Your project budget should include the following information:

Income
Briefly describe the sources of revenue (admission fees, product sales, etc.) and identify known sources of gifts and grants. Project income may include the following:

• Cash contributions, which include the corporate, foundation, government, and individual gifts or grants you anticipate receiving in support of the project.
• Applicant’s own cash and earned income. If you plan to spend any of your organization’s own money (usually from the general operating budget) on the project, indicate the amount here. For example, salaries paid to your organization’s staff and postage paid by your organization are considered “applicant’s own cash,” not in-kind. Earned income is revenue from ticket or other sales that will be applied to the project cost.
• In-kind contributions. Indicate the total value of goods and services donated by a third-party to the project.

Expenses
The budget should include all project expenses. Clearly identify which expenses will be paid for with Humanities Washington grant funds. Humanities Washington funds cannot be used for costs incurred before a grant is awarded. Pre-award costs directly related to the project can, however, be counted toward the matching requirement. For expenses, describe how lump sums were calculated (i.e., how many consultants at what fees or hourly rates; how many travelers from where to where, via what modes of transportation; how many posters, etc.). Humanities Washington is primarily concerned that the budget adequately reflects the activities of the project and that the requested grant funds are allowable, reasonable, and justified.

• Salaries & Benefits. Salaries and benefits should be appropriate to the project activities proposed and to the time spent (for example a percentage of salary based on time spent on specific project). Humanities Washington may pay benefits if they are specifically indicated in the budget.
• Fees & Honoraria. Consultant fees and honoraria paid to humanities advisors, speakers, panelists, and other consultants should be appropriate to the project activities proposed and to the time spent.
• Travel. Humanities Washington grant funds may be used to pay airfare, hotel, meals, mileage, and per diem at any standard rate as long as the rates do not exceed current federal rates for the local area. Humanities Washington may not pay for food (except as a necessary expense for staff or project consultants on travel status) and may not fund international travel (but can fund domestic travel for an international speaker).
• Supplies. Humanities Washington may pay for consumable supplies directly related to project activities.
• Equipment and Facilities. Humanities Washington may pay for rental of equipment, but will not pay for its purchase. Costs of renting space for project activities are allowable.
• Postage. Mailing costs for brochures, invitations, or other large items may be included. Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of bulk-mail postal rates whenever possible.
• Publicity. Costs of printing flyers, brochures, and other publicity materials specific to the project may be included.
• Project Overhead. Up to 10% of the total requested funding may be applied to overhead program costs.

• research and development of humanities resource materials.
• print publications.
• CD-ROMs and DVDs.
• feature-length documentary films.
• academic or professional conferences. Humanities Washington will consider grant requests for public programs associated with an academic or professional conference only if the majority of the audience for the public program will be comprised of the general public, not conference attendees.
• fellowships, scholarships, or prizes.
• regular course offerings. Courses which offer academic credit or which provide professional development or skills-based training are not eligible for funding.
• “How To” workshops and training programs.
• travel to professional meetings.
• construction, preservation, or renovation projects.
• purchase of equipment.
• management and cataloguing of museum or archival holdings.
• museum, historical society, or library acquisitions.
• programs not open to the public (with the exception of school programs).
• lobbying and fundraising activities.

NEH Matching Funds Requirement
Applicants must at least match the amount granted by Humanities Washington for a project. Put another way, Humanities Washington funds may pay for no more than 50% of the total project cost. The types of funding that may be applied to the applicant’s matching requirement include:

• cash contributions (corporate, foundation, government and individual gifts or grants dedicated specifically to this project)
• applicant’s own cash (usually from the general operating budget)
• earned income (please note that Humanities Washington gives priority to programs which provide free and low-cost programs)
• in-kind contributions, including volunteer time
• donated equipment
• donated services

The following expenses are not allowable to meet the matching requirement:

• food costs such as audience refreshments and receptions (meals as a necessary expense of staff or project consultants on travel status are an allowable expense)
• entertainment or costs related to entertainment
• media sponsorship
• any contributions that cannot be assigned a fair market value for comparable services
• cost of grant-writing by staff or consultants
• other NEH or humanities council grants

For examples of project budget formats, please visit the sample budgets section. These budgets are provided as examples only, and Humanities Washington does not require that you compose your budget in these formats.