In-Kind vs. Cash Match

Cost Sharing and matching funds can be "in-kind" or "cash."

Required percentage may be specified by agency (i.e. 25% of direct cost)

In-kind - Defined as things that could exist (or could happen) without the grant

Anytime a funding agency will not pay indirect cost or will not allow you to charge as much as your federally approved rate, seek permission from the funding agency to count it as in-kind contribution

The following are generally accepted as in-kind contributions:

Personnel time given to the project
Person on loan from another organization/corporation
Use of existing equipment
Use of existing laboratory equipment or facilities
Waived or unrecovered indirect cost amount- if funding agency pays indirect cost and permits as in-kind contribution
Agency may allow you to count office space as in-kind match

Existing equipment (i.e., server) may be counted as cash contribution if purchased within the time frame approved by funding agency.

Budget Item	In-Kind	Requested	Total
Total of In-Kind Match 25% of Direct Cost (.25 x $100,000)	$25,000		$25,000

Cash Match- real cash contributed to project - you will have to document that it was contributed.

The following are generally accepted as cash match/contributions:

Cash contributed by your organization
Equipment to be purchased by your organization for project activities
Personnel to be hired by the organization to help with the project, who will not be hired if the grant is not funded
Paying for a project brochure and/or its dissemination

Note: Plan to have more than required match; agency and/or audit may disallow some of the planned match

Completed line item of budget for cost-sharing/matching:

Budget Item	Cash Match	Requested	Total
Total of Cash Match 25% of Direct Cost (.25 x $100,000)	$25,000		$25,000