Proposal Budget Designwriting the financial narrative

Leah Nosek, MSW, GPCGrant Consultant

Workshop Goals:1. To define the role of the project budget in the

fundraising/grant seeking process.

2. To increase the capacity of participants to write an accurate, clear and concise project budget for grant applications.

The Proposal Budget Merriam-Webster defines a budget as: A plan used to

decide the amount of money that can be spent and how it will be spent.

What is a proposal budget?The financial plan for your program, project or organization.

The budget is your financial statement of need, project description, objectives, outcomes and evaluation-- it is the financial narrative of your grant application/proposal/request.

What purpose does it serve?

Provides the funder with information about your ability to plan and execute a particular project/program.

Demonstrates to the funder how you will achieve the goals and objectives set forth in the grant.

Shows the funder your financial commitment to the project/program and commitments from other resources.

Justifies your need for financial support.

Helps the funder determine if your project/program fits with their philanthropic objectives and goals.

Grant Writer’s Role Review funder budget guidelines Clarify requirements with funder if necessary Ensure budget aligns with proposal goals, objectives,

timeline, and scope of work Confirm final budget presentation conforms to funder

requirements Ensure the ask is competitive and appropriate for the

funder

What we actually end up doing… Coordinating budget preparation

Guiding program/project design Calculating numbers Formatting And more!

Creating the BudgetElements of the Proposal Project Budget:

REVENUEGrants, Individual contributions, earned income, events, in-kind contributions etc.

EXPENSESwho, what, when, where and how

Who will be doing the work? What staff members, consultants, professionals are involved in the project- what is their hourly rate?

What work will be done? Will they be teaching-is there a curriculum, books, software. Will they be performing—are there costumes, lighting, sets etc.

When will the work be done?How much time will it take to prep for the project, how many hours a day/week/month, how long will the project last?

Where will the work be done?Will it be at your facility- how much does that space cost, will you rent a facility, do you need to transport participants?

How will the work be done?Will you need support from other organizations-is there a fee? How will you track outcomes/evaluate the program- what does that cost?

Creating the Budget…

Key line itemsRevenue

Grants/Contracts/Contributions

Local Government

State Government

Federal Government

FoundationsCorporationsIndividualsOther

Earned IncomeEventsPublications &

ProductsMembership IncomeIn-kind SupportOther (specify)

ExpensesPersonnel

SalariesHourlyPayroll*Fringe BenefitsInsuranceConsultants/

Professional feesNon-personnel

TravelEquipmentSuppliesPrinting/CopyingTelephone/Fax/

InternetPostage & DeliveryRentUtilitiesMaintenanceEvaluationMarketingOther (specify)

*Indirect

*benefits are typically calculated at a percentage of overall personnel (20%-35%)

*Indirect costs are typically calculated at a percentage of overall non-personnel costs (10%-15%)

Budget FormattingALWAYS defer to using funder provided format!

When no format is required stick to a clean easy to read spreadsheet/table

Samples…

Simple Clean Easy to read

Shows the donor what commitments have been made

Shows how much is still needed

Shows the donor exactly how you arrived at the budget line items

Shows the donor what commitments have been made

Shows how much is still needed

Shows the donor exactly how you arrived at the budget line items

Shows the donor exactly how you intend to spend their money

Questions?