In terms of federal grants, organizations do a poor job of planning ahead for future funding. Organizations should have a top five or a top ten list of programs they would start—or expand—if federal funding becomes available. So much time is wasted deciding what to do, selecting the project leader, designing the program, identifying external […]
As we know, there aren’t any federal grants to start a new business and grants to existing businesses are extremely rare and very limited in their purpose. If you have an existing business, don’t waste your time looking for grants, go after public contracts. Governments at all levels—federal, state and local—buy hundreds of billions of […]
We’re entering the homestretch for 2020. We have about three solid months of grant work in front of us before the holiday season. Once Thanksgiving arrives, we start sliding downhill towards the new year. Pack as much as you can into the next few months so you can use December as a planning month and […]
How long must you keep your records after your grant ends? In general: three years after the date you submit your final expenditure and program report. Once you submit the final report, mark your calendar three years (plus one day) in the future to have a records disposal day. Please see 2 CFR 200.333 for […]
Did you know? “The cost of training and education provided for employee development is allowable.” Source: 2 CFR 200.472. More information like this can be found in the federal grant cost principles.
Did you know? Failure to properly document expenses is the #1 cause of audit findings and grant repayments. Make sure all your grant expenses are sufficiently documented. You can’t charge to a grant what you can’t document.
There’s no downside to registering your organization with the System for Award Management (SAM) https://www.sam.gov and Grants.gov even if applying for federal grants isn’t in your immediate future. The process is time consuming; it’s not something you want to do at the last minute before a deadline. Registering is free. You don’t need to pay […]
Unwritten grant management rule #10. Your program officer might occasionally ask for information you weren’t expecting. Understand they do this for a reason. It’s not to make you jump through random hoops for the hell of it. Most often, it’s to help them get a better understanding of your program. Other times, they might be […]
Unwritten grant management rule #9. Don’t be afraid to call your program officer. Talk about your program and any challenges you’re facing or any potential scope changes you’re considering.
Unwritten grant management rule #8. Know the grant management regs in detail. Don’t assume your program officer knows the regulations better than you. Know them well enough to find creative ways around a potential “no” from your program officer. If you research everything before asking your program officer to make a change, 99% of the […]