Grants & Awards: DHP: FAQs:

Documentary Heritage Program FAQs

Application Content - Budget and Cost Sharing

1. Can I hire an existing employee to work on the grant project?
2. Can I count my project advisory committee's time as part of my institutional match?
3. Can a donation to our institution that was not designated for a specific function or project but is subsequently contributed to the proposed project be considered part of our Cost Sharing requirement?
4. If my organization's trustees work on the project, can their time be allocated as part of our Cost Sharing?
5. I plan to hire someone to work on the project at an hourly rate and to pay their medical insurance benefits. Which Budget Category Form should I use to list the wages?

1. Can I hire an existing employee to work on the grant project?

The answer to this question depends on whether the employee is paid with grant funds or whether the salary will be included in your cost sharing.

• Grant funds may be used to increase work hours of existing staff to carry out grant project-related work (e.g., Jeremy works fifteen hours at the historical society, adds ten hours to his work week to do grant project-related work, and is paid for those extra ten hours with grant funds).
• If an existing staff person is paid with grant funds and is not increasing his/her work hours, it is important to demonstrate that this person will be replaced in their former assignment, and that the replacement will be paid with non-grant funds. (e.g., Lucinda is a full-time employee at the historical society. Fifteen hours of her time will be spent working on the grant project and she will be paid for those fifteen hours with grant funds. Subsequently, the historical society will hire Hazel, a temporary worker, for fifteen hours to relieve Lucinda from her regular duties. Hazel will be paid for those fifteen hours with non-grant funds.)
• Regular staff salary and benefits can be counted towards Cost Sharing for the portion of work that relates directly to the grant project (e.g., Eloise, the receptionist answers calls about the project. A portion of her salary and benefits - paid by the institution - counts as part of the cost sharing). Remember to include all employee contributions on the Cost Sharing Form, even if a very small amount of time is devoted to the project.


2. Can I count my project advisory committee's time as part of my institutional match?

Yes, as long as it is time directly contributed to the project. Be prepared to document their contribution on the Cost Sharing form. For example, if there will be four, four-hour advisory meetings, then each committee member is contributing two days of time. Using a standard consultant rate of $250/day, each member is contributing $500 in matching costs. Advisory committee members' mileage to attend meetings may also be used as part of the cost share.

3. Can a donation to our institution that was not designated for a specific function or project, but subsequently contributes to the proposed project, be considered part of our Cost Sharing requirement?

Yes.

4. If my organization's trustees work on the project, can their time be allocated as part of our Cost Sharing?

Yes. The time that anyone donates to the project can be considered part of the Cost Sharing requirement.

5. I plan to hire someone to work on the project at an hourly rate and to pay their medical insurance benefits. Which Budget Category Form should I use to list the wages?

The wages should be listed on the Salaries Form (Code 15). Anyone who receives benefits should be listed under salaries, and their benefits should be listed on the Employee Benefits Form (Code 80). It does not matter whether they are salaried or hourly employees. If a staff position is funded using grant funds, then funding for that position should be requested under Salaries (Code 15).