5.5 Learning Activity: Building a Budget
Building a Detailed Budget
Imagine you are responsible for attaining the funding for a new engagement area at a children’s museum. Using the examples below as a guide, create a detailed budget for the project based on what its probable needs might be. Similar to the grant checklist, feel free to create a table or use Canva or a Word template. Be creative!
Below are three different examples of budget tables from hypothetical grants.
Example 1: Small Foundation Grant
Grant: Local Arts Foundation—Community Mural Project
Grant amount requested: $15,000
| Category | Requested Funds | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Artist Stipends | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Supplies | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Wall Preparation | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Marketing | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Community Events | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| Total | $15,000 | $15,000 |
Example 2: Federal Government Grant
Grant: USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program
Grant amount requested: $200,000
| Category | Requested Funds | Matching Funds | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | $100,000 | $50,000 | $150,000 |
| Supplies | $10,000 | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| Equipment | $20,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| Contractual Services | $50,000 | $20,000 | $70,000 |
| Indirect Costs (10%) | $20,000 | $8,000 | $28,000 |
| Total | $200,000 | $93,000 | $293,000 |
Example 3: Nonprofit Health Grant
Grant: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation—Health Communities Initiative
Grant amount requested: $500,000
| Category | Requested Funds | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Program Staff | $250,000 | $250,000 |
| Training and Capacity Building | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Outreach and Community Events | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Data Collection and Evaluation | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| Indirect Costs (15%) | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| Total | $500,000 | $500,000 |
Along with the line items, a thorough grant writer will include a budget narrative. As an example, the budget narrative might read something like this:
Artist stipends: two artists @ $3,250 each to paint four murals at the XYZ building. Supplies included: paint, paint brushes, cleaning supplies for artists = $3,000 (if exact costs are known for each supply item, include the details, i.e., 30 gallons of paint @ $70/gallon = $2,100). 15 paint brushes @ $30 ea. = $450. Wall preparation: 15 hours power washing and primer application to prepare wall for mural painting @ $30/hour = $450.
In addition, when building a budget, the project team should pay attention to what is allowable and not allowable. Some grants, for example, do not support administrative costs or salary and fringe benefits. It is important to review the grant guidelines for details.
