Restricted Fund Tracking Spreadsheet

What This Template Covers

This spreadsheet template provides a working structure for tracking restricted fund balances outside of a formal accounting system. It is designed for organizations managing two to eight active restricted grants and needing a documented approach to maintaining fund balances and preparing for funder reports.

The template is not a substitute for fund accounting software. It is a practical tool for organizations that have not yet made that investment and need a disciplined tracking approach that will stand up to basic audit inquiry.

The Spreadsheet Structure

The template is organized with one row per active restricted fund. Each row captures:

Fund Name - A clear, consistent name for the fund. Use the funder’s name plus the grant cycle or award year when the same funder has multiple awards: “Smith Foundation - Literacy 2025” rather than just “Smith Foundation.”

Funder - The granting organization or donor. Should match the name in your donor CRM so cross-referencing is possible.

Award Date - The date the grant agreement was executed or the contribution was received. Not the application date or the announcement date.

Restriction Type - Purpose restriction, time restriction, or perpetual restriction. Most active grants are purpose restrictions. Use the grant agreement’s language where available: “restricted to after-school tutoring for youth ages 10-18 in the Riverside service area” is more useful than “purpose restriction.”

Award Amount - The total amount from the grant agreement or contribution document. If the award will be distributed in installments, note the total award amount and track received-to-date separately.

Received to Date - For installment awards, track cumulative cash received separately from the total award amount. These are frequently different, and the distinction matters for cash flow management.

Expenses by Period - Monthly actual columns, one per reporting period. Pull these figures from the accounting system after month-end close, by grant fund code. Do not estimate. If expenses have not been posted in the accounting system yet, wait until they have before updating the spreadsheet.

Cumulative Expenses to Date - The running total of all expenses posted against this fund from the award start date. This number should match the accounting system’s fund code total for the same period.

Remaining Balance - Award Amount Received minus Cumulative Expenses to Date. This is the fund balance. It should update automatically via formula when you add monthly actuals.

Award End Date - When the grant period expires. Funds not spent by this date generally must be returned. Sort the spreadsheet by this column so the most urgent expirations are at the top.

Release Conditions - A brief description of what must happen for the restriction to be released. For purpose restrictions: “qualifying expenditures for literacy program activities.” For time restrictions: “receipt of installment on [date].”

Documentation Reference - Where the supporting documentation for this fund lives: file path, cabinet drawer, shared drive folder. During audit, the auditor will ask for the grant agreement, expense records, and proof of restriction release. Know where to find them.

Status - Active, Closed/Fully Expended, Returned, or Pending (award received, work not yet begun).