Grant management

What it is

Larger community programs are often run by a partner organization under a grant agreement. The money is released in instalments as milestones are reached, and the partner reports how each instalment was used before the next is paid. The Grant page of a budget program keeps all of this in one place.

You store the signed agreement and the whole grant amount, plan the instalments, and release them in order. From the second instalment on, CorpHands asks for an accepted utilization certificate for the previous one, or a recorded reason if you release without it. A released instalment becomes a committed payment in your budget; your company pays the partner directly, and you mark it paid. CorpHands never handles the money.

What you can use it for

• Keep the agreement or MoU, the date it was signed and the whole grant amount with the program.
• Plan instalments with a milestone, an amount and a date, and release them in order.
• Collect utilization certificates through the partner portal: what was used, what is left and any interest earned.
• Accept a certificate, or return it with a note, and see which certificates are overdue.
• See at a glance what was released, paid, used and is still with the partner.

How to do it

Set up the grant

1. Open the programGo to CSR workspace → Budget and click Grant next to the program.
2. Add the agreementChoose the Implementing organization, upload the Agreement or MoU, and enter Signed on and Whole grant.
3. Plan instalmentsUnder Instalments, add each milestone with its amount and planned date, then click Add instalment.

Release an instalment

1. Check the previous certificateEach instalment after the first needs an accepted certificate for the one before. If you must release without it, write the reason.
2. ReleaseSet when the certificate for this instalment is due, and click Release. The payment appears in the budget as committed.
3. Mark it paidWhen your company has paid the partner, mark the donation paid in the budget.

Review a utilization certificate

1. Receive itThe partner uploads it in the partner portal, or you add one received by email with Record a certificate received by email or post.
2. Accept or returnCheck the amounts used, unspent and interest against the partner's report. Click Accept, or Return with a note.

Tips and good practice

• Score the partner in Due diligence before the first release, and update it when you renew the grant.
• Ask partners to report interest earned on unspent money; it shows separately on the page.
• In India, money given to an implementing agency counts as CSR expenditure only once the agency has used it; the CSR compliance page warns you about amounts not yet covered by accepted certificates.

Questions