Your budget breakdown shows funders exactly where their money will go. List each cost with a description and an amount. Your costs must add up to the grant size you’ve asked for, or you won’t be able to publish.
Why it matters
A good budget breakdown:
- shows funders you’ve planned your project properly
- paints a picture of what you’ll actually do
- can sometimes lead to extra offers from funders, such as sourcing items or a venue
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
What to include
For each cost:
- say what it is: the item, service or staff time
- give the quantity
- give the cost per unit
- make sure it links to your pitch: every cost should clearly relate to an activity you’ve described, so nothing feels like an afterthought
Example
| Cost description | Amount |
|---|---|
| 15 x child-size gardening gloves @ £5 per pair | £75 |
| 30 x mixed organic vegetable seed packs @ £2.50 per pack | £75 |
| 48 hours youth worker time (four hours a week for 12 weeks) @ £15 per hour | £720 |
| Total | £870 |
What costs can I include?
Your budget can include:
| Type of cost | What it covers | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue costs | Day-to-day costs of running the project’s activities | Session staff, materials, venue hire, travel, refreshments |
| Capital costs | Long-lasting assets and infrastructure | Equipment, furniture, a polytunnel, building improvements |
| Core costs | A share of your organisation’s basic running costs, such as rent, utilities or admin | A proportion of your rent for the room the project uses |
Only include core costs where they directly make the project’s activities possible.
How to add your budget
- Go to step 3 of your project (Delivery plan).
- Under Budget breakdown, enter a Cost description and an Amount for your first cost.
- Click Add another cost for each extra line.
- Check the Total. It shows how much you’ve listed out of the amount you requested.
If you see “Your costs must add up to the grant size requested”, either adjust your costs or go back to step 1 and change your Grant size, £. Every row must have both a description and an amount.
If this grant only covers part of your project
That’s fine. List the costs this grant will pay for, and explain in your pitch how you’ll cover the rest. How much of my project will be funded?
If your costs change
Plans change. You might be donated the equipment you were going to buy, or offered a cheaper rate as a community group. Before you’re funded, edit and re-publish your project. Editing and republishing a project
After you’ve been selected, talk to us. We’re always happy to discuss changes. Changing your budget or plans after funding
Your budget appears on your public project page, so only include details you’re happy to share.
Questions?
Our team is around Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- Email: hello@actionfunder.org
- Phone: 020 3805 2835