Tips and advice from Mango on how to successfully manage donor funds in NGOs

1. Financial management
for NGOs
Successful grant management
... or how to keep your donors happy
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Successful grant
management is all about
getting organised

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There are 4 key phases in the
Grant Management
Cycle

4. Take a moment to write down
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what you think are the
4 phases of grant
management...
Go on
when
ready

5. 1. Contract Review

6. 1. Contract Review
 Assess the terms & conditions
BEFORE you sign the contact:
 Are the rules reasonable?
 Can you comply?
 What is your legal liability?
 What is negotiable?

7. 1. Contract Review
2. Implementation

8. 1. Contract Review
2. Implementation
 Set up or adapt systems to
manage funds as per contract,
eg:
 Accounting & coding structures
 Procurement procedure
 Donor reporting routines
 Grant management meetings.

9. 1. Contract Review
2. Implementation
3. Reporting & monitoring

10. 1. Contract Review
2. Implementation
3. Reporting & monitoring
 Account for and report on project progress:
 Maintain project accounts
 Provide financial and narrative donor reports
 Request budget revisions
 Keep donors informed of variations to the plan

11. 1. Contract Review
2. Implementation
3. Reporting & monitoring
4. Closing off
the grant

12. 1. Contract Review
 Tie up the loose ends:
2. Implementation
 Use up budget within agreed timeframe
 Finalise accounts and files for donor audit
3. Reporting
 Prepare final finance and narrative reports
& monitoring
 ...Celebrate the success of the project!
4. Closing off
the grant

13. 1. Contract Review
2. Implementation
3. Reporting
& monitoring
4. Closing off
the grant

14. 1. Contract Review
2. Implementation
Get properly organised around each of
3. Reporting
these 4 key stages of grant management
& monitoring
and you will already be on your way to
successful grant management.
4. Closing off
the grant

15. Top tips on how
to keep your
donors happy
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1. Build trust
 Maintain regular communication with
the donor contact person
 Meet reporting deadlines
 Follow the grant rules!

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2. Meet project
targets
 Deliver project activities as
described in the proposal
 Implement the project within the
agreed budget and timeframes

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3. Respect
contract dates
 Don’t spend money before or
after the agree contract dates
 Make sure invoices and receipts
are all dated within the contract
dates

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4. Write good
reports
 Prepare accurate and complete
financial reports
 Explain variations from budget
 Be honest in the project report –
share challenges as well as
successes

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5. Keep grant files
 Keep a file with grant contracts
and correspondence
 Get everything in writing especially
if negotiating a variation in the
contract or budget

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6. Avoid surprises!
 Keep donors informed if targets or
deadlines will be missed
 It is often possible to negotiate for
more time or money.

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Find out more about grant
management for NGOs on
Mango’s FREE online Guide to
financial management

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Want to learn more?
Join us on one of our
practical and fun
courses
http://www.mango.org.uk/training
training@mango.org.uk