Helping departments throughout the college apply for & “win” federal, state, & foundation funding to the benefit of students, community, & faculty.

Administrative Services Training Workshop Grant Set-up, Development and Administration

March 1, 2013AGB Conference Room

Edward de la OCathy Arreguin

Betty McClelland

Introduction

Purpose of Meeting• Opportunity to fine tune the Saddleback College grants process• Group effort

Survey• Survey responses identified training needs and areas of the grants

process that need clarification and improvementDisclaimer

• The Grants Office understands that every grant is unique • Ultimately we want to work with you to develop Grants Best Practices

Grants Office Website

http://www.saddleback.edu/grants/

Pre-Award & Research Process

Basic breakdown of the grant process• Red Section- everything that happens BEFORE any grant application

process begins!

Project Development• Determine needs of department- or• Identify or develop conceptual idea of project to be funded• Meet with Grants Office to review goals, projects for funding, etc.• REALISTIC assessment of funding opportunities

Grant Application Development

Independent Decision Matrix Form• Assists with determining if funding opportunity identified is

appropriate• Starts the process of completing the Grants Office Request Form

Grants Office Request Form• Relevant information regarding grant intending to pursue• Funding amount, due date, duration, allowable costs, target groups,

approvals, etc.• Internal resources needed in order to complete• Commitment required of college and/or department if funded

Grant Application Development

Characteristics of a “successful” application effort• Cooperative working relationship between Grants Office and

academic department/division• Core group

• Grants Office/Analyst• Faculty• Dean• Add value partners

• Cooperation/support from District Finance and College/District Research departments

• Clear vision of what you want to achieve• What gap is being filled• How will your program meet the funders needs

Application & Narrative

Grant Application Development

Availability of data to support the proposed concept need• Current & historical data• Outcomes to be achieved• National, local, and college/district data • Demographic data

• Saddleback/District Research Departments

• Clearly- a grant application is a collaborative process• Grants Office –

• Assist and refine narrative• Develop budget, required forms, submission of application

Application & Narrative

Grant Application Development

Green Section• Application must be reviewed by Grants Office prior to submission

• Budget, narrative submitted 10 business days prior to funder due date

• Grants Office will obtain all internal approvals • Matching funds must be approved by VP Administration and

President prior to submission to District• Final budget submitted to District Finance for approval• Submission of final or near ready draft narrative, approved

budget and required forms to District approver for signature• Grant Applications- VC of Technology and Learning Services• “Contracts”- VC of Business Services

Review & Approval

Grant Application Development

In the beginning- START A MASTER GRANT FILE• RFP• Correspondence with funder• Executed copies/approvals of everything• Information you may need to go back and look at if you get

funded- or use the next time if you don’t get funded• Preliminary budget, research, etc.

MASTER FILE

Grant Application Development

Worksheets that can make application development and grant tracking and reporting easier

• Matching Worksheet • Classified Employee Worksheet• Short term Employee Worksheet • Academic Employee Worksheet

Forms are your friends!

Grant Application Development

Blue section- Submittal • Grants Office oversees• Application is finalized and approved internally• Application submitted via required method

• Hard copy mail/courier• Email• Online data submission

• Now we wait- a few weeks to a year in some cases!

It’s time to submit

Grant Award

Purple Section- Post Award• Grants Office coordinates internal approval processes for grant

acceptance• Grants Office works with Project Director/Dean prior to

submitting grant award for Board of Trustees/District approval• HOWEVER- all grant funded hiring or staff approvals or re-

assignments are handled by the grant project director and corresponding division manager/dean

We got funded! Now what?

Grant Management Project Implementation

Grant ManagementProject Oversight

Grant Management All good things must come to an end…

Grant Management Staying on track

Tracking Mechanisms• Tools which can assist you in keeping your grant on course and

maintaining the Districts fiduciary responsibility over the funds awarded

• Variance report• Compare amount planned to spend against actuals• Assess progress of activities and funds monthly• Required at least quarterly for funder reporting

• Escape reports• Fiscal 02- summary of expenditures by object code• Fiscal 03- detailed expenditures

Grant Management Sample Reports

Basic ReportGo to Escape Megatron Start User Name Password Finance Fiscal Accounts Go to Project Enter Project # View Sample Report-

A. Year, Project, Object Codes, DescriptionB. Account balance + spent= revised amountC. Revised amount should match your budgeted amount

As you review the report look for:• Salary allocation and expenditure rates• Benefits allocation and expenditures• Are expenses matching up according to original budget• Is there budget remaining to cover upcoming expenses• Is a budget revision needed

Grant Management Escape Reports

Betty McClelland to review samples of Escape reports • Fiscal 03• Fiscal 02

Grant Management Variance Report Checklist

Quarterly Grant Expenditure Data Entry Page • Approved funding source grant budget• Total expenditures for each object code• Current variance or balance which may include overage• Grant annual budget variance- % of budget spent• Month to month variance

• Report will allow a 10% (over/under) will show green• Over expenditures will be coded red• Under expenditures will be coded yellow

Grant Management Variance Response Report

Variance Report and Response• Form which helps you demonstrate the reasons for a grant

budget not being in line with expenditure projections or commitment to funder

• Provides opportunity for strategy to be developed or steps taken to get the grant back on track

Grant Management Invoicing- Review

• Expenses identified for reimbursement must match expenses shown in Escape!

• Accounting/auditing purposes- expenses exist once viewed in Escape

• Only actual expenditures can be invoiced• Activities occurred ≠ Expenditures• Expenses paid = Expenditures ready for reimbursement• Budget expenditure plan and all approvals should be

developed at grant initiation• On rare occasions- invoices may be submitted prior to

expenses visible in Escape• Must be able to demonstrate the expense has

occurred• Must demonstrate that grantor will accept expense

issued without back up of payment having occurred

Grant Management Discussion Point

Expending funds outside approved budget• Mitigate, reduce, eliminate the practice of expending funds

outside of the approved budget without prior funder approval• Each grant is different- different rules apply...?

Budget allocation consistency• Funds should only be expended according to approved grantor

budget• Tentative budget gap period- no excuse to spend outside

approved grantor budget