Template · Fundraising

Grant project budget and budget narrative

A fill-in project budget for a grant application: direct and indirect costs, in-kind support, other funding, and a short budget narrative.

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The Word file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice. Reviewed October 21, 2026.

Use this template when a funder asks for a project budget and doesn't give you its own form. If the funder has a form, use theirs, and use this one to do your thinking first.

Our guide to building a grant budget explains each part in more detail: direct and indirect costs, in-kind gifts, matching, and how to write the narrative.

How to fill it in

Start with the whole project. Fill in the full cost first, then show how much you are asking this funder for. The two columns should never be confused.
Every number needs a source. A quote, a past receipt, a salary figure, a published price. Note it in the narrative.
Direct costs belong clearly to this project. Indirect costs are a fair share of running the whole charity, like bookkeeping, insurance and the director's time. Follow the funder's rules on indirect costs. For federal awards, 2 CFR 200.414 lets an organization without a negotiated indirect cost rate choose a de minimis rate of up to 15 percent of modified total direct costs; read the rule or ask an accountant before you use it.
In-kind means donated goods, services or space. List it separately at a fair value and keep a record from the giver. It is not cash.
Other funding shows the funder that the project doesn't depend on them alone. Mark each source as confirmed or pending.
Check the math twice. The totals in the table must match the numbers in the narrative.
Delete any line you don't need. Add lines if the project has costs not listed here.

Preview

[ORGANIZATION NAME]: project budget

Project: [PROJECT NAME]

Funder: [FUNDER NAME]

Grant period: [START DATE] to [END DATE]

Prepared by [NAME, ROLE] on [DATE]

Summary

	Amount
Total project cost (cash)	$[AMOUNT]
Amount requested from [FUNDER NAME]	$[AMOUNT]
Other cash funding (confirmed and pending)	$[AMOUNT]
In-kind support (not cash)	$[AMOUNT]

Direct costs

Line	Total project cost	Requested from this funder	Other sources
Staff: [ROLE], [HOURS PER WEEK OR PERCENT OF TIME]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Staff: [ROLE], [HOURS PER WEEK OR PERCENT OF TIME]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Payroll taxes and benefits for the staff above	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Contractors: [SERVICE]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Supplies and materials	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Equipment: [ITEM]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Space or venue for the project	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Travel and transportation	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Printing, postage and outreach	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Volunteer training and background checks	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Evaluation: [HOW YOU WILL MEASURE RESULTS]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Other: [DESCRIPTION]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Total direct costs	$[TOTAL]	$[TOTAL]	$[TOTAL]

Indirect costs

Line	Total project cost	Requested from this funder	Other sources
Indirect costs: [RATE OR METHOD, FOR EXAMPLE PERCENT OF DIRECT COSTS OR A SHARE OF NAMED COSTS]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]	$[AMOUNT]
Total indirect costs	$[TOTAL]	$[TOTAL]	$[TOTAL]

Total project cost

	Total project cost	Requested from this funder	Other sources
Direct plus indirect	$[TOTAL]	$[TOTAL]	$[TOTAL]

Other funding sources

Source	Amount	Confirmed or pending	Date expected
[GRANT OR FUNDER NAME]	$[AMOUNT]	[CONFIRMED OR PENDING]	[DATE]
Individual donations	$[AMOUNT]	[CONFIRMED OR PENDING]	[DATE]
[EVENT, FEES OR OTHER INCOME]	$[AMOUNT]	[CONFIRMED OR PENDING]	[DATE]
Total other funding	$[TOTAL]

In-kind support (not cash)

What was given	Given by	Fair value	How the value was set
[FOR EXAMPLE: USE OF A HALL FOR WEEKLY SESSIONS]	[NAME OF GIVER]	$[AMOUNT]	[FOR EXAMPLE: THE HALL'S USUAL RENTAL RATE, IN A LETTER FROM THE GIVER]
[DESCRIPTION]	[NAME OF GIVER]	$[AMOUNT]	[METHOD]
Total in-kind		$[TOTAL]

Volunteer hours: [NUMBER] hours from [NUMBER] volunteers. [ONLY ADD A DOLLAR VALUE IF THE FUNDER ASKS FOR ONE AND SAYS HOW TO CALCULATE IT.]

Budget narrative

Write two to four sentences for each line: what it is, how you worked out the number, and how it serves the project.

[LINE NAME], $[AMOUNT]. [WHAT IT IS.] [HOW THE NUMBER WAS CALCULATED, FOR EXAMPLE HOURS TIMES RATE, OR A QUOTE FROM A NAMED SUPPLIER.] [HOW IT SERVES THE PROJECT.]

[LINE NAME], $[AMOUNT]. [WHAT IT IS.] [HOW THE NUMBER WAS CALCULATED.] [HOW IT SERVES THE PROJECT.]

Indirect costs, $[AMOUNT]. [THE RATE OR METHOD USED AND WHAT IT COVERS, FOR EXAMPLE BOOKKEEPING, INSURANCE AND SUPERVISION.]

Other funding. [WHO ELSE IS SUPPORTING THE PROJECT, WHAT IS CONFIRMED, AND WHAT YOU WILL DO IF A PENDING SOURCE DOESN'T COME THROUGH.]

After the grant ends. [HOW THE PROJECT WILL CONTINUE OR WIND DOWN WHEN THIS FUNDING STOPS.]

Sign-off

Reviewed by [TREASURER OR BOOKKEEPER NAME] on [DATE].

Approved by [NAME, ROLE] on [DATE].

Keep going

Sources

Checked on October 21, 2026. Rules and fees change, so follow the links for the current version.

eCFR: 2 CFR 200.414 Indirect costs (de minimis rate)