APPLICANT RESOURCES

Budgets + Financial Resources

Budgets

All of our grant applications, budgets, and other attachments will be submitted through our online application system, GivingData. We used to accept grant applications through Meyer’s GrantIS application portal, but we are currently switching to GivingData. Read more about our transition from GrantIS to GivingData.

Once GivingData becomes available and organizations have created an organizational profile in GivingData, and have accessed GivingData to begin a particular application, they will provide budget information to Meyer either directly into the application (fill-in boxes) or via submission of attachments. 

Each portfolio has its own needs when it comes to budgets and those generally have to do with what type of grant organizations are applying for. For example, if an organization applies for project, capital, or technical assistance funding, we will likely ask them to submit a project budget in addition to an operating budget. 

Organizations applying with a fiscal sponsor should submit information and attachments pertinent to their organization, not their fiscal sponsor's. In addition, our application asks for applicants to provide a file that displays the operating surplus/deficit and a brief financial history for the past three years for the fiscal sponsor (you may use this template.)

Organizations should have already developed an annual operating budget before approaching Meyer for funding. If you need assistance in developing an operating budget, please see the resources below.

Sample Budgets

We understand that each organization will prepare their financial information in different ways, so we won’t require organizations to submit their budget or financial statements using our templates. However, for reference, we're providing the following Excel spreadsheet, which has tabs for sample project, capacity building, and capital construction budgets: 

Financial Statements

Organizations should submit, the following financial documents as attachments:

  • A copy of the organization’s current, board-approved operating budget;

  • The organization’s most recent financial statements: Balance Sheet and Income Statement/Profit & Loss—or Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Activities in nonprofit parlance; and

  • If available, the organization’s audited financial statements for the most recent two years. While we do not require an organization to provide audited financial statements, we would generally expect to see an audit for organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or above.

Financial + Budget Resources

The following pages might be helpful.

General financial resources:

Finding an accounting professional: