Reference no: EM133232787

Assignment - Budget Critique Discussion

Description - A project budget needs to be realistic, accurate, and ethical. It should show the funding agency that you will be a good steward of the money for the betterment of your community. Last week, you began working on a rough draft of the budget that will go in your grant proposal. In this discussion, you reflect on the process of creating your budget, share your budget draft, give feedback on classmates' drafts, and receive feedback on your draft.

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

1. What process are you using to create a budget for your criminal justice initiative and grant?

2. What parts of the budget creation process are you finding difficult, and which parts are easy? Did you find anything surprising while working on your budget?

3. What advice would you give to others as they work on their budgets?

Respond to 2 replies to classmates or your faculty member. Be constructive and professional. (100 words each statement)

1) I am researching the costs associated with running a non-profit and the indirect costs associated with running the building. This has allowed me to spilt the different types of costs needed for the program and then the costs needed to keep the doors open while running the program. As I create the budget I have started to also create the budget narrative. This process has allowed me to make sure that the budget and the budget narrative match and that I am not messing up any important information while drafting the narrative. The most difficult part of the budget process is breaking the cost up and putting them into the correct category although the easy part is the budget narrative because all your really doing is describing in depth why your using that amount of money on that one line item and making sure you break it down. Moreover, the most surprising part about creating this budget and the narrative is how much I would spend on materials for the program. The main advice I would give is to in sure that you break down the realistic cost for the program and also be sure to set aside a little for those missed steps. Also in sure that you make sure you put each cost in the correct category. My budget is not finished and a lot of the prices will change before its submitted. although, any feedback is appreciated thank you.

2) When it comes down to any big project. Budgeting is something that is truly important to keep in mind. You do not want to go over a certain amount of money you already have planned. If you were to be building a house. You want to make sure you build the property with the certain goal kept in mind. It would be nice to go a little overboard, to make potential buyers, more interested than they already would've been. But you probably would be digging into more funds, that you aren't fully sure you will be able to recover when you go to sell. The same could be said about budgeting for my grant plans. When it comes down to creating a budget plan, you must set up a chart of everything your money is going to. For the funding of my plan towards the end of distracted driving. Our money flow, would be focused on advertisements, paying money towards the grant itself, and even actors who will help support fake accidents, that will be put up at schools. To show teenagers the dangers of driving distracted. The tough part that I have been noticing about budgeting, is how crazy it can all be. Especially when it comes to actors. They all probably would like to get paid differently, or even ask for raises. Which could affect the plans being set up. I would say the biggest thing to look out for, is not getting to much. Make sure you follow your plans exactly, or almost exactly. You don't want to pay more than you set out for.