When is our first report due?
Your Letter of Agreement includes a reporting schedule, with due dates for each report. It is important that you submit your reports on time. Not submitting a progress report will delay the release of your grant payment. Not submitting your final report will affect your organization’s ability to apply for other Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) grants.
If your project timelines have changed and you anticipate having difficulties meeting your reporting schedule, please contact your Program Manager or Grants Associate to discuss options.
What time period do we report on?
Each report is for a specific time period. If this is your first report please report on all activities, results and financial spending that took place since the beginning of your grant. For all subsequent reports, including final reports, please report only on activities, results and spending since your last report.
Do we have to answer every question in the reporting forms?
Yes. If a question is not relevant to your work of does not apply, simply answer Not Applicable (N/A).
Can my organization use the information we collect for OTF?
Yes. You may find the information useful to promote your achievements and to include in any reports or publications you produce for your members, board or for the general public.
How do we measure the number of people who were reached or served through our grant?
There are several ways to measure the number of people reached through your initiative. For example, you can count program participants, people attending an event or the number of publications distributed. Here are some ideas for tracking the reach of your initiative.
Set up a sign-in sheet at the door and ask people to sign in each time they attend your program, event, booth, exhibit, etc.
Have staff write down how many participants attend each program session.
Provide a token gift – such as a sticker – for each attendee and count the number of stickers that were distributed.
For each publication in which you advertise, ask the publisher how many copies were distributed. Many publications include a masthead section near the front, which includes circulation statistics.
Include a visitor counter on your web site – your web host may be able to provide a visitor counter that reports “unique” or first-time visitors, as well as repeat visitors.
What do we do if we don’t know the ages of people participating in our activities?
Simply tell us how many people you reached, regardless of age.
How can we estimate the value of in-kind support our organization receives?
• Here are some ideas to help you determine how much your non-financial donations are worth.
• For new items, call stores or search on-line catalogues for similar merchandise. Or, if appropriate, ask the donor for a copy of their receipt.
• For used items, estimate the value of a new item and deduct an appropriate percentage based upon its age and condition. In general, most merchandise depreciates in value by 20% each year. Some stores specialize in used items and may be able to provide an approximate estimate over the phone. Or, if appropriate, ask the donor how much they paid for the item.
• For professional services, ask the donor for a rough estimate of their fee. You can also call a professional association or member service organization for average fees for specific services.
• For office, meeting, recreational, or retail space ask the owner the value of the space – usually given by the square foot or metre – per day, week, month or year. Or, check newspaper classified ads for approximate rental costs. For those living in larger towns and cities, call your local economic development department for an approximate estimate of the value of the space.
What is an FTE? How do we calculate FTEs?
An FTE (full time equivalent) is any combination of jobs that add up to one full-time position (based on the standard number of hours in your organization’s full-time work week), carried out five days per week. FTEs are usually expressed as numbers, such as 2 FTE, 0.75 FTE, etc.
For example: Your OTF initiative employs one full-time employee who works 5 days per week and one part-time employee who works 3 days per week. Therefore, this grant funds 1.6 FTE. (5 days + 3 days = 8 days per week ; 8 days ÷ 5 days/week= 1.6 FTE)
What do we do if we have unspent funds or need to reallocate funds?
If you expect you will have unspent funds or if you need to reallocate funds, contact your Program Manager or Grants Associate before your grant is completed. He or she will discuss options with you. Unspent funds under $1000 may be reallocated towards the originally intended outcomes of the grant without prior approval from OTF, but the reasons and use of the funds must be reported in your Final Report. If funds remain in excess of $1000 the total amount must be returned to OTF.