Documenting Matching Costs

Matching costs will be subject to the same financial review procedures as cash expenditures and must be supported with appropriate documentation. To the extent feasible, documentation for matching contributions should be supported by the same methods used by the subgrantee’s organization to support all other costs.
Subgrantees and their subcontractors must retain records that clearly support the source, the amount, and the timing of all matching contributions. In addition, if a project has included within its approved budget contributions that exceed the required matching portion, the subgrantee must maintain records of these contributions in the same manner as it does the awarding agency funds and required matching share. The subgrantee has primary responsibility for subcontractor compliance with these requirements.
To adequately document matching costs, documentation should include:
  • A description of the goods or services contributed.
  • The purpose of the goods or services as related to grant performance.
  • The basis for determining value and supporting calculations and documentation.
  • Time sheets for volunteer personnel services.
  • Any additional documentation necessary to authenticate the transaction.
If there is a shortfall in the match provided, the subgrantee will potentially be required to pay back any federal funds because of their match shortage.
See available on the eGrants Help Page for further assistance on determining match eligibility and examples of match funding sources.