Queens Council on the Arts | Getting to Know the QCAF Project Budget

Getting to Know the QCAF Project Budget

It is easy to get tripped up by the budget requirements of any grant application. The budget section of the Queens Community Arts Fund application is comprised of one page for budget expenses and one page for budget income. This budget is intended to be a project budget only, not an organization budget. It is important to include all anticipated project expenses and all anticipated income that will be used to fund the project. Remember to be detailed and thorough. To learn more helpful tips, watch the budget tutorial above, read the frequently asked budget questions below and check out the budget explanation document here.

Does it diminish my grant application to include other donors in the budget income page?

• No, including other donors is not only required (see question below) but encouraged. Having other support for the proposed project strengthens the proposal.

The guidelines state that I must show 20% of my project income from other sources. What does that mean?

• 20% of the money used to cover the project total expenses must be from a source other than QCA. This 20% should be included in the Budget-Income portion of the application. For instance if the total budget expenses for the proposed project is $3,000, then in the Budget-Income you must show that at least $600 (20% of $3,000) is funded by a source other than QCAF grants.

Can I list another QCAF grant as this 20%?

• No. Additional support must be from a non-QCA source.

If I am using a fiscal sponsor, whose budgetary and financial information should I use?

• Use financial information for the sponsored organization, not the fiscal sponsor. Do use the fiscal sponsor’s proof of non-profit status.

Can the total project expenses exceed the grant award amount? If it does, should the additional expenses be included in the project budget?

• Yes, your proposed project should exceed the grant award amount since you are responsible to fund 20% of the project from non-QCA funds (see question above) Include all of the expenses and all of the income for the proposed project in the application. If you are applying for $3,000 from QCAF, but the entire project will cost $6,000, complete the budget for the full $6,000.

What is considered an in-kind donation?

• An in-kind donation includes donated services, materials or venues.