How to put together a budget for your funding bid

Before you can apply for funding, you have to be clear about what you are going to do and how much it is going to cost. It is easy to forget to include some items in your budget, and this can give you serious problems when you find you are short of money.

Use the checklist below to see if you have thought of everything. No project will need to include all these items, so don’t be worried by the length of the list!

A few other pointers:

• Do put reasonably precise amounts in your budget whenever you can. Show you have done the necessary research and that the equipment you need will add up to £838. Don’t just put a guessed £1,000.

• Don’t under-budget just to look cheap. The funders have a good idea of what things cost, so they will think you are being unrealistic and be concerned that you are not a well managed organisation.

• Your potential funder may also want you to show what money you have coming in - this might be in the form of other fundraising, charging or "in kind" items. Under "in kind" you may be able to count the staff/volunteer time you are putting in as well as physical items you have received as donations.

• It helps if funders can see you have raised some money for yourselves if this is possible, and that you area not just "going out with a begging bowl" for the whole sum. You may do this by holding events, sponsored walks etc. You may be able to show you can make money as you go along, by charging for the services you are offering (e.g. a small sum paid by each of the elderly people on yourcoach trips) or by selling things (e.g. selling plants from a nursery staffed by people with mental health problems).

• See if you can get donations of furniture and equipment. You can show these as "in kind" items, as part of your contribution to the budget.

Checklist of budget Items:

Staff Costs

Salaries

• the amount you pay
• National Insurance employer’s contribution
• employer’s pension contribution
• increments

Staff benefits
Training
Temporary staff
Sick leave cover
Maternity/paternity costs
Redundancy payments
Clothing/uniform
Recruitment

• Advertising and/or use of recruitment agency
• Interview panel
• Travel/accommodation costs offered to interviewees

Volunteers

Recruitment & induction

Training
Clothing/uniform
Travel
Expenses
Subsistence

Trustees

Recruitment & induction
Training
Travel
Accommodation
Subsistence
Other meeting expenses

Premises

Purchase
Mortgage
Rent
Council Tax/Business Rates
Electricity
Gas
Water
Insurance
Repairs/maintenance
Cleaning
Gardening

Office Costs

Telephone
Mobile phone(s)
Photocopier
Fax
Stationery
Publicity materials
Design
Printing
Postage
Memberships
Subscriptions
Professional Associations
Publications/books
Couriers
Vehicles - hire or purchase including tax, insurance, maintenance
Mileage
Public transport
Subsistence
Catering
Accommodation
Maintenance contracts
Hire/lease agreements

Computers & communication

Computer/monitor/keyboard/ mouse
Printer
Scanner
Digital camera
Other hardware
Software purchase/licences
Upgrading software
Telephone line/broadband
Website creation, hosting and maintenance
Database management
Consultancy & support
Training

Activities

Fundraising
Monitoring/evaluation
Conference costs
Policy
Research & development
Marketing
Professional fees
Legal
Accountancy
Audit
Investment management
Architect
Surveyor
Consultancy
Agency

Beneficiaries

Grants

Other costs

Public liability insurance/ event insurance
Bank charges
Sundry expenses
Contingency fund
Loss on disposal of fixed assets
Depreciation of fixed assets
Contribution to reserves

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