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When you apply for a grant, you will usually be required to submit a proposed budget along with the rest of your proposal. In almost all cases, that budget needs to be accompanied by a budget narrative. This section of your grant proposal package helps explain and, more importantly, justify the numbers in your proposed budget. A strong, supported and well-written budget narrative helps convince the people in charge of awarding the grant that your organization and project are the winning bet among a diverse pool of candidates.
What is a Budget Narrative?
What is the Function of the Budget Narrative?
How Do You Organize a Budget Narrative?
What's an Example of a Budget Breakdown?
Write as if to a Friend
Repeat the Numbers for Clarity
References
- Mount Mercy University: Examples of Budgets and Budget Narratives from Actual Proposals
- Grant Central Station: Writing a Budget Narrative
- HHS Office of Population Affairs: Budget and Budget Narrative Guidance for Non-Competing Continuation Applications
- WEGO: Budget and Budget Narrative
- Radford University: The Importance of the Budget Narrative
Resources
Tips
- Write the budget narrative in the same sequence of categories as the line item budget using identical headings.
- Include the budget narrative to a grant proposal after the formal budget or attach to the appendix.
Warnings
- Good grant proposals are routinely rejected due to an unclear or faulty budget narrative.
- Refrain from going overboard with explaining each item. The budget narrative may have to be limited if pages our restriction due to grant guidelines.
- An chart and example is not needed for every expenditure justification.
Writer Bio
Annie Sisk is a freelance writer who lives in upstate New York. She holds a B.A. in Speech from Catawba College and a J.D. from USC. She has written extensively for publications and websites in the business, management and legal fields.