Welcome to Your Grant Journey
You've been awarded a grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust! This guide will walk you through every step from now until your grant closes, including important forms, timelines, and reporting requirements. Please save this page for easy reference throughout your grant period.
Accessing the Grants Portal
Open Grants Portal ›All reports and payment requests are managed through your grants portal. Under "My Submissions", you can locate your grant record by the grant number. Once you click on the number, you will find a series of tabs: Forms, Messages, etc.
In your portal Record, you'll find:
- Forms tab, Additional Forms section: See all scheduled reports with due dates
- Award & Payment Details form: View your grant agreement, terms, and tentative payment schedule
- Messages: Manage communications with the Trust
Need to Access Additional Forms? If you're having trouble finding forms in your portal, visit the Submittable Help Center guide on accessing additional forms.
Collaborating on Reports
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Transferring Record Ownership
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Phase 1: The First 30 Days
1 Award Notification Email
Actions Required: You'll receive two emails requesting completion of two forms: Request for Contact Information form and Award and Payment Details form.
What You Need to Do Within 3 Days of Request
1. Complete the Contact Information form within 3 days, providing:
- Grant signatory contact details
- Financial contact information
- Ensure these contacts check their email regularly
- Alert them to watch for emails from DocuSign and Tipalti (these may go to spam/junk folders)
2. Complete the Award and Payment Details form within 3 days:
All that is needed is to check the box (no need to fill in anything else) and submit this form within three days. We will fill in the tables for you, and you will receive a notification when that happens.
Important: The grant signatory and financial contact may be the same person, but both roles must be clearly identified.
Phase 2: Grant Management
Understanding Your Grant Type & Reporting Requirements
Your reporting and payment request process depends on your grant type. Review your Grant Agreement to identify which category applies to you.
Grant Types:
Staff & Program Grants
Capital/Construction Grants
Equipment & Technology Grants
Phase 3: Completion
Submitting Progress Reports 6
Purpose: Progress Reports (may be titled Grant Report / Payment Request) are flexible reports used to request outright payments with no contingencies attached.
When to Submit
- To request outright payments (after meeting basic requirements)
- When you're ready to request funds for your project (or when you are ready for the next payment on your multi-year grant)
- Before or after estimated placeholder due dates (these are flexible and can be submitted early or late)
Multi-Year Payment Sequencing: For grants with multiple years of outright payments, subsequent payments are only released after prior payments have been mostly expended. This is particularly important if staff positions experience turnover, hiring delays, or when projects pause or transition. Submit your next Progress Report only when you're ready for the next payment.
What to Include
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| Section | What to Provide |
|---|---|
| Payment Amount | Check your Grant Agreement for the scheduled payment amount |
| Summary Narrative | Any progress, project outcomes, or impact achieved since last report or communication with Trust |
| Comparative Budget | Line-by-line comparison showing approved project budget at the time of award, actual costs, Trust funds applied, and remaining balance of Trust funds. Download Example Template |
Further Resources
Need Help?
Tips and help on using the Submittable grants portal ›
For questions about your specific grant, use the Messages feature in your Submittable portal to contact the grants team.
For general questions, email the grants team here.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the expectations for project updates that don't require a report?
A: We do not require informal status reports. The expectation is that you will reach out outside the formal reporting schedule if any critical events occur that could affect the project's ability to meet its objectives or alter the grant as intended (eg: material change in scope, significant project delay, loss of critical partner, change in awarded employment status, major organizational shift, change in IRS determination status or section).