>As my organization (The Dallas Arboretum) is reviewing my education
>department's budget, an issue has come up.  Should my salary as the sole
>education coordinator and any education overhead expenses (such as phone
>calls, general postage, etc) be allocated to grants OR should these costs be
>absorbed into the general operating fund?
>
>How do other organizations deal with this issue?  Any information on this
>subject would be appreciated by Wednesday, October 18th.  Thanks!

Monica--

Well, I don't think that there is a very simple answer to your question
(just what you wanted to hear, I know).  It all depends on what grants you
are talking about, what you mean by allocating costs to these grants, and
what the grant funder's own policies are.

Also, are these grants you already have in-hand (in which case your ability
to charge your time and overhead to the grant is already governed by the
terms of the grant), or grants that you are going to submit (in which case
you will present your costs--including salaries and overhead--in the budget
for the funder to approve or disapprove)?

As a general rule, the government (e.g., NSF) expects to pay for salaries
and overhead costs, but private foundations and corporations do not.  Here
at RSABG we try to include these costs in grant budgets whenever they are
allowed, and simply do without them when they are not.  Its really done on
a case by case basis.

If you have some more information to offer, I am sure that one or more of
us on the list would be glad to offer more specific advice.  I'm going out
of town to attend the Western Museum Association meetings starting
Wednesday, but you could also call me on the phone tomorrow and I'd be
happy to talk you through some of this.  Good luck!

Richard Chute ([log in to unmask])          Dir. of Corp. & Fndtn. Rel.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden         1500 North College Ave.
Claremont, CA 91711
Phone:  (909) 625-8767, ext. 222        FAX:  (909) 626-7670