A budget vs actual report for one grant: every line of the funder’s approved budget, what you have spent each month, and an automatic check of whether each line is on pace with the grant period. A Close-out tab works out the unspent balance at the end. For executive directors, bookkeepers, and grant managers who report to funders.
Download Excel Template → + Sample Report PDFA funder’s question is almost always the same: how much of our money have you spent, and on what? This workbook answers it in the funder’s own budget lines. You enter monthly spending; the template does the percentages, the pace check, and the close-out math.
The sample is an illustrative $60,000 foundation grant over twelve months, reported at month 6, when half the period has passed. Total spending is $30,000, exactly on pace. Three lines are still flagged, and each gets one sentence.
Salaries, benefits, and administration track the calendar. These lines need no comment.
The year’s curriculum kits were bought in month 1. Ahead of pace, not over budget.
Field trips are scheduled for the fall term. A funder wants to know you still plan to spend it.
The evaluation consultant starts in month 9, as planned. One sentence keeps it from looking forgotten.
Who sign the report and want to answer the program officer in two minutes, not after a weekend with bank statements.
Who already tag grant expenses by class and need a clean way to turn that report into the funder’s format.
Who juggle several grants and need to see early when a line is running hot or cold.
Who want restricted grant money tracked line by line before it reaches the audit.
Enter the funder’s budget lines and amounts exactly as approved. The template checks that the lines add up to the grant amount.
After each monthly close, run a profit and loss report filtered by the grant’s class and enter each line’s total for the month.
One sentence per flagged line: why it is ahead or behind, and when it catches up. Those sentences are most of the funder report.
At the end of the period, compare the unspent balance with the funder’s rule, and work through the checklist before the report deadline.
Every grant ends with three decisions: what to do with leftover money, which restrictions to release, and how long to keep the records. The grant agreement sets the first. One published policy, from Funding Florida Legal Aid, requires returning unspent funds above $25,000 or 10% of the grant, whichever is less, unless the grantee asks in writing within 20 days of the grant’s end and the funder approves. Enter your funder’s numbers on the Setup tab and the Close-out tab does the comparison.
For federal awards, all final reports are due within 120 calendar days after the period of performance ends, or 90 days for subrecipients reporting to a pass-through entity (2 CFR 200.344), and records are kept for three years from the date the final financial report is submitted (2 CFR 200.334).
We tag every grant as we keep your books, so the budget vs actual is ready when the funder asks. Bookkeeping starts at $300 a month, and active grants add $75 a month for one to three. See the full price table.
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