Last fall, I was awarded a considerable program grant on behalf of my client. I sent over the grant agreement to the executive director and program director and urged them to read through it to make sure they understood what the funds can be used for and what the reporting requirements are.
Six months later, I followed up to let them know we were halfway through the grant cycle and to make sure we were on track.
They were both confused…
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When I first onboard a client, I impress upon them that grant money is not free money without strings attached.
Every once in a while, we will get an unrestricted grant without reporting requirements, but most grant funding requires a specific use of the funds and reporting.
Since we were at the six-month mark, I was able to jump on a call with my client to go through the grant requirements line by line, and we were able to meet the spending criteria and reporting requirements.
Not all organizations catch this in time. Many grant funding agreements specify that if the funds are not spent according to the stated budget or the number served is not met, a portion of the grant funds will have to be repaid.
No one wants to be in that position.
If you manage grants and do final reporting, make sure your client/employer is paying attention to the requirements. If you are only responsible for writing the grants, urge your client/employer to read the agreement carefully.
We want to bring money in, not give it back.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants
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