How do I complete the Budget section?

The budget section is intended to capture the full cost of your overall program, not only an allocation of a specific grant used to support your program. You'll want to provide high-level budget information in this section not a line item budget (however you are encouraged to upload more specific budget information in the documentation section.) This video walks you through each part of the Budget section in the True Impact Report Builder.

  1. Direct Costs
    • The Direct Expenses line item includes all staffing, equipment, travel, and support costs associated with directly implementing your program. Please ensure this entry (and the other line items) captures the full cost of the program overall, not just an allocation of a grant received. Please briefly describe what costs this line item includes.
    • In the direct in-kind section, you’ll want to capture in-kind resource like pro bono and volunteer service, and indirect in-kind resources like donated office or program space. We encourage organizations to monetize pro bono or volunteer service received from funders to highlight broader support for the program. 
  2. List of Current Investments
    • In this section, you’ll see the allocation from your funder and their funding “tier.” The funding tier refers to how significant a funder’s investment or funding is to your program. You can update this tier if needed. 
    • You have three to choose from: 1) Incremental (a non-primary contribution to your program’s overall budget) 2) Significant (one of the largest contributions to the program’s overall funding) and 3) Foundational (significant enough funding that its absence might undermine the viability of your program)
    • If your program budget does not exceed the investment from a particular funder, we would expect to see the funding tier as “foundational.” 
  3. Indirect Costs
    • In the overhead expenses - please ensure this line item includes a full allocation of your organization's overhead costs, including administration, fundraising, and special events costs. Please briefly describe what costs this line item includes.
    • In the overhead in kind - please ensure this line item includes a full allocation of the market value of any goods or services donated to support your organization's overhead, including administration, fundraising, and special events costs.
    • Documentation and Notes - You can upload any budget documents and provide any context for your financial information that would be helpful for your report readers.