Budget Narrative — Line by Line

📝 The structure — fill in YOUR words

For EACH budget line, write 2-3 sentences:

  1. WHAT it is: '[Role/item] at [rate] for [time].'
  2. WHY it's needed: tie it directly to an activity in your
     project plan. No activity = no line item.
  3. THE MATH: show the calculation. '[$25/hr × 20 hrs/wk ×
     40 wks = $20,000]'

Order: Personnel → Fringe → Supplies → Equipment → Travel →
Contractual → Other → Indirect.

✅ A good example

"Program Coordinator (1.0 FTE): $45,000. The coordinator runs daily after-school programming for 150 teens, supervises 4 part-time staff, and manages all data collection for the evaluation plan. [$45,000 salary × 1.0 FTE = $45,000]."

🚫 Common mistakes

• Round numbers with no math shown — '$50,000 for staff' invites the question 'why not $40,000?'
• Budget lines that don't appear in the project plan — every dollar must trace to an activity.
• Forgetting fringe benefits — funders know staff cost more than salary; show 20-30% fringe.

💡 Tips

• Match the funder's budget template exactly — same categories, same order.
• If you have matching funds or in-kind donations, say so loudly — leverage impresses reviewers.