Sample Budget
One-Year Budget Request
In this sample budget, the New Mexico Early Childhood Training Association (a fictitious organization based in Santa Fe, NM) is applying to the Brindle Foundation for funding to support three trainings of early childhood educators they will do over the calendar year 2026. The costs they incur to do these trainings are considered “direct costs.” In the following narrative, please find relevant details that are used to describe the budget that accompanies their proposal request for a one-year award.
- Their director earns $60,000 annually and the staff members each earn $45,000. Each of these individuals will use 5% of their time to prepare for and conduct the trainings, with the assistance of a consultant who will do the background research and pull the materials together that they will use to train.
- They have an organizational fringe benefit rate of 8% and the consultant they will use for this work earns $350 per day.
- They will also be hiring two bi-lingual interpreters for this work, but are not requesting that Brindle cover these fees.
- Two of the trainings require travel; one does not. For the trainings that require travel, the three individuals involved will all travel together since they live in the same location.
- One of their trainings is in Las Cruces and they will have to pay for accommodations and rent the facility downtown where they will be conducting the training.
- One of their trainings is in Taos, and they will drive back and forth to Taos from Santa Fe each day.
- The third training is in Santa Fe so there is no travel required. - The organization needs to buy a projector that costs $850, but have already earmarked $150 to do so; they need to request the remaining $700 from Brindle.
- The organization will be responsible for lunch for each of the 3 trainings and the local organization hosting them will serve coffee and snacks at a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break.
In addition to the direct program costs that the NM Early Childhood Training Association expects to incur, they will also have indirect costs such as rent and utilities, insurance, a cleaning fee, security, and bank fees. The organization cannot function without covering these costs.
The Brindle Foundation will automatically add 15% to the total direct program costs requested to cover indirect costs. In the example above, the total amount of the grant earmarked for direct costs and requested of Brindle, is $13,805.00. Since 15% x $13,805 is $2,070.75 (indirect costs), that number, when combined with the direct costs (in this case $13,805.00) is $ 15,875.75. Therefore, $15,875.75 is the total amount this proposal would fund and this will be calculated automatically for you in the budget template.
The Brindle Foundation will automatically add 15% to the total direct program costs requested to cover indirect costs. In the example above, the total amount of the grant earmarked for direct costs and requested of Brindle, is $13,805.00. Since 15% x $13,805 is $2,070.75 (indirect costs), that number, when combined with the direct costs (in this case $13,805.00) is $ 15,875.75. Therefore, $15,875.75 is the total amount this proposal would fund and this will be calculated automatically for you in the budget template.
Please note that, although the NMECTA is requesting direct costs of $13,805 in their grant application, they may be approved for a grant of $10,000. If so, there will be an automatic 15% added to the $10,000 grant award to cover indirect costs. If this were to happen, the organization would receive $1500 to cover indirect costs and the total award would be $11,500.
Finally, because it is helpful to know ways in which non-profit organizations earn revenue, we are asking you to share with us a snapshot of funds received in a typical year. Please estimate: the revenue you receive from federal and state returns; the revenue you receive from foundations and major donors; and the revenue you receive from the private sector. If you receive major in-kind contributions, please list these, as well, at the bottom.
In this example, NMECTA has received two private foundation grants ($45,000 from foundation A and $20,000 grant from foundation B) as well as $235,000 of state funding from ECECD. They have applied for a Chamber of Commerce award, as well, but it is not clear if they will receive it. If they do, they can count on $15,000 of funding raised from the private business sector.
Two-Year Budget Request
If the NM Early Childhood Training Association wanted to apply for a two-year grant to accommodate plans for a year of additional “train the trainer” for some staff, they would add this additional request in the blue year 2 column, perhaps requesting additional funds for salaries for their director at 5% and their two staff (each at 5 %, as well). As a result, these figures would look like year one for the first two lines of staff costs:
- 5% of the director’s time or $3,000
- 5% of each of two staff members’ time, for a total of $5,000
- Fringe calculated at 8% or $640
The 2 staff will ride together and be doing these 3 “train the trainer” sessions in Espanola, a distance of 27 miles on three separate days over the calendar year. They plan to drive back and forth on the same day each time.
- To Espanola, 3 days of going there and back in the same day a total of 27 miles (3 x 2 x 27 x .50 = $81 for gas)
- They will be fed by the organizations they are training
- They will be bringing 20 binders (at a cost of $30 each for a total of $60) for each training session
- The organizations will have all other materials and supplies (and they will use the same projector purchased year 1)
