Manage a Grant

If you are a grantee or a member of a project team, this information will help you find out about how to manage your SARE award. It may also be used to understand SARE's expectations before submitting a grant application.

Contacting your Grant Administrator.

Grant administrators can support grantees with administrative tasks like no-cost extension requests and budget modifications. They are happy to answer other questions to help with any challenges that arise.

• Farming Communities Grant – email Leons Kabongo at northeast-fc@sare.org 

• Professional Development Program – email Katie Campbell-Nelson or Nevin Dawson at northeast-pdp@sare.org.  

• Research and Education Grant – email Heather Omand at homand@sare.org 

• Research for Novel Approaches - email Kaitlyn Sirna at ksirna@sare.org 

Updating Project Leader Contact Information

It is important to ensure that Northeast SARE has accurate contact information for the Project Leader. Please make sure the Grant Administrator and the projects.sare.org system have updated information. Use our instructional video to learn how to update your contact information in projects.sare.org. 

Join the Northeast SARE Community

Join the Northeast SARE Slack community! We often post about exciting outcomes from grantees and share the results from project final reports. You can ask questions of both staff and fellow grantees, or share updates from your own work. Contact your grant administrator for an invitation link.

Financial Management

All SARE grants are paid as reimbursements. Grantees need to track project expenses accurately using the same expense categories as in the final proposal budget. Keep documentation and/or receipts for all expenses.  

If your budget includes consultants, you need to keep a scope of work and CV on file for each consultant in case of an audit.  

Invoices and documentation 

Plan to submit invoices to our office on a monthly (or at least quarterly) basis. Invoices should align with the original budget, any budget changes over 10% need approval from the grant program coordinator. Even if budget changes are under 10%, if your project incurs expenses in categories where there was no allocation previously in the budget, you will need to get approval first or reimbursement may be delayed. 

If your organization does not have their own invoicing procedures, consider downloading the invoice template. Complete the template, sign it, and send invoices to financenortheastsare@uvm.edu. Be sure to include your project number on all correspondence in order to avoid delay of payment. 

Please note that SARE will hold your final invoice or the final 10 percent of your award (whichever comes first) until your final report is approved. Your final invoice (and final project report) are due no later than 60 days after the project end date. 

Payment processing 

Invoices are usually processed on net 30 terms. Processing the first payment may take six to seven weeks as the new award is set up. 

Outreach

Acknowledging Northeast SARE is required for ALL journal articles, bulletins, guides, websites, outreach materials (including handouts, press releases, flyers, slide shows, presentations, etc.), and all other resources developed with SARE funding. 

• Use the logo, found at: www.northeastsare.org/logo along with a presentation template and links to our social media! 

• Suggested acknowledgement language to include: “This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number [insert your project number here, e.g., LNE21-xxx].” 

• More questions about acknowledgement? Contact Vander Gac at northeastsare@uvm.edu 

Reporting Requirements 

Northeast SARE places a high value on thorough and clear reports that accurately describe project accomplishments and outcomes. SARE uses a progressive reporting system, meaning that each project has one report that gets expanded and updated each year until the project is complete.  

Report due dates 

• An annual progress report is due by January 15 each year the project is active. 

• The final report (and final invoice) is due no later than 60 days after the project end date. 

Online reporting system 

All Northeast SARE reports are submitted in the online reporting system. You will receive an email reminder with a copy of the reporting instructions one to two months before a report is due. Final reports are visible in their entirety to the public. Contact your grant administrator if you have questions about reporting instructions and/or the reporting database. 

Managing Subawards 

If your project includes subawards to other organizations, it is important to manage these proactively. Subawardees should submit necessary information for project reporting to the Project Leader 30 days prior to report due dates. Additionally, subawardees should submit their final invoice to the awardee’s Host Organization at least 30 days prior to the project final invoice due date (60 days after the project end date).  

Managing Project Changes or Challenges 

Sometimes, changes in a project's approach or a budgetary allocation are needed. All changes in the project plans or budget must be approved in advance by Northeast SARE. Please contact your grant administrator should any of the following circumstances arise. 

• Delays, unforeseen challenges, unexpected opportunities, or a different approach to accomplish a project objective. Contact your grant coordinator to discuss your situation and any changes you wish to make to the project plan. 

• Budget changes. Minor variations in the planned costs are expected and acceptable. Please contact us for any new expenditures or major budget reallocations in advance of incurring these expenses. Budget modifications of more than 10% of the total award require advance Grant Administrator approval. 

• Requests to extend the end date. Should you need a bit more time to complete your project, you may request a no-cost extension (the request should be made at least 45 days before the current project end date). Not all requests are possible, though we try to accommodate whenever we can. The Grant Administrator for your program must approve the extension and extensions require a contract amendment. Requests should include: 
  • Justification for the extension 
  • Verification of Project Leader and Host Organization approval 

Advice about unexpected results 

Unexpected results are not necessarily a problem. Even if a project does not go as planned, it can still generate useful knowledge. Some challenges may even lead to new questions or opportunities. If issues arise, SARE staff will provide support.