GRANT PROCEDURES
Forms and procedures for grants will be found under the staff tab on the school webpage.
A grant represents funds requested from a state, federal or private source. The grant is a commitment from the source to provide funds for specified purposes. All grant expenditures are subject to the same policies and procedures as other district funds.
In order to process a grant, the following steps must be completed before any commitments for purchases or employment are made:
Prior to applying for any grant, notify your building principal to assure the grant fits within current and future planning. Complete the Grant Proposal Form.
Does my grant application need to be approved by the school board?
If you answer “no” to each of the following questions, you do not need to complete the district grant application form or send your grant information to the board for preapproval.
PLEASE NOTE: If you answer “no” to the questions, you still need to read the Accounting portion of the district requirements and submit budgets to your building principal.
1. Does your grant add a staff position (full or part time)? YES NO
2. Does your grant impact a district curriculum? YES NO
3. Does your grant add technology not currently used in the district? YES NO
4. Does your grant require the district to fund the project as
grant funds are reduced and/or ended? YES NO
5. Does the amount requested in your grant exceed $1,000? YES NO
6. Will you or the grant writer be requesting a percentage of the
Grant award as a stipend payment? $________ YES NO PRELIMINARY GRANT PROPOSAL FORM
Project: _______________________________________________________________
School: _____________________________________ Phone: ___________________
Contact Name(s): _______________________________________________________
Contact Email address: ___________________________________________________
Source of Grant: ________________________________________________________
Grant Restrictions: ______________________________________________________
1. Brief description of the project you hope to fund and the amount requested: $_______
2. Are there any staffing implications for this project? (Will new staff positions be created? Will any funding for current staff be budgeted? Will salary levels be in accord with the Board Policy or other contracts? Will there be an increased workload on secretarial or other support services?) If yes, please describe.
3. Are there any implications for facilities? (Where will the project take place? Will there be any modifications or additions of facilities necessary to the success of the project? What will be the cost of these changes? Who will do the work? Please give as much detail as you can.)
4. What are the implications for school/district budgets of your project? (Is the NICS being asked to contribute any cash match for this project? Who will file budgets and
necessary reports with the Accounting Office? How many years is the duration of this grant? How many years in this grant will be funded at 100%? What requirements are there in the years of funding reduction?)
5. What are the potential implications of this project on curriculum? (Does your project fit district and building goals? Will there be changes in curriculum as a result of the project?) Please explain.
6. After the official grant period is finished, how will your project continue? Please address any commitment the district would be expected to make.
7. As grant writer, are you requesting a percentage of the grant award as a stipend?
How much? $_________________. Was this indicated on the grant application?
I have read and understand the NICS School District Grant Guidelines.
_________________________________ _____________________________
Grant Writer/Director Signature Administrator Signature
_________________________________
Date
Please send these forms along with any helpful grant application details/instructions to the Business Manager at the NICS. The school board will then review your proposal and return a decision within two weeks.
□ Approved to Complete Grant Application. □ Not Approved.
Reason:
________________________________ ________________________________
Superintendent Board President25.1 GRANT AWARD PROCEDURES
If you receive a grant award, send copy of the award letter to the Business Office.
Please note that it is mandatory to follow Board policy, administration regulations, and building
procedures as described in District Grant Guidelines.
In order to meet the grant objectives, the budget must be aligned with the resources required to meet those objectives. Such resources would include the type of personnel, services, and supplies/equipment needed to be successful. Documentation must be given to the business manager in how grant will be expended.
25.1.1 GRANT GUIDELINES
Federally and state-funded grants must be run through the districts general fund, not an activity account.
School district policy requires all who get paid to fit within an approved salary schedule. When an employee gets paid, you must plan on the benefits being paid as well.
Benefit rates vary depending on the employee and the number of hours worked per week.
Indirect costs will be charged to your grant. (So, you need to budget for it.)
As stated above, all federal and state grants must be operated through the established financial system of the district, which is subject to regular audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act as amended. That is to say, you may not run the finances of a grant “off of the books.”
Grant expenditures must be in accordance with the approved budget that was submitted with the grant application. Any difference must be approved by the school board.
You are expected to monitor your grant closely. If you identify expenditure errors, contact the Business Manager.
Most federally funded grants are on a reimbursement basis. In real terms, this means that the district agrees to let you use its own resources to conduct your grant. Then, periodically, the district must submit a reimbursement request to the granting agency to be reimbursed for those funds. The business office will prepare these reimbursements, but you need to be in communication with us to ensure a due date is not overlooked. Inherent in this “reimbursement” arrangement is your acknowledgement that any and all funds reimbursed belong to the district. Additionally, you must take extra care not to spend more money than your grant will reimburse. Your program will be billed for any over expenditure.
By their nature, reimbursements are strictly for actual expenditures that have already happened and are recorded on the district’s financial system. Encumbrances usually do not qualify. Planned expenditures do not qualify. Expenditures “in the works” do not qualify.
External source receipts must accompany all expenditures. Receipts generated in-house do not qualify.
Grant expenditures must fall within the period covered by the grant. Do not submit expenditures prior to or following the grant period. The date on the external source receipts will be used to document the date of the transaction.
The building principal will control all grants submitted through a school.
The district does not prepay any expenditure.
In lieu of providing up front money to you for expenditures, you will need to use the purchasing documents (Purchase Orders) already established for use by the district.
All reimbursements will be based on the information that comes directly from the financial system as opposed to your records.
You may also click on this link to print the information.