Step-by-Step Grant Budgets for Nonprofits (+ free templates)

If you’ve ever opened a grant application that asks for a budget but doesn’t give you a format, you know how overwhelming it can feel. A clear, well-organized budget can make or break your proposal — but starting from scratch every time is exhausting. That’s where grant budget templates come in.

Templates aren’t just time-savers. They help you present your financial story clearly, avoid math mistakes, and align your numbers with your narrative. They also keep your internal team working quickly and consistently.

Whether you’re applying for a small community grant or a major foundation award, having a few go-to templates in your toolkit can make the process much smoother. Let’s break down how to use (and customize) templates that work for you.

Why Budget Templates Matter

1. They keep you consistent.
   Funders love clean, organized budgets. Templates ensure you’re presenting your numbers in a consistent way across multiple proposals, which helps build trust and professionalism.

2. They save time (and sanity).
   Once your expense categories and formulas are set, you can copy and tweak instead of rebuilding every time.

3. They reduce errors.
   A good template includes formulas that calculate totals automatically — no more mental math at midnight.

4. They help tell your story.
   Budgets are narratives in numbers. When your budget layout matches your program’s structure, reviewers can see at a glance how the money supports your goals.

Common Grant Budget Formats

Not all funders want the same format, but most fall into one of these categories:

• Line-Item Budget: Lists every expense category (personnel, supplies, travel, etc.) with subtotals and totals.

• Functional Budget: Groups expenses by program area or activity (e.g., education, outreach, administration).

• Funding Summary: Shows income sources side-by-side with expenses, often used to demonstrate cost-sharing or matching funds.

Having a few versions of each on hand means you can adapt quickly to any funder’s requirements.

What to Include in Your Budget Template

At minimum, your grant budget should include:

• Personnel: Salaries, wages, and benefits for all staff involved.

• Fringe Benefits: Taxes, insurance, and other employment-related costs.

• Program Expenses: Supplies, materials, equipment, and technology.

• Travel: Transportation, lodging, and per diem if applicable.

• Contracted Services: Consultants, artists, or specialists.

• Administrative or Indirect Costs: If allowed, a percentage of your organization’s overhead.

Pro tip: include a "calculation" or "notes" column in your template to explain how you arrived at certain numbers — reviewers love transparency.

Many funders also want to see a Revenue category that includes the expected grant amount, matching funds, or in-kind contributions. Some also want to know what percentage of the total budget their contribution would be.

How to Customize a Template for Each Funder

Even the best templates need a quick edit before submission. Here’s what to check:

✅ Review the funder’s budget format (some want personnel listed first, others last. Some want salary and benefits combined, others want them separated).
✅ Match their terminology — “supplies” vs. “materials” can matter.
✅ Align your categories with your narrative sections.
✅ Check whether indirect costs are allowed and at what rate.
✅ Double check formulas and calculations! Once you start changing a template, especially in Excel, it's easy to make a formula error without noticing. Additionally, Excel is notorious for "rounding errors" which make your overall budget $1 off.

Think of your template as a flexible framework, not a final draft.

A Final Word

A strong grant budget template does more than organize numbers — it helps you work more efficiently. Once you’ve got a few reliable templates in place, you’ll spend less time formatting and more time focusing on the part you love: crafting a compelling story about your organization’s impact.

If you’d like a free set of customizable budget templates, we’ve put together some templates you can download and modify here.

Want us to work on a template for you? Email hey@puregrant.com.