# Explain monthly budget results to a non-finance department head

A plain-language monthly pack for department heads covering what they spent, why it matters, and what to do next.

- Topic: Email & Workplace Communication
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Finance, Write, Plan, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/explain-monthly-budget-results-to-a-non-finance-department-head

## Prompt

```text
Help me write a monthly financial update for a non-finance budget owner.

**Budget owner and department:** [NAME/ROLE, what the team does]
**Their numbers:** [PASTE: month and year-to-date actual vs. budget and forecast by line]
**Known explanations:** [hires, invoices, timing, accruals]
**Decisions or actions they need to take:** [e.g. "confirm Q4 forecast", "approve accrual", "slow contractor spend"]
**What they care about:** [e.g. hiring plan, project budget, staying within target]

Write:
1. A 3-line summary: are they on track, how much is left to spend, and the one thing to watch.
2. A simple table with only the lines that matter: Line | Actual YTD | Budget YTD | Difference | Plain-English reason.
3. Explanations that separate timing differences (will reverse) from real over- or under-spend.
4. A short glossary for any finance term I must use (accrual, run-rate, forecast).
5. The action needed from them, with a deadline in bold.

Rules:
- No jargon without explanation. No more than 8 table rows; group small lines.
- Do not assign blame; describe facts and options.
- Use only figures I provide; mark unclear reasons as [CHECK WITH OWNER].
- Keep it under 300 words excluding the table.
```

## What to fill in

- NAME/ROLE, what the team does
- hires, invoices, timing, accruals
- e.g. hiring plan, project budget, staying within target
- CHECK WITH OWNER

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.