Tracking Mandela Washington Fellowship project spending

The U.S. Leadership Institute covers airfare, housing, meals, and a stipend directly, so you do not receive or report a lump sum for it. The money you actually administer comes from project grants: the Reciprocal Exchange Component (commonly up to $5,000 per participant) and the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (roughly $5,000 to $35,000 for projects).

These grants report against standard U.S. federal assistance budget categories, and budgets are submitted and reported in U.S. dollars even when spending happens locally.

Group costs into clear categories: travel and mobility, lodging and meals, program activities and delivery, personnel and services, monitoring and evaluation, and other or indirect costs. Log each expense with its category, vendor, date, and amount.

Keep in mind that some costs allowed under one stream are not allowed under another (for example, salaries are not allowed under Reciprocal Exchange), so check your award rules before spending.

Attach receipts to every expense and convert amounts to U.S. dollars for reporting. A detailed log plus a category summary makes your final report to IREX straightforward.