Guidelines for the Use of Think BIG Grant Funds*
*All expenditures must comply with current Business Office policies and procedures.
- Funds allocated can be utilized only as itemized on the submitted budget.
- Every effort should be made to spend the granted funds during the fiscal year(s) for which they are awarded. An extension can be requested via an e-mail to the Chair of the Think BIG Committee, when circumstances have occurred that delayed the implementation of the project or to avoid expenditures that are not prudent just to meet the deadline.
- Funds will not be transferred to the principal proposer of a Think BIG Grant upon its approval. Funds will be disbursed by HPU as costs are incurred and work is completed. All funding requests for preapproved budget items must be submitted in a timely fashion. Each project will be assigned an account number; the project account number must be included on all requisitions or requests for reimbursement. The Business Office will notify you of your project’s account number shortly after you have received your letter of award.
- If the project includes items to be purchased, please include all of the pertinent information on a University requisition form and submit the form directly to the Business office. Make sure you include the project account number, quantity to be ordered, item number if available and the ordering information-how to contact the company. Please include phone and fax numbers if available. Make certain that you include the fee for shipping and handling (if applicable). All purchased items become the property of HPU and will be added to the college’s inventory.
- Payments will not be made to speakers or presenters until the Business Office has the presenter’s name, permanent address and social security number, as required by the IRS.
- No checks will be provided for any project or portion of a project without two weeks prior notice.
- In order for anyone to receive reimbursement for expenses directly related to the grant, the Business Office must be provided with receipts and the name of the person to whom the check should be written.
- Any publicity materials related to the project should include a credit line such as: “This (event, program, project) is sponsored (in part) by a grant from the HPU Think BIG Awards Program.”
- Expenses incurred prior to the grant award are not reimbursable from Think BIG funds.
- A final report with a project narrative, financial report and assessment (see Proposal Assessment Expectations) must be submitted at the project’s conclusion. Within one to two weeks of completion of the project, recipients of Be Innovative Grants are required to turn in a brief budget-related report to the Think BIG Committee summarizing the expenditures of their project, comparing expenditures to the original budget, and explaining any significant deviations from the original budget. The project narrative and evaluations are also due within three weeks of completion of the project.
- Projects lasting more than six months are required to turn in brief budget-related reports to the Think BIG Committee summarizing the expenditures of their project, comparing its expenditures to the original budget, and explaining any significant deviations from the original budget, every six months after approval of the project.