Chapter 8. Disbursement Forms 

You have to ask for your funds by sending us a signed Disbursement Form in TRIPLICATE, with original signatures. (Not faxed, please, either!) The only time you should send it is when you are requesting funds. For targeted grants, that is usually two or three times during your project - at the beginning when you return the signed contracts to us, about midway through the project and for two year projects at the beginning of the second year. In any case, send in a Disbursement Form only when you are requesting money. Be sure to make multiple copies of the blank form for use later in the project year, and to keep a copy of the completed form for your records.

	PLEASE NOTE
	For Mini-Grants, usually only one disbursement will be made and all funds should be requested at the start of the project. Most of the following information regarding multiple requests will therefore not apply.

The following information is for "targeted" one-year projects:

When you return your contracts and first disbursement form to your Project Consultant, he/she must predict how much money you will need prior to July 1 of 2006. (Our fiscal year ends in June, even though the feds' ends in September.)

Your first request should be for sufficient funds to complete the first half of the project. The percentage of funds needed will vary for each project so only you can decide what you need. If you are buying equipment, request money to cover this cost right away and send out equipment orders first. Remember, send the disbursement form in triplicate with original signatures! Your subsequent disbursement request(s) should not be sent in if you have a large amount of Cash on Hand without an explanation. (Unless, as occasionally happens, we call you up and tell you to request it.) Always keep a copy of your request (See SAMPLE 3 [pdf]).

The following information is for "targeted" two-year projects:

When you applied for your grant, you submitted a proposed budget, telling us how much money you needed in the first year, and how much you needed in the second. You need to request and spend all of the first year money in the first year, between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006. You need to request and spend all the second year's money in the second year, between October 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007. You may do this in one or two disbursements.

After you've made a disbursement request, then what? We will not notify you when we have processed your request. A number of steps have to take place in order to get the money from Washington, shepherd it through the state coffers, and then to you we won't bore you with the sordid details, but many (and we are constantly amazed at how many) things can go wrong. Two to three weeks after you send it to us, you should first check with your town accountant or treasurer to see if the money has arrived. For public libraries, the money is typically sent by electronic transfer to your town's bank. For private or regional schools or academic institutions, the funds may go instead to the institution's bank. In some towns, if you notify the accountant ahead of time, they will notify you when it arrives. If it doesn't arrive by the fourth week, check with the state's VendorWeb website. If you can't find a payment or scheduled payment on VendorWeb, contact your Project Consultant.

	NOTE
	The disbursement request is the ONLY form required to be submitted in triplicate. Please send only one copy of your reports.

Check to see if a payment in the amount you expected has been scheduled (if you selected "scheduled") or made.

If a payment is listed as "scheduled" you should receive it within 30 days of the scheduled date.

Payments listed under payment history should be received within a few working days of the date given. Print out the results for your financial office. They will be proud of you for using VendorWeb, and the transaction information should help them locate your money.