Blanket Justification for NEA Funding Application Guidelines and Reporting Requirements for Nonprofit Organizations

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

INSTRUCTIONS FOR
REQUESTING PAYMENT
Revised January 2005

To request your grant funds, please use the Request for Advance or Reimbursement (payment
request) form available on our Web site at www.arts.gov/manageaward. If you choose to create
your own copy of our form, you must replicate it verbatim including the certification to the
Assurances as to Labor Standards on page 2 of the form.
Unless otherwise noted in the blue Reporting Requirements, you are required to return the
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF PROJECT ACTIVITY (GEO) form to the Grants & Contracts
Office within 30 days of receipt of your grant award letter or with your first payment request, which
ever comes first. No award funds will be released until this information is received.
My Grant At A Glance. You can now access basic information about your grant online. Check
to see if we received your “GEO” form or payment request. Simply go to www.arts.gov/mygrant
and enter your 10-digit grant number.
If your payment request form is completed correctly, you can generally expect to receive payment
within 30 days of submitting (by FAX) your request(s) to the Endowment. Please plan
accordingly.
The following instructions are provided to assist you in completing this form. The availability of
this information, however, is not intended to replace or relieve you of your responsibility to read
the standard instructions provided in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars. In
addition, if you receive your payments through an alternative method of funding (i.e., working
capital advance, cost reimbursement or certification), please refer to the instructions previously
provided by the Endowment’s Office of Inspector General.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: The numbers listed below correspond to the numbers on the
payment request form.
2.

Enter the 10-digit Grant Number from your grant award letter (e.g., 05 – 3200 – 7000).

3.

Type of Payment Requested
a.

Check ADVANCE if you wish to receive Federal funds for expenditures you expect to
incur and pay within 30 days or less from the date you sign this form. Check
REIMBURSEMENT if you are asking the Endowment to reimburse you for
expenditures already paid for this grant. Check both blocks if you are requesting a
combined reimbursement and advance. All costs must be incurred within the period
of support indicated on your award letter (or as amended).

b.

Check FINAL if this will be the last payment you are requesting on this grant;
otherwise check PARTIAL.

National Endowment for the Arts

1

Payment Request Instructions

4.

Indicate the method used to record costs in your accounting ledgers. If you recognize
expenses only as you pay them, check CASH. If you recognize expenses before paying
them, check ACCRUED EXPENDITURES.

5.

If this is your first payment request for this grant, enter "1." If it is your second, enter "2," etc.

6.

You must enter your "Taxpayer Identification Number" (also known as "Employer
Identification Number"). This nine-digit number is assigned to your organization by the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

7.

Indicate the expenditure period covered by this payment request, not the entire period of
support stated in your award letter. This expense period must fall within the stated period
of support since Endowment funds cannot be used for costs incurred outside the grant
period identified in your award letter without an approved time amendment. Do not expect
to receive any funds before the start date of your grant.
For Advances: Indicate after "From" the date you sign the form; indicate after "To" a date
no greater than 30 days from the date you sign this form. [NOTE: The "From" date should
also be entered on line 9a after "As of."]
For Reimbursements: Indicate after "From" the date on which these costs were incurred
and/or paid. After "To" indicate the last date on which any of these costs were incurred
and/or paid. [NOTE: The date provided after "To" cannot be later than the date you sign
the payment request form and should also be entered on line 9a after "As of."]
For Combination Advances and Reimbursements: Indicate after "From" the earliest
date on which any of these costs were incurred and/or paid. After "To" indicate a date no
greater than 30 days from the date you sign this form. [NOTE: The date you sign this form
should also be entered on line 9a after "As of."]

8.

Indicate the official IRS name and address of the grantee (not the sponsored organization
or component).

9.

Computation of Amount Requested: Round your payment request to the nearest dollar
and consolidate requests so that the amount of Federal funds requested at any one
time is at least $1,000.
a.

Indicate all allowable project costs that have been incurred and/or paid as of the date
provided (as determined when completing Step 7 above). [NOTE: For any
subsequent requests, this figure must be cumulative, indicating that you have
expended any funds previously received from the Endowment.] All costs claimed
must be allowable and supported by appropriate expense documentation (e.g.,
contracts, receipts, invoices, payroll records, cancelled checks, etc.).

b.

Provide this information only if you are requesting an advance of Endowment funds to
cover expenses to be incurred within 30 days or less from the date you sign this form.

c.

The total of line 9a plus line 9b.

d.

Indicate the total amount of non-Endowment funds (your share) represented in the
amount on 9c.

e.

Subtract line 9d from line 9c.

National Endowment for the Arts

2

Payment Request Instructions

f.

Indicate all Endowment funds previously requested for this grant.

g.

Indicate the amount you are now requesting. Subtract line 9f from line 9e.
Remember, all funds must be disbursed immediately upon receipt.

[NOTE: Double check your math from the top down: a + b = c - d = e - f = g.]
10.

Progress Report
Unless otherwise stated in your blue Reporting Requirements, a progress report is
generally required only once during the grant period and must be provided the first time
the cumulative amount requested exceeds two-thirds of the grant amount. We will not be
able to process your payment request if it is not accompanied by the required and
acceptable progress report. Complete item 10 as follows:

11.

•

include 1) a description of all activities supported by the grant that have been
undertaken since the grant period start date, and 2) a list of grant-supported activities
now scheduled for the remainder of the grant period; and

•

type and generally limit your progress report to the space provided. If you choose to
attach the progress report, it must accompany the Request for Advance or
Reimbursement form. Do not send them separately.

Your signature indicates that you agree to all the terms and conditions of the grant. This
form must be signed by the authorizing official who either signed the application or has a
Signature Authorization Form or letter on file. (See item 16 of the General Terms.)
Signature authority must be updated every four years to remain in effect. For your
convenience, a form is available on our Web site. In addition:
•

for organizations that act as a sponsor or fiscal agent, the payment request must be
signed by an appropriate authorizing official of the sponsor organization.

•

colleges and universities may delegate authority to a fiscal officer to sign payment
requests by submitting a signature authorization form or letter to the Endowment's
Grants & Contracts Office. This delegation and signature must be on file in the
Endowment's Grants & Contracts Office.

We will be unable to process your payment request if it is not signed and dated by an
authorizing official. An unauthorized individual may not sign for the authorizing official.
12.

You must complete this section in order to receive your grant funds. Funds will be
transferred electronically to your bank and deposited directly into your account.
FOR AN ACH TRANSFER OF FUNDS, provide:
•
the name of your bank;
•
the city and state;
•
your bank's nine-digit Routing Transmittal Number (RTN);
•
your bank account number to be credited; and
•
the type of account (checking or savings).

National Endowment for the Arts

3

Payment Request Instructions

A sample check graphic follows to assist you in identifying your routing and account
numbers. (These numbers may be in slightly different places on your check.) Please
contact your financial institution to verify the correct routing and account numbers.
The routing number must be nine digits. If the first two digits are not 01 through 12 or 21
through 32, the direct deposit will be rejected. Your check may state that it is payable
through a bank different from the financial institution at which you have your checking
account. If so, do not use the routing number on that check. Contact your financial
institution for the correct routing number to enter on this line.
The checking account number can be up to 17 digits (no letters). Include hyphens but omit
spaces and special symbols. Do not include the check number.

IMPORTANT: Make sure that your bank's RTN and your bank account numbers are
correct on each payment request form you submit. An incorrect number will prevent your
bank from crediting your account. Funds must be transferred directly to a checking or
savings account. Funds cannot be transferred to a trust. The Endowment is unable to use
Fedline (further-wire-to secondary accounts) for amounts under $100,000. Please do NOT
enter a second bank account number at the bottom of the form.
To verify receipt of funds, call your bank, not the Endowment. You must ask your bank if
they received an ACH payment (do not use any other term) to your account.
Submitting Your Request:
You are encouraged to FAX your requests to the Grants & Contracts Office at (202) 682-5610 or
5609. If you FAX your material, please do not send a hard copy. NOTE: The delivery of firstclass mail to NEA has been delayed since October 2001. Delays are expected to continue for
the foreseeable future. If you do not FAX your payment request, please consider using an
alternative delivery service. Go to www.arts.gov/mygrant to confirm receipt.
If you have any questions, please call the Grants & Contracts Office at (202) 682-5403 or e-mail
us at [email protected].

National Endowment for the Arts

4

Payment Request Instructions

Note: 29 CFR Part 505 Labor Standards on Projects or Productions Assisted by Grants from the
National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities in its entirety is available on line at
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_98/29cfr505_98.html

National Endowment for the Arts

5

Payment Request Instructions