Spend It Well
A guide for project directors with remaining federal grant funds in public safety and behavioral health.
Strategic investments, not last-minute spending.
You’re approaching the end of your budget period with unspent funds. If you do nothing, those funds revert to the federal government. If you spend them on a last-minute purchase, you risk audit problems.
This guide offers a third option: planned, allowable investments that strengthen your program for the long term.
The services described here aren’t extras. They’re targeted investments in the infrastructure, documentation, and positioning that programs rarely have time or budget for during normal operations.
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services, from $5,000 workflow snapshots to $60,000 highlight videos, designed to be allowable under most federal public-safety and behavioral-health grants. Each one produces a concrete deliverable you can hand to funders, partners, or staff.
How to Use This Guide
1
Start with the interactive filter
Filter by budget, timeline, and staff effort to narrow to two or three options.
2
Read the services pages
Each includes vendor vs. agency responsibilities and the key decision it supports.
3
Check compliance
Confirm allowability, whether you need a budget modification, and that you have enough time within your funding window before committing them in writing.
4
Use the checklist
Follow the seven steps to go from decision to signed contract.
Section I: strategic planning, needs assessment, & impact
See your program clearly before you plan what comes next.
Four services to help you understand who your program it serves, what it has accomplished, and where it should go next.
Section II: DATA, PERFORMANCE, & REPORTING
Turn what you collect into something useful.
Make your data visible and useful for staff. Match your reporting to the audiences who need to see it.
Section III: program operations & implementation
Find what isn’t working and fix it.
Two services for fixing process problems: identify where a process is breaking down, turn that into a concrete fix.
Section IV: Workforce, communications, & public engagement
Invest in your people, and in how the world understands your work.
Four services focused on the staff who run your program and the messages that shape how partners and the public see your work.
Common pairings
When you have a larger balance, pair two services so each one strengthens the other.
Communications Audit + Messaging Toolkit
$17,500 – $22,000 | 16 – 22 weeks
Diagnose communication problems, then build the materials to fix them.
Best for: Programs that haven’t updated materials in years and need a complete communications refresh.
Workflow Mapping + Implementation Plan
$15,000 – $22,500 | 14 – 20 weeks
Identify where processes break down, then create a concrete plan to fix them.
Best for: Programs where operations have drifted and staff describe the same process differently.
Needs Assessment + Annual Report
$16,000 – $25,000 | 18 – 26 weeks
Gather data on who you serve, then tell the story of your work with evidence.
Best for: Programs applying for future funding that need to show both what the community needs and what your program has accomplished.
Data Dashboard + Annual Report
$18,000 – $25,000 | 16 – 22 weeks
Build the tools to track performance, then produce a polished report showing results.
Best for: Programs with scattered data that need both internal management tools and external reporting.
Wellness Snapshot + Strategic Planning
$18,000 – $27,000 | 20 – 28 weeks
Understand what’s happening with your staff, then plan with that information.
Best for: Programs developing their long-term future where staff retention is a known risk.
PROCUREMENT & COMPLIANCE
Before you commit funds, check…
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Confirm the expense is allowable under your specific grant requirements. If your approved budget doesn’t include a line for consultants or contractual services, contact your grant officer to discuss a budget modification before signing a contract.
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Moving unspent funds from personnel or travel into a contracts or consultant line may require a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN, which is formal written approval from your funder) or prior approval, especially if it is more than 10% of your total award.
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All work must be delivered and finished before your grant’s period of performance (your funding window) ends. If you don’t have enough time left, request a No-Cost Extension (an approval to spend remaining funds past your end date without adding more money) before obligating funds.
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Many services in this guide are priced between $5,000 and $10,000. Depending on your agency’s local policies, purchases under $10,000 may qualify for the federal micro-purchase threshold — a streamlined purchase path that doesn’t require competitive bids, set under 2 CFR 200.320.
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If you select a specific vendor without competitive bidding (a sole-source procurement), document your reasons in writing — for example, unique expertise, specialized services, or timing constraints. Keep this with your grant file.
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These are fixed-price, deliverable-based contracts. You’re paying for a finished product, not open-ended consulting hours. That makes procurement and invoice approval cleaner — and easier to defend in an audit.
Allowable investments
One-time purchases that outlast the grant.
Technology upgrades, furniture, training materials, and staff development you buy now will reduce the burden on future operating budgets. Before purchasing, confirm allowability, your grant’s equipment cost threshold (the dollar limit above which an item is treated as equipment with stricter rules), and any rules about software subscriptions.
Technology
$500 – $5,000 per item
Tablets for participants
Laptops for staff
Telehealth kiosks
Virtual courtroom technology
Case management software (one-time license only)
Program Space
$1,000 – $10,000 per item or set
Office furniture
Group treatment room furniture
Meeting room technology (displays, video conferencing)
Treatment & Recovery
$500 – $5,000 per item
Evidence-based treatment curricula for clients
Training curricula for staff
Secure medication storage
Workforce Development
$500 – $3,000 per person
Professional certifications (peer support, case management)
Specialized training (trauma-informed care, motivational interviewing)
Conference registration fees
next steps
From decision to signed contract.
1
Quantify your situation
Confirm your exact unspent balance, the date your funding window (period of performance) ends, and how much time is left for procurement, the work itself, and grant closeout.
2
Check federal requirements
Review your approved budget to see whether moving funds to contracts or equipment requires formal prior approval from your grant officer. This is typically required if you’re shifting more than 10% of your total award.
3
Be realistic about staff time
Be honest about how much your team can take on over the next 60 to 90 days. Use the staff-effort ratings to match options to what your staff can actually do. Low-effort options need minimal ongoing involvement from your team.
4
Select your options
Pick one to three options that fit your timeline, budget, and needs. For larger balances, look at the suggested pairings. Prioritize deliverables you’ll use again and again.
5
Confirm allowability
Before committing funds in writing, confirm with your grant officer that the expense is allowable. Document in writing how the service supports your program goals and connects to your approved scope of work.
6
Start procurement
Assign one staff member to lead. Build in time for legal review, board approval, and getting the right signatures. For services under $10,000, check whether the federal micro-purchase threshold applies (a streamlined path that doesn’t require competitive bids).
7
Execute and monitor
Assign one point of contact to coordinate with the vendor. Build in time for your team to review drafts and approve deliverables. Track progress against your grant’s end date (period of performance).