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What to do in the first 30 days of a new grant

By the EMPOBase team · · 4 min read

Short answer

In the first 30 days of a new grant, read the agreement closely, hold a start-up meeting with finance, logistics, HR and MEAL, write down the rules that bind you, set up the budget, files and reporting calendar, confirm roles, and agree the first work plan. The aim is that everyone knows what was promised and what they must do before spending begins.

Key points

  • Read the agreement line by line before the first expense.
  • Hold one start-up meeting with every function that touches the grant.
  • Turn agreement rules into a short list the team can use.
  • Set the reporting calendar and budget tracking in the first month.

Why do the first 30 days matter?

The first month sets the habits of the whole grant. A team that learns the rules at the start spends correctly. A team that learns them at the first audit finds out about ineligible costs too late to fix them.

This plan is a guide. Adjust it to your grant size and your donor’s requirements.

Week 1: What should you read and secure?

  1. Read the signed agreement. Mark deadlines, budget rules, eligible costs, procurement thresholds, visibility rules, reporting dates and approval conditions.
  2. Read the approved proposal and budget next to it. Note where they differ from your plans.
  3. Set up the grant record. File the agreement, amendments, budget and donor contacts together. Our guide on donor records for small NGOs shows a simple layout.
  4. Name the owner. One person holds the grant record.

Week 2: How do you hold the start-up meeting?

Invite the project manager, finance, logistics, HR, MEAL and, where relevant, partner leads. The country director or program head should attend or send a delegate. Cover:

  • the goal, results and timeline,
  • the budget and its flexibility,
  • the rules in the agreement, in plain words,
  • who does what, and who decides,
  • the first three months of activities,
  • known risks.

End the meeting with a list of actions, each with an owner and a date. Write up the notes within two days.

Week 3: What controls should you put in place?

Turn the agreement into a short rules sheet of one or two pages. Include:

TopicWhat to write down
Eligible costsWhat may and may not be charged
ProcurementThresholds, number of quotes, donor approval triggers
Budget changesHow much can move without asking
Staff costsHow time is recorded and charged
VisibilityLogo and acknowledgment rules
RecordsWhat to keep and for how long

Then set up the practical controls: a budget tracking sheet or system by budget line, a project code for every transaction, and a filing structure. Draft the project charter and a RACI matrix if you have not already.

Week 4: How do you plan reporting and monitoring?

  1. Build the reporting calendar. List every report, due date and owner. Add a reminder two weeks before each due date. See also how to build a reporting calendar for all your grants.
  2. Confirm indicators and baselines. Decide how each indicator will be measured and who collects the data.
  3. Set up the first monthly review. Plan a budget vs actual check for the end of month two. See budget vs actual review.
  4. Check the risks. Review the proposal’s risk list and add new ones the team raised.

What should be done by day 30?

Use this as a final check:

  • The agreement has been read by everyone who needs to.
  • A start-up meeting took place and actions are tracked.
  • A rules sheet exists and the team has seen it.
  • Budget tracking and filing are in place.
  • Reporting dates are on a shared calendar.
  • Roles are agreed in writing.
  • The first work plan covers the next 90 days.

If an item is not done, write down why and when it will be.

What mistakes do teams make in the first month?

Four patterns come up again and again:

  • Spending before reading. A team buys equipment before checking the eligibility rules, and the cost is questioned later.
  • One person holds the knowledge. Only the proposal writer knows what was promised. Share the agreement widely and hold the start-up meeting.
  • No reporting calendar. The first report arrives and nobody has collected the data.
  • Unclear roles. Finance assumes the project manager approves, and the project manager assumes finance does.

Each one is cheap to prevent in the first month and costly to repair in the sixth. If you have only a day, spend it on the agreement, the rules sheet and the reporting calendar.

Where EMPOBase fits

EMPOBase’s Programs module holds the Project, its Donors, the Project Charter, RACI and Stakeholders in one place, which suits the first-month setup. Grant Finance and Budget vs Actual support budget tracking once spending starts. EMPOBase does not read the agreement for you, so your team still writes the rules sheet and dates. You can see the platform or ask for a walk-through.

Questions people ask

Who should read the grant agreement?

The project manager, the finance lead and the person who signs for the organization at minimum. Logistics, HR and MEAL should read the parts that affect them.

What if the agreement and the proposal disagree?

The signed agreement normally governs. Ask the donor to clarify any gap in writing before you act, and keep the answer on file.

Can we start spending before the start-up meeting?

It is safer not to. Check the agreement for the start date and for what costs are eligible before it begins, and spend only when the team knows the rules.