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Administration Costs Research Project Survey
Introduction
Thank you for agreeing to participate in this research which aims to understand the extent to which
grantee organizations are able to cover all their costs (‘cost coverage’), particularly administration
costs, associated with activities funded by restricted donors. This questionnaire has two parts:
1. Part A: Basic information about your organization
2. Part B: information about your organization’s cost coverage approach and experience
Your answers will be used with those of other participating organizations to inform our research into
the experiences of Non-Governmental Organizations in cost coverage. We will use this to make
recommendations to donors.
Please refer to the research system portal ‘About’ page for a reminder of the research aims and
approach.
We will acknowledge your organization as a participant in the research in the final report, unless you
prefer us not to. We will keep all information we gather as part of the research (whether through this
questionnaire, the financial data collection template, document review or interviews) confidential. The
information from your organization will be collated with that of the other participating organizations
and presented in such a way that it cannot be attributed to a specific organization. If we wish to use
any of the information you provide as a case example, we will seek your organization’s approval
beforehand, and you retain the right to say no.
Nothing written or said by an individual will be attributed to them by name. The research will not refer
to job titles unless these are so generic that it would not be possible to identify the individual.
Please answer all questions. It should take two hours to complete the survey, but depending on your
role in relation to cost coverage, you may need to collect information from others in the organization.
You can save responses and come back and complete other answers at a later point. Once you submit
your survey however, you will no longer be able to review or change it.
If you need any assistance in completing the survey, for example, discussing appropriate answers to a
question, or clarifying a question, please contact Kelly Russell on kelly.russell@humentum.org.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your answers are invaluable to this work.
Part A: The organization
* 1. Organization name
* 2. Country
* 3. Name of person completing this questionnaire
* 4. Job title of person completing this questionnaire
* 5. Contact email
* 6. Contact phone number, including international dialling code
* 7. The organization’s main activity consists of (please select one):
Advocacy
Grassroots activities
Litigation
Research/think-tank
Other (please specify)
* 8. The organization’s primary operating model is (please select one):
Direct implementer: we implement activities ourselves
Grant-maker: we work through partners/grantees
A mixture of direct implementation and grant-making
A different operating model – please describe here
* 9. The organization’s primary target group is (please select one):
Local communities
Marginalised, indigenous or other groups
Women
Another target group – please describe here
* 10. The organization was established (please select one):
Less than three years ago
Between 3 and 10 years ago
More than 10 years ago
* 11. The organization’s reach is (please select one):
National: our work covers the whole country
Regional: we work in more than one region or part of the country
Local: we work in just one area or city of the country
* 12. How many offices does the organization have?
One
2-5
6-10
Over 10
* 13. Is one of the offices seen as the “head office” or equivalent?
Yes
No
* 14. What activities are undertaken in the head office (select all that apply)?
Programme and project activities
Fundraising activities
Administration activities
Not applicable - our organization does not have a head office (if you select this option, please select no other option)
* 15. What activities are undertaken in the other offices (please select one)?
Only programme and project activities
Only fundraising activities
Only administration activities
A mix of activities
Not applicable - our organization only has a head office
Administration Costs Research Project Survey
Part B: Cost coverage approach and experience
Part B consists of the following sections:
1. Overall cost coverage policy and approach
2. Financial health
3. Experience of cost coverage in donor funding
4. Barriers, challenges and implications
5. Plans for the future
In this part, we ask some questions to understand your organization’s financial health, and the extent
to which its costs are funded by donors.
In your own accounting, you may well use different terms or definitions for categories of costs
compared to those used for this research. In answering these questions, please have regard to the
way that our sector commonly understands the costs in a donor-funded budget:
Direct costs: those directly expended on the project or
programme activities
Administration costs: those costs that support the
organization and all of its work (and are referred to in different
ways, such as indirect costs, overheads, organizational
support costs).
Part B, section 1: Overall cost coverage policy and approach
* 16. Which statement best describes your organization’s position on cost coverage from donor funding
(please select one):
We have a written policy
We don’t have a written policy, but we have informal guidance
We don’t have a written policy or informal guidance
* 17. To what extent are you able to get the costs of the relevant activities fully funded from donor funds
(including both direct costs and an appropriate share of administration costs) (please select one)?
A very great extent
A great extent
Moderate extent
A small extent
Not at all
* 18. Which of the following statements best describes your organization’s overall policy when applying for
donor funding (please select one)?
We seek full funding - We generally only seek and accept donor funding that covers all or most of the full costs (direct and
administration costs) of the activities for which it is given
We seek full direct costs funding - We seek and accept donor funding that covers all or most of the direct costs of the activities for
which it is given, but we accept whatever indirect cost contribution is offered by the donor, even if it does not cover the related
share of our administration costs
We seek any funding - We have to cover our costs somehow, and any donor funding helps. So we seek and take donor funding
even where it does not cover all or most of the direct costs of the relevant activities.
Other. We have some other policy when deciding whether to apply for a grant (please describe)
* 19. How would you rate your organization’s knowledge and skills in calculating and recouping the full direct
and administration costs of activities supported by donor funding (please select one)?
Very good
Good
Acceptable
Poor
Very Poor
* 20. Who is the most senior lead person in your organization on cost coverage in donor funding (please
choose one):
Our treasurer or another board member
Our CEO (or equivalent)
Our finance director or a senior manager in finance
Another director or senior manager
A more junior role
Not sure
* 21. Please choose the statement that best describes your organization’s approach to calculating the total
administration costs associated with each project or programme:
We have established a definition of our administration costs and have calculated an administration cost rate that we can apply to
every new project or programme
We have drawn on our experience to estimate the proportion of administration costs typically incurred on each project and apply
this approximate rate to every new piece of work
We don’t calculate an administration cost rate ourselves. We use whatever rate the donor gives
All our administration costs are treated as direct costs when seeking funding from donors
* 22. When applying for funding, do you communicate the total estimated administration costs associated with
the relevant activities to donors?
Always
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
* 23. What are the biggest barriers to communicating administration costs to donors (please select all that
apply)?
Donors might think our administration costs are too high
Donors might not be convinced by our explanation of our administration costs
Donors might see us as “uncompetitive” compared to other organizations
Donors might challenge the method we use to calculate administration costs, or the accuracy of the rate that we have established
This is internal confidential information that should not be communicated externally
Donors would not allow or welcome it
We are not sure what our administration costs are
Some other reason – please give details
* 24. What could help you to communicate your administration costs to donors (please select all that apply)?
Benchmarking with other similar organizations to see how we compare
A standard method agreed amongst donors for calculating and including the relevant administration costs in the donor budget
An independent review of our method and calculation
Support to prepare and document a justification for our administration cost base
Changing how we work to reduce our administration costs
We would never be comfortable to communicate our administration costs to donors (if you choose this, please choose no other
option)
Another activity – please describe
Administration Costs Research Project Survey
Part B, section 2: Financial health
25. Which of the following do you see as current strengths in the financial health of your organization (please
select all that apply)?
Some donors provide full funding for the costs of the activities they support
We have good fundraising and business development to raise all the funds we need for our work
We have significant new income streams
We have a good level of unrestricted income
We have built up adequate financial reserves
Some donors pay in advance, which helps our cashflow
We have recently made significant financial gains on foreign exchange
The fundraising environment in our country incentivises individual giving, or example through tax or other benefits
Other - please describe
26. Which of the following do you see as current weaknesses in the financial health of your organization
(please select all that apply)?
Donors do not fund all the costs of the activities they support
We do not have enough fundraising or business development to raise all the funds we need for our work
We have had some unexpected costs recently
We have lost some important income streams recently
We find it hard to raise unrestricted funds
We have not built up adequate financial reserves
We have cashflow difficulties as some donors pay in arrears
Our organization has been severely affected by inflation and/or foreign exchange losses
The fundraising environment in our country is challenging and restricts the funding sources that could be available to us
Other - please describe
* 27. How would you describe the financial health of the organization at present?
Excellent
Good
Satisfactory
Poor
Very poor
Not known
* 28. Over the last two years on average, our restricted income as a percentage of our total income has been:
Over 80%
50% to 80%
20% to 49%
Less than 20%
* 29. A reserves policy sets out the amount of unrestricted or flexible funds which an organization tries to
retain to provide working capital, act as a buffer against adverse events and enable investment in new
activities. Which of the following best describes your organization’s approach to reserves (please select one
only)?
We have a written and approved reserves policy, which includes a reserves target for our organization
We don’t have an approved written reserves policy, but we have informal guidance including a reserves target for our
organization
We don’t have a reserves target for our organization
* 30. Our current level of flexible reserves is:
Enough for our organization’s needs
More than enough for our organization’s needs
Not enough for our organization’s needs
Not sure
Very much so Somewhat A little Not at all Not sure
Have you increased the
number of your grant
funding donors, over the
last two years?
Have you increased the
number of individual
donors, over the last two
years?
Are you currently
satisfied with the
diversity of your funding
sources?
Is your organization
actively trying to
generate sources of
income beyond grant
funding or individual
giving?
* 31. To what extent:
One 2-3 4-5 6-10 More than 10
* 32. In an average year how many restricted donors do you have?
Fewer than five 5-20 21-50 51-200 More than 200
* 33. In an average year how many unrestricted donors do you have?
If yes, please describe briefly
* 34. Does the relevant law in your country provide taxation or other incentives for individuals in your country to
make donations to civil society organizations?
Yes
No
Administration Costs Research Project Survey
Part B, section 3: Experience of cost coverage in donor funding
* 35. Please select the statement that best describes the extent to which your restricted grant funding covers
the DIRECT costs of the funded activities (please choose one only):
Excellent: We generally have no direct cost funding gaps as our donor funding fully covers the direct costs of activities for which
it was given
Good: Although we occasionally have direct cost funding gaps, it doesn’t happen very often
OK: Although donor funding sometimes covers the full direct costs of the relevant activities, more often than not we have
funding gaps in the direct costs
Poor: We get very few donor funds that cover all the direct costs of the funded activities.
Not sure: We don’t have enough information to assess the extent of the direct cost funding gap we have on activities funded by
donors.
Always Very Often Sometimes Rarely Never N/A
Find another donor for
the rest of the direct
costs
Cover the direct cost
gap with unrestricted
funds
Adapt the programme
activities and their costs
so as to be able to
deliver the work within
the funding given
Take another approach
(please describe)
* 36. In the last year, when a donor did not cover all the DIRECT costs of the activities they are funding, how
frequently did you:
* 37. Please select the statement that best describes the extent to which your restricted grant funding covers
the ADMINISTRATION costs of the funded activities (please choose one only):
Excellent: We generally have no administration cost funding gaps as our donor funding fully covers the administration costs
associated with the relevant activities.
Good: Although we occasionally have administration cost funding gaps, it doesn’t happen very often
OK: Although donor funding sometimes covers the administration costs associated with the relevant activities in full, more often
than not we have funding gaps in these costs
Poor: We get very few donor funds that cover all the administration costs associated with the funded activities.
Not sure: We don’t have enough information to assess the extent of the administration cost funding gap we have on activities
funded by donors.
Always Very Often Sometimes Rarely Never N/A
Find another donor for
the rest of the
administration costs
Cover the administration
cost gap with
unrestricted funds
Adjust administration
functions so as to reduce
the costs
Take another approach
Please describe here
* 38. In the last year, when a donor did not cover all the ADMINISTRATION costs of the activities they are
funding, how frequently did you:
* 39. In the last two years has your organization received grant funding specifically for any of the following
(please select all that apply)?
Strengthening of fundraising from individuals or other income generating activities
Strengthening of management information or communications IT systems
Strengthening the safeguarding function
Strengthening human resources, finance or another support function
None of the above (if you select this option please select no other)
Administration Costs Research Project Survey
Part B, section 4: Barriers, challenges and implications
How significant are the following barriers or challenges to ensuring that your organization can adequately cover its full costs?
Very significant Quite significant Not very significant This is not a problem
We are unable to build
up adequate unrestricted
or flexible funding
sources
We do not have
adequate
financial/technical
knowledge and skills in
cost coverage
Our programme or
business development
staff do not have
sufficient knowledge or
skill to increase our cost
coverage
We do not have the
confidence and skills to
undertake financial
negotiations with our
donors
* 40. Organizational challenges and barriers
Very significant Quite significant Not very significant This is not a problem
Our donors will not pay
the full direct costs of the
activities they fund
Our donors’ indirect cost
contribution rates are too
low to cover their fair
share of our
administration costs
* 41. Barriers relating to donors:
Very significant Quite significant Not very significant This is not a problem
The regulatory
environment in our
country restricts our
ability to raise funds from
a wide range of sources
The regulatory
environment in our
country restricts the level
of administration costs
we can recover from our
donors
* 42. Barriers relating to the regulatory environment:
43. Please outline any other challenges or barriers to ensuring that your organization can adequately cover its
full costs:
* 44. In your organization, what have been the main impacts of inadequate cost coverage (please select all
that apply)?
We were unable to attract or retain staff with adequate knowledge and experience
We were not able to maintain adequate IT systems
We were not able to provide the financial reports needed to run our organization effectively
We were unable to develop our fundraising from flexible sources
We were unable to bid for potential grants we had identified
Our project reports were not as detailed or as timely as we would like
We were unable to implement adequate safeguarding practices in our work
Our human resource practices were inadequate
Another impact – please describe
None, as our organization’s cost coverage is adequate for all our needs
Fully Mostly Partly Very little Not resourced
Project or service
delivery functions or
activities
Project or programme
management function
Fundraising/business
development function
Communications
function
Finance function
Human resources
function
Premises
Management
information/technology
systems and functions
Safeguarding function
Governance function
Compliance function
* 45. To what extent are the following functions resourced, compared to the organization’s needs?
46. Are there any other functions or facilities that you consider to be necessary to the delivery of your
organization’s work, that are inadequately resourced or not resourced at all?
Administration Costs Research Project Survey
Part B, section 5: Plans for the future
If you answered very high or high, in please summarise what you plan to do to improve your cost coverage practice over the next 12
months:
* 47. Thinking about the next 12 months, how high a priority is improving your organization’s cost coverage
practice?
Very high
High
Neither low nor high
Low
Very low
* 48. Thinking now about the future, which of these developments would you like to see implemented by the
donor community?
Development of a universal standard and method that NGOs and donors could sign up to, setting out the categories of costs
(both direct and administration) which can be charged to donor funding
Agreement of a universal minimum administration cost rate to be paid by donors to NGOs
Agreement that NGOs can allocate and include ALL costs as part of the direct costs of the funded activities (with no
administration or indirect cost category)
No changes, as the current system works for us
Other - please describe here
* 49. What do you think NGOs should be willing to do in order to improve and harmonise cost coverage
practice in the sector (please select all that apply)?
Share practices and costs/cost rates amongst themselves
Give donors greater transparency on costs
Participate in working groups to help develop a harmonised system for donors and NGOs
Provide fair cost coverage in onward grant making to other organizations
Actively support donors in developing and applying a universal standard and method setting out the costs (both direct and
administration) which can be charged to donor funding
Use a universal agreed rate for administration costs to be paid by donors to NGOs, if such a rate were agreed in future
Allocate and include ALL costs as part of the direct costs of the funded activities (with no administration or indirect cost category)
Other – please describe here
50. Any other comments or observations you would like to make?
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Completed 7 May 2021

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