LSTA Grants

All project activities must be completed by September 30. All grant funds must be spent by September 30 of each funding year.

The links below are from specific sections of the recipient training video from Amplifund. They include instructions on how to report against performance activities, enter expenses, and submit reports.

• Entering expenses
• Submitting budget report
• Entering performance activities
• Submitting performance report

Your report may ask for a description for an activity such as a program or content (created or purchased). Often a program description from a flyer or information included in your grant proposal will work in providing the level of detail needed. Examples below.

Programming examples:

Ask the Experts featured a panel of three local Master Gardeners. Attendees were encouraged to bring along questions for the panelists.

Backyard Chickens 101 taught the basics of raising and owning chickens as well as covered town guidelines.

Beekeeping 101 discussed considerations and tips for starting and maintaining a beehive.

An Open Can of Worms: Insect Invasion discussed what people needed to know about invasive pests. The presenter was the Plymouth County entomologist who shared current information on local invasive insects, how introduced insects impacted nature, and the most effective ways to manage these insects.

Content examples:

Sawyer Free Library created a series of STEM kits inspired by the work of local scientists and organizations. These included CoDrone mini kits, Sphero and Sphero kits, 3D pen kits, telescope kit, lunar lander kit, bug bot kit, microscope kit, virtual reality kit, and makey makey STEM kits. These kits often included a challenge or related activity that individuals could use to reinforce the STEM concept.

Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood offered sensory kits for toddlers over an eight-week series. The 5 Alive Sensory kits were developed by library staff. The kits contained materials for sensory/fine motor skill activities, an instruction sheet with photos and directions for each activity, and early childhood development information. A different kit was offered each week of the series.

List items acquired for the makerspace: 8 Toybox 3D printers, 2 Robo E3 printers with filament bundles, 1 Glowforge laser cutter including accessory kit, 6 sets of casters for cabinets, 3 4-packs of peg board, 6 cabinets, 2 workbenches, 2 8 ft. workbenches, 1 iPad, 4 Cricuts, 12 cricut accessory bundles, 27 spools of PLA filament for 3D printers, 4 metal stools, workbench tool chest, 1 6 ft workbench

The training video from Amplifund will walk you through how to create expenses and submit your budget reporting. Below are some points to keep in mind.

Always give the exact amount of the expense. Do not round off expenses to the nearest dollar in your reports, as we need an exact accounting of how the federal money has been spent.

Two year grants will report each year separately. Funds do not roll over from the first year to the second year.

Budget reports must have all the required information. Reports will be rejected if required information is not included.

When entering expenses in Amplifund, there will be a window with multiple tabs. The outline below walks through the sections of each tab.

Under the General Tab

• Direct Cost is the total expense of an item: Grants Funds + Match.
• Budget reports are pulled from two data points: the expense date and the expense status. Expenses must be in a reviewed status to populate the budget report that is submitted to MBLC via Amplifund.
• You must include a payee and a description. The description should give enough information that it is clear what was purchased with the funding. Please check with your consultant if you have questions about how detailed you need to be.

Under the Financials Tab

• This tab allows you to allocate the Direct Cost towards Match Funding if applicable. Match Funding includes Cash Match or In-Kind.

Under the Attachments Tab

• We do not require any receipts or other similar documentation. You can include it if you like for your own documentation but be aware that we are not checking against it. It is your responsibility to accurately report how the grant funds were spent.

Under the Custom Tab

• If an expense uses grant funds, you must include a proof of payment number, such as a check number or purchase order number. You do not need to include this if an expense only uses match funds