Travel Expenses

Travel expenses can be an eligible use of project funds if the travel is necessary to further your project’s mission. However, particular care should be taken with travel expenses to make sure the expenses are:

• Mission-related;

• Not personal expenses;

• Documented with a receipt; and

• The lowest cost options are chosen whenever reasonably possible.

Good notes or memos are also important because without a note of explanation, it can be impossible to tell the difference between a work-related travel expense and a personal expense. Social Good Fund must always be able to demonstrate expenses are tied to its charitable purpose. In order to do that, we must be able to show both a receipt and a detailed memo for the travel expense including the applicable information:

• Destination

• Person or persons at the meeting

• Dates of travel

• Charitable purpose of visit

• Receipt

• No. of miles driven (with location(s) of the beginning and end of travel)

• Name of project vehicle, if applicable (ex. SGF van)

• The names of guests at the meal, if fewer than 10

Project funds can be used to pay for expenses related to necessary out-of-town trips (ie. airfare, lodging and meals at an off site staff retreat or a work related conference) or for local travel to locations other than a regular work site (ie. a rideshare to a meeting across town to meet with a funder or partner organization is okay, but not a rideshare to your office). Paying for personal travel or commuting to and from a regular worksite such as a project office would be considered a personal expense and is not an eligible use of your project funds. The following expenses are not eligible:

• Commuting or traveling to and from home and your office/regular work location (this is a personal expense)

• Meals when not traveling or hosting a meeting (this is a personal expense)

• Lodging expenses for trips or days that aren’t required for work (if combining work and personal travel in one trip, the extension of the trip is a personal expense)

• Gas, repairs or maintenance on a personal vehicle (use mileage instead if vehicle is used for work purposes)

How to pay for travel: Travel expenses can be paid using an SGF expense card such as a PEX or Brex (see above), or can be reimbursed after the travel takes place (not in advance) using the reimbursement forms. If you have a PEX or Brex card, it is recommended that you use it for travel expenses whenever possible as reimbursement takes time and the traveling individual will be out of pocket for those expenses in the meantime.