How to track and report Bush Fellowship expenses

The Bush Fellowship is a leadership-development award of up to $150,000 over one to two years. Fellows design their own path, so spending usually spans a few personal goals rather than a single project budget.

A common structure is three goals: a licensure or education program, immersive experiences such as conferences and travel, and self-care such as coaching, therapy, or retreats. Some items, like executive coaching, may sit outside the funded budget and are worth tracking separately.

Set up a goal for each area of your plan, then add the categories that fit underneath. For travel-heavy goals, include flights, hotels, ground transportation, registration, food, and cash tips that often have no receipt.

Record each expense as you go with the date, goal, category, vendor or venue, amount, and trip dates where relevant. Logging in the moment is far easier than reconstructing months later.

Attach a photo or PDF of the receipt to each expense. Funders expect documentation, and travel charges in particular are easy to lose track of. Snapping the receipt the day you pay keeps your records audit-ready.

The Foundation does not publish a fixed expense-report template, so a clear summary by goal and category, with totals and receipts, works well. Export a detailed log plus a month-by-month summary so your spending is easy to follow.