Budget Preparation
Return to Grants Application Process
This step in the grant process should occur concurrently with the Proposal Preparation step. Both steps rely on each other for information, and both will require time for review and input from other members of the campus and/or district staff.
Per District policy, the budget approval process must follow the timeline described below:
- 10 days prior to deadline for application – submit final budget to campus business office for review and approval
- 5 days prior to deadline for application – submit campus approved budget to District accounting for final review and approval
Please make note of the dates for completion for these phases in Budget Preparation, adhering to them will be key to your success in completing the application process.
Most grants will include a specific budgetary form to be completed and filed with the application packet. Please review these forms as soon as possible and ensure that you seek answers to any questions you may have regarding them.
The basic budget form types are described below. Templates specific to your application will be provided by the Grants department:
A Budget Summary outlines the overall costs of the proposed project. Common budget categories include: personnel (salaries and benefits), supplies and materials, travel and conference, contractual services, equipment, construction, and indirect costs. SCCCD uses the same object code system as state agencies like the CCCCO and the California Department of Education (CDE) to classify budget line items. Federal and private grants will have similar general categories. Your campus business office can help you understand what items should appear in each category.
The Budget Detail Sheet provides a line-item breakdown of each cost category shown on the Budget Summary. A good proposal will show how the costs are derived, including salaries and benefits. At SCCCD, fringe benefits are calculated using the district’s benefit calculator sheet and the costs are summarized on the Details Sheet. For budgets that span multiple years, it is important to use the benefit estimator for multi-year grants.
The Budget Narrative describes what the funds are to be used for and how the costs are reasonable and necessary to implement the proposed project. Some applications refer to this document as a “budget justification.” Not all grant applications require this document.
Please contact your campus business office if you have any questions on developing a grant budget.
