As part of the application process, organizations are required to submit a budget that outlines the expenses associated with the proposed program.
Below is a list of allowable expenses, which can be paid for by grant funds, and unallowable expenses, which cannot be paid for by grant funds:
Allowable Expenses
• Salaries and wages
• Fringe benefits
• Insurance
• Meals for program participants only (catering services are recommended)
• Transportation (must be directly related to program participant activities)
• Space/facility rental directly related to programming
• Consumable supplies (e.g., office supplies, printing and copying for meeting materials and public information purposes, etc.)
• Incentives and compensation*
• Consultant and professional services*
• Miscellaneous expenses and other expenses not listed above; all miscellaneous expenses must align with scope of work and illustrate a direct benefit to program participants*
• Indirect costs*
*NOTE: if your program budget includes expenses in the Incentives/Compensation, Consultant/Professional Fees, Miscellaneous Expenses, and/or Indirect Costs categories, you are required to provide a brief description and justification for these expenses in the “Description & Justification” column of the program budget.
Unallowable Expenses
• Projects that take place primarily outside of the City of Columbus corporate boundary
• Project expenses that have been incurred prior to the contract start date
• Sales tax
• Tips and gratuities
• Political contributions and other expenses associated with political activities
• Food and beverages for staff
• Bank late-payment fees and other financial penalties
• Event sponsorships
• Capital equipment purchases (e.g., computers, printers, copiers, etc.)
• Travel to and/or registration for conferences, competitions, symposia, and similar events
• Scholarships and awards of substantial value
• Staff bonuses
All applicants are required to use the 2025 City of Columbus Summer Youth Program Grant Application Budget Template Excel spreadsheet to create the program budget that must be submitted as an attachment to Section 5 of this application. The Budget Template spreadsheet can be downloaded here. If you have difficulty accessing the spreadsheet, please contact summeryouth@columbus.gov.
If selected for funding, the City of Columbus reserves the right to fully or partially award funding to support some or all categories of the program budget based on their alignment with the grant’s purpose and the availability of funds.