Calculators
Grant Budget Calculator
Build a grant budget from staff effort, fringe benefits, other direct costs and equipment, with indirect costs on modified total direct costs.
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- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Federal and foundation grant proposals
- Budget justifications
- Checking indirect cost recovery
- Programme planning
About this tool
What the Grant Budget Calculator does
Grant budgets usually group costs into personnel (salary × effort), fringe benefits, other direct costs and indirect costs. US federal awards apply the indirect rate to modified total direct costs (MTDC), which exclude equipment and some other items; organisations without a negotiated rate may use the 15% de minimis rate under the current Uniform Guidance.
Formula
- Personnel = Σ salary × effort
- Fringe = personnel × fringe rate
- MTDC = direct costs − equipment − other exclusions
- Indirect = base × indirect rate
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Personnel | 3 entries |
| Fringe benefit rate | 28% |
| Other direct costs | 4 entries |
| Equipment (excluded from MTDC) | $6,000 |
| Other MTDC exclusions (e.g. participant support) | $12,000 |
| Indirect cost rate | 15% |
| Indirect base | Modified total direct costs |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Total grant request | $150,641 |
| Total direct costs | $133,340 |
| Personnel | $78,000 |
| Fringe benefits | $21,840 |
| Other direct costs | $27,500 |
| Indirect cost base | $115,340 |
| Indirect costs | $17,301 |
| Indirect share of total | 11.5% |
How to read the result
Check the funder’s rules: many private foundations cap indirect costs at 10% to 20% of the total, and some exclude them entirely.
Show the basis for each line (quotes, salary scales, travel policy) in the budget justification.
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Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
Shared organisational costs, such as finance, HR and facilities, that support many projects.
Modified total direct costs: direct costs minus equipment, participant support, rent and parts of large subawards.
Under the 2024 update to the US Uniform Guidance, organisations without a negotiated rate may charge up to 15% of MTDC.
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