Before you can apply for funding, you have to be clear about what you are going to do and how much it is going to cost. It is easy to forget to include some items in your budget, and this can give you serious problems when you find you are short of money.

Use the checklist below to see if you have thought of everything. No project will need to include all these items, so don’t be worried by the length of the list!

A few other pointers:

• Do put reasonably precise amounts in your budget whenever you can. Show you have done the necessary research and that the equipment you need will add up to £838. Don’t just put a guessed £1,000.

• Don’t under-budget just to look cheap. The funders have a good idea of what things cost, so they will think you are being unrealistic and be concerned that you are not a well managed organisation.

• Your potential funder may also want you to show what money you have coming in - this might be in the form of other fundraising, charging or "in kind" items. Under "in kind" you may be able to count the staff/volunteer time you are putting in as well as physical items you have received as donations.

• It helps if funders can see you have raised some money for yourselves if this is possible, and that you area not just "going out with a begging bowl" for the whole sum. You may do this by holding events, sponsored walks etc. You may be able to show you can make money as you go along, by charging for the services you are offering (e.g. a small sum paid by each of the elderly people on your coach trips) or by selling things (e.g. selling plants from a nursery staffed by people with mental health problems).

• See if you can get donations of furniture and equipment. You can show these as "in kind" items, as part of your contribution to the budget. 

Checklist of budget Items:

Staff costs

Salaries §         the amount you pay §         National  Insurance employer’s contribution §         employer’s pension contribution §         increments

Staff benefits

Training

Temporary staff

Sick leave cover

Maternity/paternity costs

Redundancy payments

Clothing/uniform

Recruitment §         Advertising and/or use of recruitment agency §         Interview panel §         Travel/accommodation costs offered to interviewees

Volunteers

Recruitment & induction

Training

Clothing/uniform

Travel

Expenses

Subsistence

Trustees

Recruitment & induction

Training

Travel

Accommodation

Subsistence

Other meeting expenses

Premises

Purchase

Mortgage

Rent

Council Tax/Business Rates

Electricity

Gas

Water

Insurance

Repairs/maintenance

Cleaning

Gardening

Office costs

Telephone

Mobile phone(s)

Photocopier

Fax

Stationery

Publicity materials

Design

Printing

Postage

Memberships

Subscriptions

Professional Associations

Publications/books

Couriers

Vehicles - hire or purchase including tax, insurance, maintenance

Mileage

Public transport

Subsistence

Catering

Accommodation

Maintenance contracts

Hire/lease agreements

Computers & communication

Computer/monitor/keyboard/ mouse

Printer

Scanner

Digital camera

Other hardware

Software purchase/licences

Upgrading software

Telephone line/broadband

Website creation, hosting and maintenance

Database management

Consultancy & support

Training

Activities

Fundraising

Monitoring/evaluation

Conference costs

Policy

Research & development

Marketing

Professional fees

Legal

Accountancy

Audit

Investment management

Architect

Surveyor

Consultancy

Agency

Beneficiaries

Grants

Other costs

Public liability insurance/ event insurance

Bank charges

Sundry expenses

Contingency fund

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

Depreciation of fixed assets

Contribution to reserves