Guidance For Preparing Final Reports
Final Reports are due on October 1, 2015. Please refer to Exhibit B of your contract when preparing reports. An excerpt
from Exhibit B regarding the final report is below; further guidance follows.
The Primary Applicant will submit reports biannually and a final report in a format discussed on
[Page 2 of Exhibit B]…Any and all reports must address the goals and projected accomplishments
or outcomes included in the [most recently approved/amended] proposal in addition to an
accounting or how grant funds were spent.
A final report summarizing the entire project must be submitted by the Primary Applicant within
60 days following the end of the contract term or upon termination of the award. Satisfactory
completion of an award will be contingent upon the receipt of such report.
The content and format requirements for the final report mimic those of the biannual progress reports. However, the
final report will differ from biannual progress reports in that it will summarize the entire project in terms of
accomplishments and challenges, rather than just the prior six-month period. The final report will contain three major
sections:
1 - Narrative
 Big-picture summary of
accomplishments, lessons
learned, sustainability plans, etc.
 Guidance is below under
“PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER”
2 - Financials
 Budget spanning the entire grant
period, including narrative
explanations of variances
 Guidance is below under
“FINANCIALS”
3 - Attachments/Appendices
 Detailed accounts of
accomplishments and activities
 Guidance is below under
“PROCESS DATA”
Successful completion of the Challenge Grant program is contingent upon successful completion of the final report. We
expect to be able to use this final information to help demonstrate the value of the CG Program and guide future efforts
to build healthier communities. Please be aware that if your report is incomplete or cannot support this intention, we
will send it back to you with instructions for rectification of any errors, and a new [speedy] resubmission date. Bear in
mind that, in the end, any required information that you have not provided will necessarily be noted as “missing” from
your project on all publications and reports.
Instructions for Submission: Please save all contents of the final report on a USB drive and mail to your project officer.
Mailing a USB drive will circumvent the challenge of emailing large/multiple documents and ensure your report is
received in its entirety. Talk with your project officer about the best method.
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Guidance For Preparing Final Reports
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER (Narrative)
Please follow the formatting guidelines provided in Exhibit B of your contract when writing the narrative portion of the
report.
Below are suggestions of how to arrive at big picture ideas to include in your narrative. You will likely need to gather
input from your partners; now is a good time to start talking to them about these items, particularly if you have had
trouble gathering information from partners in the past. NOTE: The information you collect from your documentation
and/or your partner’s records should be used to inform your narrative, a well-organized, cohesive story from the
perspective of your project as a whole. Please do not submit a copied and pasted list of activities and issues. As you
write, think about these points:







Your experience in the Challenge Grant project
What the association with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and with Pennington
Biomedical Evaluation Unit has meant for your organization
Most significant accomplishment(s)
Problem(s) or barrier(s) that prevented you from accomplishing a significant task or outcome
Problem(s) or barrier(s) you were able to overcome to accomplish a task or outcome (How did you do this?)
Plans for sustainability
Progress toward goals (Did you meet goals? Did goals change?)
FINANCIALS
As described in Exhibit B of your contract, the project financials should:

Detail project expenditures using a grant budget-to-actual format and identify any unspent BCBSLAF dollars.
o Grantees must submit a complete, final budget of the entire grant period (09/01/12 – 08/31/15).
o Project expenditures must include match dollars, and grantees must distinguish between cash and inkind dollars.
o Please use the template provided; these Excel spreadsheets are formatted to calculate totals and
variances. The template is modifiable, but all items must be clearly provided and explained.
 Step 1: Complete the Budget to Actual tables for each year of the grant period.
 Copy Years 1 and 2 from finalized Budget to Actual tables provided with previous March
progress reports.
 Complete a final Budget to Actual of Year 3.
 Step 2: Check the Final Budget table for correctness. This spreadsheet is linked to your annual
spreadsheets and will automatically populate when you complete the actuals by year. Please
review to ensure all numbers transferred correctly.

Provide a budget narrative that includes an explanation for any line item totals supported by the grant that
differ from the [most recently approved] project budget submitted with your proposal. This narrative applies to
Year 3 only.
o Please identify unspent dollars and indicate the status of their return to BCBSLAF.
o Please also identify and explain any differences between the amount of BCBSLAF dollars received and
the originally budgeted amount.
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Guidance For Preparing Final Reports
NOTE: Unspent dollars should have already been returned to BCBSLAF by the time this Final Report is submitted.
Unspent dollars must be listed in the budget narrative described above.
Preparing financial documents for this final report will involve thinking about your budgeting throughout the grant
period and identifying lessons learned. This process is an opportunity to reflect on why budget changes and/or rollover
dollars occurred over the three years. Please consider: Were there trends in budget changes or rollover? Is there
anything you would have done differently to have avoided them?
PROCESS DATA (Attachments/Appendices)
The items listed below largely represent your process data. You have been collecting these items throughout the
duration of the Challenge Grant project, and you might have included them in monthly calls, e-project management
systems, or biannual progress reports. Nevertheless, a comprehensive compilation must be included with your final
report. For your convenience, template charts are included below. Please use these charts as guides for organizing your
information. These charts are modifiable, but the information must be summarized and submitted in tables. (We
understand that not all elements listed below are applicable to each project).
1. List of activities from September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2015.
o This list should include recurring activities, media components, one-time events, etc.
o Include type of activity, date, purpose, target audience, and number participants/served.
o When listing media components, please include all media coverage, and provide copies or links where possible.
This list should include both routine and one-time communications of publicity, marketing materials, etc. for
grant activities (flyers, newsletters, press releases, photographs, newspaper coverage, etc.).
2. List of all environmental and infrastructure changes or improvements.
o This list should cover park equipment, farmers markets, restaurant initiatives, trails, pavilions, trucks, mobile
markets/parks, etc.
o Include location/address, before & after photos (if available), details of construction or improvements, etc.
o Please indicate whether the environmental change was a new construction or an improvement to existing
infrastructure.
o Please also attach a table of counts, use, etc. for your environmental scans. These data should be collated and
summarized by infrastructure and date.
3. List of presentations and publications.
o This list should include project-related presentations to civic and local groups, to other area/state agencies, and
formal presentations at professional meetings/conferences/workshops. .
o This list should include any project-related manuscripts, reports or articles that have been printed in
professional publications (journals, magazines, newsletters).
NOTE: newspaper/popular press publications should be included in the list of media activities.
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Guidance For Preparing Final Reports
4. List of significant meetings conducted from September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2015.
o This list should include meetings of significance, such as special planning or problem solving meetings, whole
team discussions, etc. Standing or routine meetings, such as weekly meetings of project leaders, can be listed
once, specifying recurrence.
o Please provide the meeting date, purpose, and number in attendance, as well as agendas or minutes, if possible.
5. List of resources and grants received after/in addition to pledges in the original proposal.
o This list should include cash or in-kind donations, contributions, or grants that were received as a result of
progress made from Challenge Grant funded activities.
o This list should not include pledges listed in the original proposal.
o Please indicate if the funding will extend CG initiated activities beyond August 31, 2015.
6. List of all partners.
o This list should include the role of the organization in the project and the basis of the association (e.g., shared
objectives/goals).
o Please indicate whether the partnership was initiated because of the Challenge Grant or if you have worked
together in the past.
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Guidance For Preparing Final Reports
1. Activities (including media)
This list should include recurring activities, media components, one-time events, etc. Please provide links to media coverage/products where possible.
Activity
Date
Purpose
Target Audience
Participants/Reach
Comments
Recurring Programs/Activities
FitKids Event
11/23/12 Topic: Indoor activities for rainy Youth in Riverside
27 youth
days
Elementary School ages 7-12
FitKids Event
12/21/12 Topic: Make your plate a
“
10 youth
Low attendance due to
rainbow
ages 7-11
holiday
…
Moms Night
02/20/13 Topic: Benefits of cooking with Mothers of
15 mothers
Babysitting provided at
seasonal vegetables
Riverside Elem
Riverside Elementary School
students
…
Media Components
Weekly radio
02/01/13 First weekly radio show
Mothers with
Zip Codes 70000show
Topic: Introduction to the
young children
70007 (73,000
Healthy Community Project
people)
Weekly radio
02/08/13 Topic: Benefits of cooking with “
…or…parishes
Special guest, Chef John Smith
show
seasonal vegetables
covered, etc.
…
…
One-time Events
Ribbon
05/15/13 Community outreach &
Riverside
79 individuals
Mayor in attendance; received
Cutting – A.M.
celebration around new
Community
lots of positive feedback and
Park
pavilion and walking trail
publicity
Riverside
05/16/14 Free health screenings &
Riverside
412 individuals;
Need more activities for kids
Health Fair
recruitment for summer
Community
178 signed up for
next time
exercise program
summer program
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Guidance For Preparing Final Reports
2. Environmental and infrastructure changes or improvements
This list should include park equipment, farmers markets, restaurant initiatives, trails, pavilions, trucks, etc.
Location/
Infrastructure
Details of Construction/Improvement
Physical Address
New Infrastructure Created
Photo(s)
attached
Existing Infrastructure Improved
* Please also attach a table of counts, use, etc. for your environmental scans. These data should be collated and summarized by infrastructure and date.
Riverside Park Trail
Date
4/18/2013
10/18/2013
4/11/2014
10/22/2014
Time
Activity
Walking/Running
Biking
9:45am
10:00am
10:00am
9:50am
4
2
3
9
Other
7
16
2
13
Gender (Adults)
M
F
Children
Total # Children
Total Attendees
3
3
0
5
0
1
1
3
11
18
5
22
Gender (Adults)
M
F
Children
Total # Children
Total Attendees
0
0
5
4
26
7
32
20
8
14
4
14
Weather Conditions
warm, nice
warm, sunny
light rain
cool, sunny
Westdale Park Trail
Date
4/18/2013
10/18/2013
4/11/2014
10/22/2014
Time
1:00pm
1:00pm
1:00pm
1:10pm
Activity
Walking/Running
Biking
7
2
9
7
19
5
23
13
Other
16
2
17
10
10
5
10
6
Weather Conditions
warm, sunny
cold, cloudy
cool, sunny, nice
cool, sunny
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Guidance For Preparing Final Reports
3. Publications and presentations
This list should include formal public presentations and …
Date and Location
Audience
(if applicable)
Publications
Copy
attached
Topic/Purpose
Presentations
4. Significant meetings
Meeting
Group
Date
Topic/Purpose
Number of
attendees
Agenda or minutes
attached
5. Resources and grants
This list should include resources received in addition to pledges described in the original proposal.
Will extend the life of CG
Dollar Amount
Source
Date Received
Purpose
component(s)? (If yes, check below.)
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Guidance For Preparing Final Reports
6. Partners
Partner
Organization
Role in Project
Current/Active Partners
Provide print materials
and equipment for
cooking classes
Shared goal/
Basis for association
Was this partnership
initiated for CG activities?
(If yes, check below.)
Comments
Promote healthy eating in xyz
community
Past Partners (i.e., an organization that worked with you on the CG in the past, but is no longer a partner)
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