Applicant Budget Tutorial
Overview
This document is designed to provide grant applicants with instructions on using the standard budget
form when completing a full proposal application.
Common Questions are given at the end of this document, should you encounter some specific
problems utilizing the budget form.
Editing the Worksheet
Many cells are editable, while others are locked. We require the information in the unlocked cells (with
example wording in parenthesis [ xx ]) to be edited with the organization’s appropriate information.
Some examples of areas to be edited;
1. Enter your organization name, by clicking on the top left cell.
2. Enter the Years for which this document covers. Click into the cell as shown here.
3. Change the Budget Year 20xx to the year represented in the columns, by clicking into each cell.
4. Edit the title rows by clicking into the cells. Example:
[Applicant Tutorial]
To Add or Remove Rows to the document
1. Click on the row number to the very left where you would like to insert a row below, or the row
you would like to remove. By clicking on the number the entire row is selected.
2. Right click to see the quick menu options. Select Insert if you need to add a row, or Delete to
remove the row.
Other requirements for the document
1. Be sure to complete the Funding Sources tab by clicking on the tab at the bottom of the
worksheet.
Complete the Funding Sources information for the current year that you are working in or projecting to
coincide with the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation funding.
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[Applicant Tutorial]
Common Questions
What Budget Years Are Required?
The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation are looking to gain an understanding of an organization’s ebb and flow of
budgets over a 3 year period. We look to see what the organization may have in diversity of funders,
changes in staffing, and whether there may be a cash balance, among other things.
To complete the form, there are a few things to note:
1. If the request is for an upcoming year and the budget is not fully defined as yet, you may wish to
complete the Projected budget as the year you are currently working within, then provide some
details of the proposed work for the request in the “Project Budget” column at the end showing
as much detail as you have for the upcoming work. Remember to provide Notes on this.
2. If you are developing the Projected budget at this time but do not have it approved as an official
budget, this is fine – we ask that you input as much detail as possible, while mentioning in the
Notes that this is a tentative budget.
3. If you find the work you seek funding for is beginning mid-year and will go over into the
following year, but the budget is not developed, please provide as much detail as you can and
make note of what and how the project/work is envisioned.
4. Be sure that you present as much detail over a 3 year period, unless the organization is new and
does not have enough history. In this case, you may simply leave the Previous year column
blank, but be sure to explain this in the Notes.
5. You may delete, or insert rows as needed (see instructions above) but do not leave our example
titles and rows blank. Ex. [Other] and the following cells should be removed if not being used.
Organization Budget or Project Budget?
For this document, we are specifically looking over a 3 year period based on the Organization. If applying
for a Project Request, we ask that you put in as much information on the specifics for the Project in the
“Project Budget” column.

If you are applying for General Support, you may leave the Project Budget column blank.
Problems Using Excel file types
We prefer to use Excel and find the majority of users are able to use this file type. If you encounter
difficulties, please do not hesitate to call the Foundation. If you prefer a different file type for a specific
reason:
 Please let us know and we may be able to provide an alternate form.
If you have another issue not addressed here, please contact the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation. Dana
Jeffery, Grants Management & Administrative Coordinator is available to assist with application
problems Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, EST.
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