Office for Grants

Grants Administration and Management Policy

I. RESPONSIBLE PARTIES:

• Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research - coordinates and facilitates the preparation of ALL grant proposals submitted to outside funding sources on behalf of the College and assists all proposal writers in developing grant applications that are compatible with College’s policies, Ends Statements, and guidelines of the funding source; works with approved grant administrators/coordinators in making sure grants are in compliance with grant policies and restrictions; and coordinates the timely submission of grant reports to the funding source.
• Finance Department - oversees the accounting and financial reporting function of a funded project in accord with the policies of the College and the funding source and ensures that all costs to the College, both direct and indirect, have been included in the grant when appropriate.
• Project Administrator - for each approved grant project implements the funded project in accord with policies of the College and the funding source and ensures that all required fiscal and operational reports are prepared and submitted in a timely manner in coordination with the Controller and the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research

II. GRANT PROCEDURES:

The college has included diversification of its funding base as one of its priorities. State funding alone will not support a nationally recognized community college. Therefore, faculty and staff are actively encouraged to seek outside funding for activities and programs that are vital to the college.

The following procedures are designed to assist this process:

• Individuals who have identified needs for outside funding are encouraged to contact the Grants Office even before a source of funding is identified. The Grants Office will assist individuals in finding possible funding opportunities and will relay information about funding sources. This will be done through the NWACC Campus Announcements released daily from the Office of Public Relations and through e-mails directly from the Office of Grants. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to inform their campus administrators and colleagues of identified needs for funding and funding opportunities.
• The Grants Office can help with the development of a proposal and can often help identify potential funding sources. Some ideas and full composition of grant proposals originate within the Office of Grants but are at the discretion of the Executive Director of Grants and Institutional Research and the Vice President of Advancement.
• Once a potential source of funding is identified, individuals intending to seek grant funding must notify the Grants Office and send the Grants Office a copy of the RFP (request for proposals) along with a completed Grant Request Form (found on the K: Drive) with all required signatures. All requests for grant funding for college activities must come through the Grants Office. The Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research will present the potential funding opportunity to Cabinet for approval.
• Almost every RFP lists a series of requirements for the proposal. Every proposal should address each of these requirements in order and clearly labeled. The Grants Office can assist individuals in meeting all listed requirements and provide suggestions and recommendations.
• Every grant proposal must indicate a grant project administrator or primary investigator. In the case where such a project administrator is to be hired, the proposal must name a contact person who will oversee the project until hiring is completed.
• The Office of Grants and the NWACC Business Office should be involved in the development of the grant budget, from the beginning of the planning process. This consultation will include required aspects of the budgeting process including salaries and fringe, required program costs, and indirect costs.
• The Grants Office can provide varying degrees of assistance in developing the proposal, depending on what the proposal is and what help is needed. Occasionally, assistance can be provided with the writing of the proposal. However, most proposals are written by those individuals who will be directing the projects.
• Every grant proposal must be approved by the division or department supervisor or the appropriate Associate Vice President, the Executive Director of Grants and Institutional Research, the Director of Budgets, the Vice President of Advancement, and the College President. It is the responsibility to receive sign off using the Grant Approval Checklist from their immediate supervisor through their AVP. Upon AVP approval, a copy of the full proposal with all required forms including the Grant Approval Checklist should be submitted to the Office for Grants for final approval and signatures.
• The Grants Office submits all approved proposals. Usually these are submitted by overnight, receipt-requested mail. Increasingly proposals are submitted electronically.

• The funding source will notify the President and/or the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research of the approval of the application and the level of funding.
• If the amount of the grant is less than the amount requested, the application proposal will be reviewed by the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research, the project administrator, and other appropriate parties to determine whether to advise the President to accept or reject the grant.
• If the grant is accepted, copies of the award notification are sent to the Director of Budgets, the Executive Director for Human Resources, the Vice President for Finance and Administration, the Vice President for Advancement, the Executive Director of Public Relations, and others as appropriate. At this time, the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research will forward a copy of the grant application to the Controller.
• The Director of Budgets will assign a budget fund and department number(s) associated with the project/grant and will instruct the project administrator about the procedures to be followed in the financial administration of the grant.
• Grant funds received from the funding source will be deposited according to terms stipulated by the grant application or grant award document and/or College policies and procedures.
• All purchases of good/services using grant funds will be requisitioned and purchased through the College’s Purchasing Department.
• The Restricted Funds Accountant will provide monthly reports for the project/grant to the project administrator and will assist the project administrator in preparing any financial and operational reports required by the funding source.
• The project administrator will coordinate with the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research and the Controller in preparing: the timely submission of all financial reports required by the funding source and any modifications, contract changes and/or negotiations before they are proposed to the funding source.
• The project administrator, in cooperation with the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research, will submit all operational and financial reports to the funding source as required and will handle all contract changes and/or negotiations with the funding source.
• The Finance Department and the project administrator will be responsible for maintaining an administrative record of all grant activities. All original and official documentation will be kept in the Financial Department by the Restricted Funds Accountant (Master File).

III. FISCAL AND PERSONNEL PROCEDURES:

Assignment of Grant Fund and Organization Codes

• The Director of Budgets, coordinating with the Restricted Funds Accountant, will assign a budget fund and department number(s) associated with the project/grant.
• The Director of Budgets will inform the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research and the grant’s project administrator of the fund and departments numbers associated with the project/grant.
• The Restricted Funds Accountant will meet with the grant project administrator and provide instruction about the procedures to be followed in the financial administration of the grant.

• The Restricted Funds Accountant will receive and code ALL grant funds awarded directly from the funding source.
• The Restricted Funds Accountant will make a copy of all payments received directly from the funding source.

Current appropriation positions should not be used for new positions created with grant funding, since these are temporary positions hired for the duration of the grant. If and when a grant position becomes permanent position, then a permanent appropriation act position should be used for that employee.

Provisional positions should be applied for and used for all new positions created by funding from an outside source (grants, etc.) where the salaries and fringe benefits of the position will be paid for using grant funds.

• NWACC’s Human Resource Department will make application for ALL provisional positions.
• The application process will begin when the HR Dept is notified of the number of positions being created by the grant at the time the grant is applied for.
• Final application for provisional positions will be made by the HR Dept upon notification that the grant has been approved by the grantor. HR will work directly with the college department to assure that job title and salary are appropriate. A copy of the grant description and award letter with duration of funding must be submitted to HR for proper completion of the request for provisional positions. Approval for the requisitions of provisional positions must be approved FIRST by the personnel committee at the legislative level. Depending upon the agenda and timing the approval process for positions may take 60 days for approval. Once approval is received by the Office of Human Resources, the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research will be notified.

Requisition, Purchase, and Receiving of Goods/Services Associated with Grant

• Upon Project Administrator approval and activity designation by the Project Administrator, requisitions for purchases of goods/services using grant funding will be submitted to the Purchasing Department. The Restricted Funds Accountant will review all restricted funds purchases.
• The Purchasing Department issues purchase orders for all goods/services purchased with grant funds.
• All shipments of goods purchased with grant funds be delivered and received in the Receiving Department.

Payment of Goods/Services with Grant Funds

• All vendor invoices for the purchase of goods/services using grant funds will be processed and paid for by the Accounts Payable Department according to college policies and procedures.
• The Program Administrators will have access to the financial system (Banner Finance) to review or obtain copies of documents, if necessary.

NWACC Reimbursement for Grant Expenditures

College reimbursement of grant expenditures will be handled in the following manner:

• For grants awarded to NWACC, the Restricted Funds Accountant will prepare and submit an invoice requesting reimbursement from the Grantor according to terms of the grant.
• For grants awarded directly to NWACC where grant funds have been deposited with the Foundation, the Restricted Funds Accountant will prepare a monthly invoice of itemized grant expenditures and forward to the Foundation at the close of each month’s accounting period.

Preparation of Grant Operation and Financial Reports

• The project administrator will prepare all grant operation and statistical reports as required by the terms of the grant or the funding source.
• The project administrator will forward the completed grant operation and statistical reports to the Executive Director for Grants and Institutional Research for review.
• The Restricted Funds Accountant will prepare all grant financial reports and documents as required by the terms of the grant or funding source.
• The Restricted Funds Accountant will forward the completed financial reports to the program administrator for review and approval.

For questions/comments on this content, please contact Ricky Tompkins.

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