The
College follows District Governing Board policy when applying for external
grants. Grant funds allow the college to accomplish with external
funds those things it would do with operational funds if sufficient
resources were available. Grant funds are used to meet strategic goals,
improve instruction, develop and provide programs. They supplement
and complement existing college resources. Some grants provide startup
funds for projects designed to meet District and college goals as well
as funding agency goals. Proposals are planned so that they are consistent
with our mission, goals, and objectives.
Matching funds are the portion of a project or program costs that are
not borne by the funding source. Most government grants require matching
financial participation by the applicant. In some cases, the granting
agency specifies a minimum match (e.g. 25% or 50% of the total project
cost). In other instances, the funding source encourages but does not
dictate the percent of match.
Applying for grants is a competitive process, so the match needs to
compare favorably with match dollars offered by other proposers. Proposals
that include a significant match are perceived by the reviewers and
the funding source as more competitive and are therefore more likely
to be funded.
Showing an appropriate match:
Frequently,
the grant application will indicate the types of match that are acceptable
for a particular program. Generally
speaking, “match” is
allowable for the same cost categories that are allowable from
grant funds. To qualify, the match dollars must be used to
meet the objectives
of the proposed project and may come from either the college
or a third party, but not from other grants.
There are two types of match:
1. Cash Contributions: cash outlay from
the College's operational accounts or a non-Federal third
party
to support the program. Examples of a
cash contribution include a portion of the Project Director's
salary that is being paid by the institution or a cash contribution
to match
federal dollars for the purchase of instructional equipment.
2. In-kind Contributions: the value of non-cash
contributions provided by the College or a non-Federal third
party. They may be in the form
of charges for real property and non-expendable personal
property, and the value of goods and services directly benefiting
and
specifically identifiable with the project or program. Examples
include the
value of space, equipment, volunteers, and supplies for the
program; supervision;
and in some cases, any unreimbursed portion of the negotiated
indirect cost rate. (For further information consult with
the Grants Manager.)
For example, the National Science Foundation awards funding
to purchase laboratory equipment for projects that enhance
the teaching
of science.
This program requires a minimum 50% match. NSF will pay for
at least half of the equipment cost and the college must
demonstrate in its
proposal that it will pay for the other half.
During the proposal preparation process, grant writers review
the matching requirements contained in the grant application.
In addition, grant
writers generally discuss matches with Program Officers to
find out the match amounts offered by proposals that were
funded the
prior year.
This information helps the grants writer to arrive at a match
amount that will be competitive without being excessive.
A few examples of matching costs that people tend to forget about:
A.) When consultants charge a lower rate because you are
a educational institution, you can use the difference from
the
normal rate
to the educational discount rate as in-kind dollars. The
documentation that
needs to be provided is a letter from the consultant including
the normal rate charged and the educational discount rate.
B.) If an Advisory Committee participates, charge this time
as if their company was billing them for time. Keep detailed
meeting
minutes showing
who attended, the times they were there, and travel time
for each attendee.
C.) In-Kind match can also come from technical assistance,
mentoring, job fairs, tutoring, field trips and presentations.
Keep a log
that states the name, phone number, position, and hours spent
traveling
to and from the actual visit/meeting.
D.) Educational Discounts on software, equipment and supplies.
This can be used on most but not all grants. (Cash Contribution)