Grant Budgets
Matching Funds and In-Kind Contributions
Marisa Calderón, GPC
March 7, 2026 · 4 min read
Table of contents
Key takeaways
- Matching funds are the share of a project cost you contribute alongside the grant, in cash or in-kind.
- In-kind contributions are donated goods, space, or volunteer time, valued at fair market rates.
- Match is a binding commitment; unmet match can trigger repayment or disallowed costs.
- Every match contribution must be documented and tracked to the same standard as grant funds.
Matching funds are the share of a project's cost that your organization contributes alongside the grant, and they come in two forms: cash match, which is real money spent on the project, and in-kind contributions, which are donated goods, space, or volunteer time valued at fair market rates. Together they are often called cost share. A required match is a binding commitment, not a gesture, and unmet match can lead to disallowed costs or repayment, so every contribution must be tracked to the same standard as grant dollars.
Why funders ask for a match at all
A match is a test of commitment. When a funder requires you to put in 25 percent, they are confirming you have enough skin in the game to see the project through, and that other stakeholders believe in it too. Cost share also stretches the funder's dollars across more total project activity.
That is why match cannot be treated casually. Whatever you pledge becomes part of the approved budget, and the funder expects to see it delivered and documented. For how match fits into the overall structure, see our grant budgeting guide.
Cash match versus in-kind match
The two types of match are accounted for differently, even though both count toward the requirement.
Cash match is straightforward: money your organization, or a third party, spends on the project. It might be a board allocation, another grant that allows it, or earned revenue directed to the work. It is tracked exactly like grant cash.
In-kind contributions are non-cash: donated professional services, free or discounted space, volunteer hours, or donated equipment and supplies. They have real value to the project, so they count, but you have to assign and defend that value.
How to value in-kind contributions
Valuation is where applicants get sloppy and auditors get strict. Use fair market value and keep evidence for every figure.
| In-kind type | How to value it |
|---|---|
| Volunteer labor | A reasonable wage for the work performed |
| Donated professional time | The provider's standard billing rate |
| Donated space | Local rental rate for comparable space |
| Donated goods | Purchase price for equivalent items |
A pro bono attorney's time is valued at the legal billing rate, not minimum wage. Volunteers stuffing envelopes are valued at a clerical rate, not a professional one. The contribution must also be something the grant would otherwise have paid for; donated time on unrelated work does not count. Because in-kind value often blurs with overhead, our explainer on project versus overhead costs helps you confirm a contribution is genuinely project-related.
Documentation is not optional
A match you cannot document does not exist as far as an auditor is concerned. Build a paper trail from the start:
- Volunteer time: signed timesheets with dates, hours, and tasks.
- Donated services: a letter from the provider stating the service and value.
- Donated space or goods: documentation of the fair market basis.
- Cash match: ledger entries showing the funds spent on the project.
Treat these records with the same care as your grant expense receipts. Funders can and do audit cost share, and undocumented match becomes a disallowed cost, which your organization then has to cover.
What is allowed to count as match
Not every dollar or donation qualifies, and the sourcing rules trip up applicants who assume any contribution counts. Under 2 CFR 200, a cost used as match must meet the same standards as any project cost: it has to be allowable, necessary, and reasonable, and it must be incurred during the project period. A donation of something the grant could never have paid for, or a cost from before the award started, does not count toward the requirement.
Two restrictions matter most on federal awards. First, you generally cannot use federal funds from one grant to match another federal grant unless a statute specifically authorizes it, because that would let the same federal dollar do double duty. Second, a cost can be counted only once: a contribution claimed as match on this award cannot also be claimed as match on a different one, and it cannot simultaneously be charged as a direct cost to the grant. This single-use rule is exactly what auditors look for when they sample cost share. The safe sources are typically your own unrestricted funds, non-federal grants that permit it, board-designated money, and documented third-party in-kind. When in doubt, confirm the specific source is eligible with the program officer before you build it into the budget, because a disqualified match source discovered after the award is far more painful to fix.
The risk of over-promising match
The most damaging mistake is pledging match you cannot deliver. If you commit a 25 percent match and fall short, the funder may reduce the federal share proportionally or require repayment. Pledge only what you can realistically document, and confirm the requirement in the Notice of Funding Opportunity before you build the budget, because some programs forbid certain sources from counting.
Show your match in both the budget table and the budget narrative, with the source and basis for each line. Our guide to writing a budget narrative shows how to present cost share so reviewers accept it, and our budget builder keeps the match column separate from requested funds.
When match gets complicated, get help
Layered match from multiple sources, third-party in-kind, and federal match restrictions can turn a budget into a compliance puzzle. Our grant writing experts structure and document cost share so it holds up under review, protecting your organization from the repayment risk that careless match invites.
