Grant Match Calculator

Cash match is money your organization contributes directly toward the project from its own budget, fundraising, or another funding source, while in-kind match is the dollar value of non-cash contributions like donated staff time, volunteer labor, discounted rent, or equipment loaned for the project. Most grant programs cap how much of the total match requirement can be satisfied with in-kind contributions, which is exactly what the In-Kind Allowed percentage in this calculator represents.

The match is calculated as a percentage of the Grant Amount, not the total project cost — a 25% match requirement on a $500,000 grant produces a $125,000 total match obligation, and Total Project Cost is then the grant plus that match added together. This matters because some grant program guidelines describe match requirements the other way, as a share of total project cost, so always confirm which convention your specific funder uses before relying on the output here.

The In-Kind Allowed percentage determines what share of the fixed total match dollar amount can come from non-cash contributions instead of your organization's own cash, so a higher in-kind percentage shifts more of that same total match away from Cash Match Required and into In-Kind Match Allowed. The total match obligation itself doesn't change — only how much of it your organization needs to actually spend versus document as donated value.

Acceptable in-kind match typically requires contemporaneous documentation showing the fair market value of donated time, materials, or services, such as timesheets for volunteer hours valued at a documented rate or an appraisal for donated equipment or space, and it must directly relate to project activities named in the grant agreement. Because documentation standards and allowable in-kind categories differ by funding agency, verify your specific program's requirements with your grant officer before counting on any in-kind figure this calculator produces.