Award summary
A note with the funder name, grant amount, period, and eligible-cost scope as written in the award letter.
Studio finance · Grant funding
Keep clean records for every grant-funded project
When your studio runs a project on grant money, the funder wants to see exactly what the award paid for — and at report time you don't want to be hunting through email for receipts. Keeping a dedicated folder per grant, with each eligible expense tagged and its receipt attached, means the record is already built when the report is due. Cash Workspace gives you one place to file each grant, record its spend by category, and gather the documents your report needs.
The problem
Why grant spend gets hard to report
Grant money usually has a defined scope and a reporting deadline, but studio spend lands in personal cards, vendor invoices, and reimbursements scattered everywhere.
- Expenses paid against the grant are mixed in with unrelated studio spend.
- Receipts for grant purchases live in email, in a drawer, or on a phone.
- You can't quickly show how much of the award has been spent so far.
- At report time you're unsure which costs the funder considers eligible.
- Two grants overlap and you can't tell which one a purchase belongs to.
The workflow
Set up and maintain a per-grant record
Create a folder for each award, then record every expense paid from it the same way so the report writes itself.
- 1
Create a folder per grant
Make one folder named for the award and funder, and note the total amount, period, and scope so every record has a home.
- 2
Record eligible expenses
When you pay for something the grant covers, record the vendor, date, amount, and a category tag, and attach the receipt or invoice.
- 3
Tag the grant
Use a consistent grant tag on every record so spend from one award never mixes with another or with general studio costs.
- 4
Keep a running view
Review the folder so you can see recorded spend against the award amount whenever the funder asks.
- 5
Assemble the report records
Before the deadline, work the report checklist to confirm every expense has a receipt and category before you export.
Record structure
What to record for each grant expense
A consistent set of fields keeps every grant purchase tied to the award and easy to defend in the report.
- Grant tag
- The award this expense is paid from, so spend never blends across grants.
- Vendor
- Who you paid — supplier, studio, contractor, or venue.
- Date
- When the cost was incurred, so it lands in the correct grant period.
- Amount
- What you paid and the currency, matched to the attached receipt.
- Category
- A product-defined expense category such as materials, equipment, or contractor fees.
- Eligibility note
- A short note on why this expense fits the grant's scope, for the report.
- Receipt or invoice
- The proof of purchase attached to the record so document and entry stay together.
- Project or phase
- Which part of the funded project the cost belongs to, if the award has phases.
Example setup
An example grant folder setup
One way to structure records for a single award inside your workspace.
Eligible expenses
Every grant-paid expense with vendor, date, amount, category tag, eligibility note, and an attached receipt.
Contractor records
Invoices from artists or contractors paid from the grant, attached to their records.
Report records
The records and exports gathered for the funder's report, with the checklist of what to confirm.
Common mistakes
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying grant costs from a mixed card without tagging the grant on each record.
- Recording an amount but never attaching the receipt, so it can't be evidenced.
- Letting two awards share a folder so spend can't be separated.
- Leaving eligibility notes blank, so you re-guess scope at report time.
- Waiting until the deadline to assemble records instead of filing as you spend.
How it helps
How Cash Workspace helps
A folder per award
Keep each grant's spend in its own folder so one award's records never blend with another.
Tagged, categorized expenses
Record each expense with a grant tag and category, and attach its receipt so the entry and proof stay together.
Report-ready exports
When the report is due, export the grant's records so you can hand the funder an organized set of expenses and documents.
Related
Related studio finance workflows
Multi-client expense allocation
Split shared costs across clients and projects consistently.
Receipts by project
Keep every studio receipt filed under the project it belongs to.
Studio tax-prep folder
Gather the records a studio needs before tax season.
Receipt organizer
Organize receipts so every expense has its proof attached.
All finance workflows
Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.
FAQ
Grant records FAQ
- How do I show how much of a grant I've spent?
- Record every grant-paid expense in the award's folder with its amount and category. Reviewing that folder shows your recorded spend against the award total — you compare it yourself; the workspace keeps the records organized.
- Does Cash Workspace tell me if an expense is eligible for the grant?
- No. You add an eligibility note based on the award's scope; the workspace records and files it. Confirm eligibility rules with the funder or a qualified professional.
- Can I keep records for more than one grant at once?
- Yes. Give each award its own folder and grant tag so spend, receipts, and notes for one grant never mix with another.
Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance
Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.
Keep every grant's spend report-ready
Start a free workspace and file each award in its own folder so eligible expenses, receipts, and notes are gathered before the report is due.