General Checklist for the Close-Out of Federal Grant Projects
The end of Federal Fiscal Year 2014 (September 30, 2014) is upon us. Many of you are likely busy wrapping up federal grant projects. For some, this may be your first time closing out a grant. To assist Tribal Environmental Professionals navigate this process, I prepared a 2-page General Checklist for Closeout of Federal Grants. The main steps in this checklist are to:
- Review the Grant Project Agreement with all of its terms and conditions,
- Arrange a phone call or meeting with your Grant Project officer to identify everything your tribe will need to do and submit to close out the grant project,
- Create a more specific Checklist of the Closeout Documents and Tasks,
- Review all project tasks and objectives to determine whether they can be completed by the end of the grant project period,
- Review the prior and expected grant program expenses to determine if they are consistent with the budget, and
- Make sure that all of the funding is expended before the grant period ends.
The General Checklist contains additional information, options, and considerations for each step. As explained in the document, some actions/options must be exercised before the grant period ends (e.g. requesting an extension or revising the budget). I hope you find this information useful.