spend it well
A third option for unspent grant dollars.
A strategic guide for project directors using remaining federal grant funds in public safety and behavioral health.
These are not one-time deliverables. They are investments in your program’s future.
You are approaching the end of your budget period, and you have unspent funds. If you do nothing, those funds go back. If you spend them on a disorganized last-minute purchase, you risk audit issues.
This guide offers a third option: strategic, allowable investments that strengthen your program’s long-term foundation.
The services described here are not extras. They are targeted investments in the infrastructure, documentation, and strategic positioning that programs rarely have the bandwidth or dedicated budget to prioritize during normal operations.
12
investment-based 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 produces a concrete artifact 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, budget modification, and period of performance before obligating funds.
4
Use the checklist
Seven steps to move from decision to executed contract.
Section I: strategic planning | needs assessment | impact
Foundations. Know what you’re building on.
Four services that help you see your program clearly, including who it serves, what it has accomplished, and where it is going next.