Non-ProfitFree
One-Page Program Summary for Nonprofits
Describe one program in your own words. Get a one-page summary for funders, partners and board members that fits on a single printed page.
River's program one-pager writer turns what you know about a program into a single page a busy reader can take in quickly. Describe the program in your own words, or attach a longer document. River selects the facts that matter most, then writes a short need statement, what the program does, who it serves, results with real numbers, what it costs, and a clear next step for the reader. Everything is sized to fit one printed page.
Most one-pager templates are design layouts with empty boxes, and filling them usually means cutting a long proposal down by hand. The hard part is choosing. This draft makes those choices for you and explains them, so you can swap a fact back in if it matters to this reader. It keeps only your numbers, and it ends with one specific ask. For a whole campaign rather than one program, a case for support holds the full argument.
This is for executive directors, development staff and board members who need something to leave behind after a meeting, attach to an email or hand out at an event. Use it before funder visits, site tours, corporate sponsorship conversations, community events or board recruitment meetings. When a funder asks for more, the foundation grant proposal writer expands the same facts into a full application, and the program impact report writer reports results against your targets.
What belongs on a program one-pager
A one-pager exists so that someone who has never heard of the program can understand it in a minute and know what to do next. That reader may be a corporate giving officer, a new board member or a partner agency. Federal plain language guidance puts it simply: write for your specific audience. Decide who the page is for before choosing a single fact, because a sponsor and a referral partner need different details.
Most strong one-pagers cover the same few things. A headline that says what the program achieves. Two or three sentences on the need, with one local figure. What the program does and for whom. Two to four results with numbers, outcomes before activity counts. What it costs, ideally per person or per unit, and one clear ask or next step with a contact name. A short quote from a participant helps, but only if you have their written permission to use it on the page.
The discipline is cutting. Leave out organisational history, staff bios and every program but this one. Use short headings, short sentences and white space, and keep at least one strong number above the fold, where the eye lands first. Check every figure against your latest report, because one-pagers circulate for years. Date the page, and replace it when the numbers change, so an old version never reaches a funder with last year's results.
How it works
Describe the program
Paste notes or attach a proposal, report or brochure with the program's need, work, results and costs.
Name the reader
Optionally say who will read it and what you hope they will do after reading it.
River writes the page
The most important facts are chosen and written to fit one page, ending with a clear ask.
Tailor it in chat
Make a version for another reader, swap a fact back in, or shorten it further for email.
What you get
- A one-page program summary sized to fit a single printed page with your organisation's details
- A headline and short need statement written for the reader you name, using your figures
- Two to four results with real numbers, putting outcomes for participants ahead of activity counts
- Cost per person or per unit and one specific ask, tied to what a gift or partnership buys
- A short note on which facts were left out and why, so you can swap them back
- Layout guidance for a designer or a simple word processor version, with a date line
Common questions
What should a nonprofit one-pager include?
A headline, the need in two or three sentences, what the program does and for whom, two to four results with numbers, the cost per person or unit, one ask, and contact details. River chooses these from your material and leaves a marked gap where a key fact, such as a result or cost, is missing.
Is a one-pager the same as a case for support?
No. A case for support is the full argument for giving to an organisation or campaign, often several pages, with every fact and answer a major donor might want. A one-pager covers one program in one page for a quick read. Many organisations draw the one-pager's facts from the case.
Should we make different versions for different readers?
Often, yes. A corporate sponsor wants visibility and employee involvement, a foundation wants outcomes and alignment, and a referral partner wants eligibility and how to refer. The facts stay the same, but the order and the ask change. Ask River in chat for another version once the first is done. A museum pitching an exhibit sponsor can pair it with draft panels from the museum exhibit label writer.
Can I include a client quote or photo?
Yes, if you have the person's permission. A short quote in their own words can make the page memorable. River uses only quotes you supply and flags any that may need consent. It never writes a quote and attributes it to a participant. Photos should follow the same permission rule.
How do I keep it from going out of date?
Date it, keep the source document for each figure, and refresh it whenever a new report or year-end number arrives. Old one-pagers often outlive the facts in them. When your annual numbers are ready, update the page alongside your annual impact report.
Built by
Chandler Supple
Co-founder & CEO, River
Chandler has spent the last six years working in AI, building tools for millions of users and Fortune 100 companies. In 2025, he co-founded River to build a new kind of operating system for AI agents.
One-Page Program Summary for Nonprofits
Describe what you need, add any files you have, and your workspace opens with the work already underway.