Grant budget calculator
Build a grant budget that reconciles. Add personnel with their time fraction, set a fringe rate, list other direct costs, then apply indirect on the correct base. The tool handles the ten percent de minimis rate and the modified total direct cost method, and shows every subtotal so the figures match your narrative.
Personnel
Other direct costs
Indirect costs
Fringe, and why to use your real rate
Fringe benefits are the employer costs attached to salary: payroll taxes, health insurance, retirement contributions, and workers compensation. Calculate your actual rate by dividing total benefit costs by total salaries from last year's financials. For most small nonprofits it lands between 18 and 30 percent. Use your real figure rather than a round number, because a reviewer comparing it to your Form 990 will notice a rate that does not match.
Indirect costs and the base they apply to
Indirect costs are shared expenses that keep the organization running: rent, utilities, accounting, insurance, and administrative staff. They are charged as a percentage of a base, and the base is where mistakes happen.
If you have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate, use it on the base it specifies. If you do not, you may be able to use the ten percent de minimis rate, which applies to modified total direct costs, meaning total direct costs minus items like equipment and the portion of each subaward beyond the first $50,000. The tool defaults to this method and lets you switch to a flat rate on total direct costs. Always check the funder's own cap, since many foundations limit indirect to between 10 and 15 percent and some do not pay it at all.
The check that prevents a decline
A grant budget is checked for arithmetic before it is judged for reasonableness, and figures that do not reconcile are a common reason a strong proposal is declined. Once the tool gives you a total, confirm the same number appears in your budget narrative and in the amount you request in the cover letter. Those three figures disagreeing is the single most avoidable budget error.
Common questions
What indirect cost rate can I use without a negotiated rate?
Many organizations without a federally negotiated rate can use the ten percent de minimis rate, which applies to modified total direct costs. Always check the funder's own cap first, since some limit or disallow indirect costs.
What is modified total direct cost?
Total direct costs minus certain excluded items, most commonly equipment and the portion of each subaward above the first $50,000. The ten percent de minimis indirect rate is applied to this modified base rather than to total direct costs.
How do I calculate a fringe benefit rate?
Divide total benefit costs by total salaries from your most recent financials. For most small nonprofits the result is between 18 and 30 percent. Use the actual figure, since it can be checked against your Form 990.
Does this calculator save my budget?
No. It runs entirely in your browser and stores nothing. Copy the totals into your own document when you are done, since leaving the page clears the figures.
What is the difference between direct and indirect costs?
Direct costs are attributable to the specific project, such as a coordinator's time and participant materials. Indirect costs are shared organizational expenses like rent and accounting that support all programs and cannot be assigned to one.