2022 Washington Digital Heritage Grants: Grant Management

Libraries must expend local money before claiming reimbursement. Funds will not be distributed in advance of activities and purchases taking place. Proof of the expenditures must be included with the reimbursement claim.

WSL cannot reimburse expenses incurred before the contract is fully executed (signed by both the Office of the Secretary of State (WSL) and the award recipient).

Only costs incurred for activities and purchases identified within the contract Statement of Work and Budget will be reimbursed. Contact WSL prior to incurring costs for anything not specifically stated in the contract to determine if a contract amendment can be made to accommodate the change. Amendments generally are not allowed less than six weeks before the end of the contracted period of performance.

The official Washington State Library claim form must be used. Awardees are provided claim forms, and where applicable, staff hours forms, once contracts are executed. Costs must be clearly identified and properly documented. Detailed timesheets are required for salaries and benefits. Documentation of both payment and receipt are required for purchases of supplies and equipment.

Please refer to the timeline for claim due dates.

The only allowable costs for your project are detailed in the budget exhibit of your contract.

Any changes require  pre-approval by WSL staff and possible contract amendment by OSOS.

RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF LSTA GRANT FUNDS

To clarify some of the more commonly-occurring questions regarding how Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds can or cannot be used, please see the list of explanations below. These explanations have been extracted from the Code of Federal Regulations and list important highlights of allowable and unallowable costs. Administrators and project coordinators of LSTA grant projects are cautioned that they must abide by all regulations in conducting their projects and in allotting charges against grant funds. In cases of ambiguity, uncertainty, or questions in identifying allowable cost items under Federal procedures, please contact WSLgrants@sos.wa.gov for clarification. A complete list with descriptions can be found in The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Advertising costs are allowable only when incurred for the recruitment of personnel, the procurement of goods and services, the disposal of scrap or surplus materials, and other specific purposes necessary to meet the requirements of the Federal award. Public relations costs are allowable when incurred to communicate with the public and press pertaining to specific activities or accomplishments that result from performance of the Federal award. Costs of advertising and public relations at conventions, meetings or other events, including displays, demonstrations, exhibits, meeting rooms, hospitality suites, and special facilities used in conjunction with shows and special events; and salaries of employees engaged in setting up and displaying exhibits, making demonstrations, and providing briefings are unallowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Advertising and public relations

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Costs of alcoholic beverages are unallowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Alcoholic beverages.

BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION COSTS Building, construction, or renovation costs are unallowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Rearrangement and reconversion costs Maintenance and repair costs Equipment and other capital expenditures

CONFERENCES Costs of meetings and conferences, including meals, transportation, rental of meeting facilities, and other incidental costs, where the primary purpose is the dissemination of technical information, are allowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Conferences

CONTRIBUTIONS, DONATIONS, HONORARIUMS, STIPENDS Contributions and donations, including cash, property, and services, that use grant funds and are made by grant recipients to others, regardless of the recipient, are unallowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Contributions and donations. (NOTE: Honorariums and stipends are also unallowable. Wages, salaries, reimbursements, payment for work done, and fees charged by speakers are allowable.)

ENTERTAINMENT Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities, and any costs directly associated with those, such as tickets to shows or sports events, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities are unallowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Entertainment costs.

FUND-RAISING Costs of organized fund-raising, including financial campaigns, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred to raise capital or to obtain contributions, are unallowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Fund raising and investment management costs.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT EXPENSES The general costs of government, including services normally provided to the general public, such as fire and police, are unallowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: General costs of government. INCOME FROM PROJECT Project income, e.g., fees charged for the use of library space in the context of a grant project, or to recover out of pocket project-related costs, or to create products such as manuals, or for other expenditures directly related to and used for the purposes of the grant and accrued under the conditions of the grant award, are allowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Program income

LOBBYING The cost of certain influencing activities associated with obtaining grants, contracts, cooperative agreements or loans, is unallowable. Costs of membership in organizations substantially engaged in lobbying are unallowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Lobbying

MEMBERSHIPS, SUBSCRIPTIONS, AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Costs of the grant recipient’s memberships in business, technical, and professional organizations are allowable. (NOTE: The State Library’s policy is that use of LSTA funds for personal memberships in organizations is not permitted.) Subscriptions to business, professional, and technical periodicals are allowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Memberships, subscription, and professional activity costs

PREMIUMS, PRIZES, INCENTIVES, AND SOUVENIERS Costs of promotional items and memorabilia, including models, gifts, and souvenirs, are unallowable. See ADVERTISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS (e)(3).

REFRESHMENTS See ENTERTAINMENT (unallowable), and MEMBERSHIPS, SUBSCRIPTIONS, AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES (allowable).

TRAINING The cost of training provided for employee development is allowable. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Training and education costs.

TRAVEL EXPENSES Travel costs are allowable for expenses for transportation, lodging, subsistence, and related items incurred by employees traveling on official business. Charges should be consistent with those normally allowed in like circumstances of the grant recipient organization in its regular operations and policy, in non-federally sponsored activities. An exception to this is that car mileage reimbursement for all awarded LSTA grants cannot exceed the current state rate. Source: 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. See electronic code of federal regulations: Travel costs.

The Office of the Secretary of State, Washington State Library, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) must be acknowledged as providing Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding to support your project in all project-related public events, press releases, printed materials, and websites. This is a requirement, as noted in the General Terms and Conditions associated with your award. 

Use these acknowledgements for all spoken, online, and printed promotional materials, including interviews, websites, emails, discussion list posts, flyers, advertisements, presentations, slideshows, evaluation forms, newsletters, and press releases.

Use the following wording:

This grant is supported with  funding provided by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

Include the OSOS-WSL logo and IMLS logo, which are available for download on the left hand menu bar. For online materials, link the logos to www.sos.wa.gov/library and www.imls.gov.

When to use acknowledgements:

• Public Events: Acknowledgement and logos should be included on signage, and both WSL and IMLS should be mentioned at the beginning of public presentations.
• Press Events: Include the written acknowledgement in your press releases and press kits, and include the dollar amount of LSTA funds received. At press conferences acknowledge WSL and IMLS orally.
• Printed Materials: Use the logos and written acknowledgement. Remember to include it on PowerPoint presentations.
• Web Sites: Post the acknowledgement with WSL and IMLS logos, and link the logos back to www.sos.wa.gov/library and www.imls.gov.
• Advertisements: Use the logos and written acknowledgment.
• Public Service Announcements: Include acknowledgement at the end of your PSA.

All equipment purchased with grant funds must be identified on the library's inventory as purchased with LSTA funds and must be marked “Purchased with LSTA funds” in a visible location. We can send you stickers for equipment.

On social media, use @US_IMLS and #IMLSgrant on all platforms when promoting your project.

The IMLS Grantee Communications Kit provides additional information and logos.