Recipient Information

For grants awarded before October 1, 2002

This guide is intended to assist Foundation grantees manage their grants. While it may be useful for a potential applicant to read this guide to determine if one should apply for a Foundation grant, please do not submit any of the documents described below until the Foundation has awarded a grant and issued a grant agreement. Also, please note, this guide describes a general grant from the Foundation and may not include the specifics of your program; please discuss it with your Project Officer.

Activating the Grant

When you receive your grant agreement, review it carefully. Are the grant specifics accurate and can you fulfill the requirements?
If the terms are agreeable, sign the grant agreement. Make and retain a copy for yourself and your financial officer.
Return the original, signed grant agreement to the Foundation. You need to return only the grant agreement, not the attachments.

Documenting Challenge Funds

The legislation and policies governing the Foundation require that all federal funds released by the Foundation be matched by non-federal contributions, which the Foundation refers to as Challenge Funds. Challenge Funds, be they cash or contributed goods and service, must be non-federal in nature, contributed specifically for the project, and voluntarily given. Your total project budget is the sum of Challenge Funds and NFWF Federal Funds.

To document Challenge Funds, you may use any of the following methods:

Have your third-party donor submit a check to the Foundation, referencing the project name and number as they appear on your grant agreement.
Have your third-party donor submit an original letter to the Foundation on letterhead documenting the exact dollar value and date of the contribution (see sample Cash Donation Letter, Contributed Goods and Services Letter, or Volunteer Services Letter).
Submit an original letter to the Foundation on letterhead documenting the exact dollar value and date of your organization's contribution (see sample Cash Donation Letter or Volunteer Services Letter).

In certain cases, in order to document a commitment of Challenge Funds for the purposes of releasing NFWF Federal Funds, the Foundation will accept a pledge letter, provided that the donor submits a follow-up letter after the contribution has been made and before the grant's end date; please contact your Project Officer for specifics. For more information on documenting Challenge Funds, please click here.

Requesting Grant Dollars from the Foundation

Once the original, signed grant agreement has been returned to the Foundation, you may invoice the Foundation for funds. Cash Challenge Funds that are sent to the Foundation are available immediately upon receipt. NFWF Federal Funds are released on a reimbursement basis to the extent of Challenge Funds documented, based on the grant ratio. In certain cases, the Foundation will consider advancing NFWF Federal Funds before expenses against them have been incurred; please contact your Project Officer for specifics.

Submit an original, signed and dated invoice to the Foundation (see sample Invoice).
Be sure you have returned the original, signed grant agreement, documented sufficient Challenge Funds, and submitted financial and programmatic reports, as due.

Financial Reporting

Complete the Approved Budget and Financial Reporting Form, indicating the cumulative financial activity of the project from the start date to the current date.
Submit the original, signed and dated form to the Foundation four times per year on the dates indicated in your grant agreement. You should retain, but not submit, receipts and other supporting documentation.
If you overspend in any line-item of either the Challenge Fund or Federal Matching Fund portion of the approved budget by more than ten percent of the total Challenge Funds or Federal Matching Funds, respectively, you should submit a request to amend the budget (see sample Budget Amendment Request).

Programmatic Reporting

Twice per year, on the dates indicated in your grant agreement, submit a brief programmatic report summarizing your activities to date. Please mail a hard copy and email an electronic copy.

Closing the Grant

Within 30 days of the grant's end date, submit a final financial report, reflecting the total financial activity of the grant. It should indicate how you spent the Challenge Funds documented and the NFWF Federal Funds released.
Within 30 days of the grant's end date, submit a Final Programmatic Report, via both mail and email, summarizing and evaluating the accomplishments made under the grant and the fulfillment of its proposed results. Include a representative sample of before and after slides, as well as any other supplementary material that exemplifies the success of the grant (e.g. press releases, articles, et cetera).
If pledge letters were used to document Challenge Funds for the purposes of releasing NFWF Federal Funds, have your donors submit follow-up letters before the grant's end date.
Throughout the duration of the grant, keep your project officer informed of any changes in contact information or project scope, as well as any difficulties in completing grant activities or submitting reports in a timely manner. You may submit a request for an extension if more time is needed to complete your project (see sample Extension Request).