INSTITUTIONAL GRANTS
AWARDED INFORMATION
This section provides guidance for current grantees on the management of their Tinker Foundation grant and addresses frequently asked questions.
SPECIFIC GRANT GUIDELINES
Project Period
Awarded grant funds may not be expended on project costs incurred prior to the official grant start date. A grant period may be extended to accommodate the need to fully expend grant funds extending beyond the approved completion date. This requires prior written approval from the Foundation.
Indirect Costs
You may include a maximum of 15% in the project budget to account for indirect costs attributed to project implementation. Provide a description of what is included in indirect costs. Program officers analyze indirect cost requests as part of their overall review of project budgets and approve them on a case-by-case basis.
Capital Expenses
Please note that we rarely fund capital equipment purchases on any single tangible item that has a useful life of more than one year and a value equal to or greater than $5,000. However, if your organization has 501(c)(3) status, some capital purchases may be allowable and are analyzed as part of our overall review of project budgets. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Grants Modifications
If a proposal is approved by our Board and you need to revise the budget or propose an alternate use of funds other than what was proposed and approved, please consult your program officer. Modifications of more than $10,000 to any line item in the project budget must be approved by the Foundation in advance in writing.
NARRATIVE AND FINANCIAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
The Foundation requires timely and informative interim and final grant reporting. Narrative and financial reports should be submitted through Fluxx, the Foundation’s online portal, on or before the due dates specified in the Foundation’s grant agreement. In cases where reports are delayed significantly or show unsatisfactory progress toward project objectives, we may cancel any pending/future grant payments and/or ask the grantee to return unspent funds.
Narrative Reporting
Please review the following guidelines before preparing your proposal and prior to accessing the site. Allow yourself sufficient time to transfer data into Fluxx.
Interim reports of 4-6 pages and final reports of 5-10 pages are generally appropriate. Feel free to append any other information that you consider relevant. Please note that all reports to the Foundation must be submitted in English unless otherwise agreed with Tinker.
Additional expenditure responsibility (ER) reports due outside of our regular reporting dates of May 1 and Sept 15 should only include question #2 below (i.e., describing activities that have taken place during the ER reporting period).
Interim Reports
- Briefly summarize the project objective.
- Describe the activities that have taken place and progress against the project objectives, and any initial outputs (e.g., products produced) and outcomes (e.g., results, effects) from your work.
- Describe any significant challenges or opportunities (internal and external) that emerged during the execution of the project in the last year and how you have approached them.
- Enclose copies of or links to any media coverage or major social media activity related to the project (if applicable).
- Has the project yielded any publications, videos, audio clips, etc. to date? Please send electronic copies of any publications or products to us. Provide the URL for materials distributed online.
- Describe the activities planned for the coming year, referencing the plan of work provided in your proposal, as appropriate. Make note of any project learning or external factors that have led you to adjust your approach or planning for the coming year. (Consistent with the grant agreement, please reach out to your program officer for approval of any significant changes to project objectives, timing, or budget.)
- Provide a brief update on your organization, if relevant. Mention any recent or anticipated organizational transitions, new areas of work, or shifts in strategy. We invite you to share any ideas or requests for how Tinker can support your organization’s broader work and goals.
Final Report
- Briefly summarize the project objective that was initially proposed.
- Provide a brief summary of the activities that took place over the course of the project, as well as the ultimate outputs (e.g., products produced) and outcomes (e.g., results, effects). Address whether the project met the objective set forth in the original proposal. If the project included formal monitoring and evaluation, we invite you to include any additional data and commentary as an appendix.
- Describe any significant challenges or opportunities (internal and external) that emerged during the execution of the project and how you approached them.
- Identify project personnel and describe their roles over the life of the project. If there were any personnel changes, how did this affect the project?
- How did you disseminate the results of the project? What was your target audience(s) and how did you reach and engage it (them)? Share any evidence that this audience or others have made use of these results. Enclose copies of or links to any media coverage or major social media activity. If the project included work with communities or individuals, please describe how you engaged and informed them about project outcomes.
- Did the project yield publications, videos, audio clips, etc.? Please send us electronic copies of any publications or products. Provide the URL for materials distributed online.
- What do you anticipate will be the longer-term outcomes of the project beyond the grant period? Do you expect the project results to stimulate further activity or research in this subject area? Does the project have value as a model or demonstration of techniques or approaches that could be replicated elsewhere?
- Describe the impact this project has had on your institution, if applicable. What new capabilities, relationships, and expertise did the organization build as a result of this work? What learning will you carry forward to other work? Will your organization continue to work on this issue/area? Please identify any new funding secured for related work in the future.
- We invite you to share any ideas or requests for Tinker that would help amplify the outcomes or visibility of this project or deepen its ultimate impact.
- We invite you to share any feedback for Tinker on how we can best support and partner with grantee organizations like yours. Please feel free to share challenges, suggestions, or positive practices you have encountered among other funders.
Financial Reporting
For each reporting period, grantees should account for expenditures within the approved budget categories. If no money was spent or there is significant underspending of grant funds, provide a written explanation for this variance. The financial reporting template will be available in Fluxx at each scheduled reporting date.
GRANT MODIFICATIONS
The Foundation recognizes that project circumstances may change over the life of a grant, creating a need to modify a grant timeframe or other terms. When this occurs, the grantee is required to notify the Foundation and seek advance written approval to modify the grant terms. Please note that the Foundation does not regularly consider requests to alter the basic purpose of a grant. Grantees should consult with program staff about any such requests, as they may require our Board of Directors review and approval.
STEPS FOR REQUESTING MODIFICATIONS
Requests for grant modifications should be submitted by an authorized representative of the organization. (If the grantee is a university, the Office of Sponsored Research or Grants and Contracts may present the request.) Grantees seeking to modify a grant should first send a brief email to a program officer summarizing the proposed modification. Program staff will review the modification request and contact the grantee by email to indicate whether the requested modification has been approved. If a modification is approved, the grantee will receive a “Grant Modification Letter” or email notification, and any change will be reflected in the grant record in Fluxx.
| TYPE OF MODIFICATION | WHAT IT MEANS | WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR EMAIL REQUEST |
|---|---|---|
| No-cost extension | More time needed to complete grant activities. | 1. The new end date you are requesting |
| Extension of Reporting Deadlines | You need more time to complete the report, etc. | Propose due date(s) and include the rationale. If approved, you will receive either an email notification or a grant modification letter. |
| Payment Date | You need a payment sooner or later | A revised payment schedule accompanied by a brief narrative justification. If approved, you will receive either an email notification or a grant modification letter. |
| Budget Modification | Examples include, but are not limited to:
| If you need to revise the budget or propose an alternate use of funds other than what was proposed and approved, please consult your program officer. Modifications of more than $10,000 to any line item in the project budget must be approved by the Foundation in advance in writing. Submit a revised budget and brief narrative justification. If your request is approved, you will receive either an email or a grant modification letter. Budget modifications do NOT involve requesting additional funds. |
| Scope of Work | Examples include, but are not limited to:
| A narrative description of the proposed changes as well as justification for the revised scope of work and a revised budget that reflects costs associated with new activities If your request is approved, you will receive either an email notification or a grant modification letter. |
| Unspent Funds | Examples include, but are not limited to:
| If you want to use the funds for activities related to the approved grant, provide a brief narrative description of the activities and a summary budget of how the funds will be used. If your request is approved, you will receive either an email notification or a grant modification letter. |
| Carry-Over Funds | If you haven’t expended all funds from a previous year and need to rollover funds to the next year | Specify the following: 1. The unexpended amount 2. Reason why funds were not expended If your request is approved, you will receive an email notification. |
| Other | For all other conditions, please contact your program officer. |
FAQs
How can I access my data/grant as a current or former Tinker grantee?
If you are a current or former grantee and you want to access your grant record(s) or details from your grant application, email Grants[at]tinker[dot]org for login credentials for the grant portal.
Can our organization have multiple people access a grant?
If multiple people would like access to the grant record, please email Grants[at]tinker[dot]org with the names and emails of users to establish login credentials for these individuals.
What are our obligations when a grant is awarded?
All grants are subject to the “Grant Agreement.” Most notable grant terms and conditions are highlighted in the section above.
Are there specific controls we should include in the evaluation of the program’s activities to align the evaluation of progress with your processes?
We encourage you to draw on any metrics or indicators presented in the original proposal when you report to the Tinker Foundation. You do not need to create a specific/new evaluation framework in support of the grant unless specifically discussed with your program officer.
If we earn interest on our grant funds, how can we spend this money? Can we allocate it freely within the approved budget categories for the project?
You may allocate interest earned to any existing budget line item(s) as well as to unexpected or unlisted expenditures related to the project, such as bank fees, etc. You must show additional income earned on your project budget.
What happens if we fail to submit the required narrative and financial reports?
The Foundation will send delinquency/overdue notices to the grantee. If continued attempts by the Foundation to receive the required reports fail, the Foundation will close the grant as unsatisfactory. Any future payments will be suspended, and the organization will no longer be eligible to receive grants from the Foundation.
What happens if we are late in submitting our interim report?
If an interim report is late, the next grant payment will be delayed until the interim report has been received and approved.
We have a grant balance at the end of the award period. How should we proceed?
The Tinker Foundation prefers that award recipients fully expend the grant. However, we understand that under certain circumstances, grantees may not be able to do so. Unexpended balances for expenditure responsibility grants must be returned to the Foundation. All other grantees should contact the Foundation to determine an appropriate plan of action for the remaining funds.