Writing the Grant Part 3: Budget, Budget Justification/Narrative, & Sustainability Plan

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Budget, Budget Justification/Narrative, & Sustainability Plan

Miatta Teasley

Walden University

Grant Writing-Fall 2024- HUMN-6207-1 (08/26/2024-11/10/2024)-PT27

Dr. Mills

October 10, 2024

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Budget, Budget Justification/Narrative, & Sustainability Plan

The budget for the project: “Enhancing Sickle Cell Disease Care through Comprehensive

Provider Education and Patient Access Initiatives” needs to be clearly justified to allow for

sufficient funding. Below is a breakdown of the budget, explanations for the allocations, and a

plan for sustaining the project’s impact over the long term.

Budget Overview

a. Personnel – $235,000

i. Project Manager – $75,000

ii. Two Healthcare Educators – $120,000

iii. Administrative Assistant – $40,000

b. Fringe Benefits (25% of personnel costs) – $58,750

i. Project Manager – $18,750

ii. Healthcare Educators – $30,000

iii. Administrative Assistant – $10,000

c. Travel – $21,000

i. Local Travel for Clinics – $12,000

ii. Conference Travel – $9,000

d. Supplies – $15,000

i. Educational Materials – $10,000

ii. Office Supplies – $5,000

e. Training and Workshops – $30,000

i. Provider Training – $20,000

ii. Patient Education – $10,000

f. Other Direct Costs – $30,000

i. Facility Rentals, Marketing, Technology – $30,000

g. Indirect Costs (10% of total direct costs) – $38,785

Total Project Cost – $428,535

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Description/Budget Justification

Personnel

The project manager will be responsible for all the program activities to keep it on track

for target attainment. Two healthcare educators are also needed for provider training and patient

education. An administrative assistant will be required to perform specific functions that will

facilitate the proper running of the projects as planned. These roles are crucial to the achievement

of the project goals, and the allocations are consistent with prevailing market rates.

Fringe Benefits

Operating costs include fringe benefits, which will cost 25% of personnel expenses and

will include other necessary expenses such as employees’ health insurance, retirement plans, and

other standard expenses that an employer is obligated to meet.

Travel

Local travel expenses are included for healthcare educators who are expected to move to

and from clinics in underserved regions once per month. This movement is critical for offering

practical practice and consultancy services at those locations. Additionally, two national

conferences are proposed for three staff members to attend to keep them updated on what is new

and best in SCD care.

Supplies

Books, pamphlets, and online articles need to be developed in the project’s duration for

training and educational activities. Office supplies are also necessary in an organization for daily

use and, thus, must be provided.

Training and Workshops

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This allocation will cover expenses related to healthcare provider certification through

CME-accredited programs and patient education workshops. These programs are crucial to

expanding staff capacity in clinical knowledge and care management competencies as well as

enhancing consumer health literacy.

Other Direct Costs

Some of the expenses under this category are costs incurred in hiring facilities for the

workshops or sessions, costs incurred in marketing and sensitizing people to the programs, costs

incurred in procuring or hiring equipment for use in delivering virtual training, and technology

expenses associated with patient tracking. These are important for popularizing the project and

making it work. Further, they will guarantee seamless implementation of the project.

Indirect Costs

These additional costs can reach a maximum of 10% of total direct costs and are not

eligible to be directly associated with the project. Examples include electricity costs and

organization overheads.

Sustainability Plan

The following sustainability strategy is recommended to ensure the project’s longevity

beyond the grant funding period.

Partnerships

To sustain this program and its activities, good relationships and partnerships with other

healthcare facilities, learning institutions, and non-governmental organizations in the community

must be developed to ensure continued support beyond the project’s duration.

Additional Funding

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More grants from foundations and agencies will be pursued alongside corporate

sponsorships and fundraising campaigns to serve as supplementation sources. This will allow the

project to be extended beyond the grant funding period.

Fee-for-Service Model

A token charge may be levied on a few of the training programs, creating the capital base

for financing some aspects of the project or sustaining them for longer than would otherwise be

possible.

Volunteer Programs

To cut long-term personnel costs, medical students and retired healthcare professionals

will be contracted on a voluntary basis to train healthcare providers and provide patient

education. This will also help overcome the challenge of training employees over a long period.

Leveraging Technology

When people and trainers connect through online platforms for training and education,

physical spaces will no longer be needed. This will also help the project be more effective and

efficient in the long run in terms of scalability while also lowering running costs so that grant

money and other funds can last longer.

These seemingly minor cost savings from different aspects of this plan will help sustain

the project benefits beyond the grant funding period. Partnerships, for example, with NGOs will

be emphasized because they can go a long way in maintaining SCD care in the underserved

population for many years post the project duration.