget?

  • How is each grant performing against allowable categories?

  • What does cost look like by site/location?

  • What’s the total spend for a campaign or restricted initiative?

2) Match each question to a dimension
Use this as a guide (not a rulebook):

  • Program — when you need visibility by service line or initiative

  • Grant / Funding source — when you must track restrictions and funder reporting

  • Location / Site — when operations vary by facility or region

  • Department — when accountability sits with a functional leader

  • Project / Initiative — when work crosses programs, departments, or time periods

3) Keep it tight
A helpful checkpoint: if a new dimension won’t change a decision, it probably doesn’t belong.

4) Decide what NOT to track in dimensions
These are often better handled elsewhere: 


Download the Printable Guide

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