General Procedures for County-Administered Grants and Contracts

The County Agricultural Extension District Council is legally responsible for all money handled within and through the County Extension office, including grants and contracts.

With assistance from the County Extension Education Director (CEED), the Extension Council annually prepares a budget for the Education Operating Fund for the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). The budget includes an estimate of grant funds anticipated for the fiscal year. Field specialists should be asked to give the best estimate they can of the income and expenses that are anticipated for the fiscal year from all of their programs, including grants and contracts.

Also on an annual basis, the Council publishes a full and detailed report of all receipts and expenditures in the Education Operating Fund for the last fiscal year. Receipts and expenditures from grant funds are included in this report.

 

Typical County Procedures Regarding Grants & Contracts

Generally, the Extension Council and staff should assess a proposed project's compatibility with priority programs when considering whether or not to seek outside funding. This would include the expected outcomes, an estimate of administrative costs to be supplied by the Extension District, and how or if the program will be funded after the grant ends. The process generally follows these steps:

  1. Prior to the submission of a grant proposal affecting the County Agricultural Extension District, the Extension Council and CEED reviews all grants, including cooperative projects with grants received and managed by other agencies.
  2. Prior to submission, grant proposals involving a commitment of field specialists or CEED staff time should be approved by the Area Extension Director(s).
  3. Grants affecting the County Agricultural Extension District may be received by the County or processed through Iowa State University. Generally, this is determined at the time of application.
  4. The Extension Council must approve all grants and contracts that will be received by the County Agricultural Extension District. Following the Council's approval, the Council chairperson, not the CEED, must sign the contract or grant agreement.
  5. To the extent allowed by the granting agency, the County Agricultural Extension District may recover administrative costs of carrying out the contract or grant. This would usually be accomplished by building direct costs into the proposal budget (staff time, supplies, telephone, travel, office services, etc.). It is possible to recover costs by including a portion of the District's indirect cost rate, if established by the District and properly filed.
  6. The County Extension Council delegates responsibility of day-to-day operations to the CEED. The CEED regularly presents to the Council financial reports for each grant award.
  7. The County Extension Council and CEED regularly review and authorize payment of all expense vouchers.

Last updated: 4/14/04

cj 3/31/04

Contact: Sharon Larwick larwick@iastate.edu