Environmental Grants budget tips
A budget is required to support your application for an Environmental Grant. You can read budget tips and review the budget table example on this page to assist you with developing your budget.
Budget tips
- Make sure your total project income equals your total expenditure. Income can include financial and in-kind. Expenditure can include paying contractors, but also in-kind expenses such as volunteer labour including project management, free venue hire and free advertising.
- Volunteer staff can be costed from $35 per hour for non-skilled labour and at relevant rates for professionals.
- Provide a minimum of two recent quotes for each expense over $1000 and one recent quote for each expense under $1000. Cost of wages should include the number of hours and hourly rate.
- Ensure you are familiar with the guidelines, in particular, what is eligible for funding.
Please note that for the purpose of assessment:
- All budget figures provided must be GST exclusive, i.e. deduct GST from quotes and invoices.
- If your organisation is not GST registered, 10% GST will be added to your grant as an itemised GST gross-up.
An example budget table for each category of the Environmental Grants are below:
Category 1 - Environmental projects (example only)
| Income (source of funding) | Amount (ex GST) |
|---|---|
| Brisbane City Council Environmental Grant | $ |
| Organisation's financial contribution to the project | $ |
| Organisation's in-kind contribution to the project | $ |
| Organisation's contribution of time by paid staff and volunteers | $ |
| Other grants e.g. State Government grant (approved) | $ |
| Total income | $ |
| Project expenditure (description of work and name of supplier) | Amount (ex GST) |
| Site prep - 3 contractors x days | $ |
| Weed treatment | $ |
| Contractor - tree planting | $ |
| Plants (include number) | $ |
| Tree bags and stakes | $ |
| Weed mat, mulch x mtrs | $ |
| Fencing materials x mtrs | $ |
| Irrigation (add details) | $ |
| Mulch forks and rakes * | $ |
| Project Coordinator @ $ p/hr x hrs | $ |
| Vehicle costs (max $500) | $ |
| Catering for community volunteers at (max $200) | $ |
| Irrigation (part payment) | $ |
| Catering for event "name" | $ |
| Volunteer labour @ $ per hr x hrs | $ |
| In-house financial auditing @ $ per hr x hrs | $ |
| Part payment for irrigation | $ |
| Total expenditure | $ |
* for equipment purchased specifically for the delivery of a nominated project, a maximum of $1000 or 10% of total project costs, whichever is less.
Note:
- Ensure all income and expenditure totals match.
- As shown in the table above, it is important to group all the items being funded with Council's Environmental Grant in the top section, then list other income against the relevant items it will cover.
Category 2 - Administration and operation expenses (example only)
| Income (source of funding) | Amount (ex GST) |
|---|---|
| Brisbane City Council Environmental Grant (maximum funding is $8000) | $ |
| Organisation's financial contribution to the project | $ |
| Organisation's in-kind contribution to the project | $ |
| Organisation's contribution of time by paid staff and volunteers | $ |
| Donations | $ |
| Total income | $ |
| Project expenditure (description of work and name of supplier) | Amount (ex GST) |
| Telephone and internet costs | $ |
| Website development | $ |
| Project Coordinator @ $ p/hr x hrs | $ |
| Electricity and gas | $ |
| Postage, photocopying | $ |
| Stationery | $ |
| Audit fees (max of $500) | $ |
| Accounting services (max $500) | $ |
| Rent (max $500) | $ |
| Communications - internet and website updates | $ |
| Meeting room hire - in-kind | $ |
| Volunteer labour @ $ p/hr x hrs | $ |
| Financial auditing and accounting @ $ p/hr x hrs not covered by the grant | $ |
| Computer software | $ |
| Total expenditure | $ |
Note:
- Ensure all income and expenditure totals match.
- As shown in the table above, it is important to group all the items being funded with Council's Environmental Grant in the top section, then list other income against the relevant items it will cover.
- For Category 2, quotes are not required unless requested by Council. However, organisations may wish to support the application with quotes or the previous financial year's income and expenditure sheet, for recurring items that you may be requesting in the current application.