7 minute read · Updated 2026-10-07
A completed quarterly grant report—with the missing approval still visible
See a completed synthetic grant-report draft with budget variances, program results, source files, and explicit missing approvals.
Synthetic source files for this filled draft
All names, figures, events and terms are synthetic. This is an authored teaching example, not a customer case study or recorded product output.
Start with a result that can be checked
Organization: Harbor Path Community Services — Synthetic Example. Grant: SYN-2026-001. Period: July 1–September 30, 2026. Status: Draft for review; approval and evidence gaps remain.
The program recorded 108 unique participants against a target of 120, achieving 90% of target. A participant is counted once after attending at least one skills workshop during the period. The sample summary uses nonoverlapping synthetic ID ranges. Underlying participant-level records were not supplied and remain required for review. No verified employment outcomes were supplied, so this report makes no employment outcome claim.
A useful paragraph gives the number, denominator, definition and source limitation. Real monthly counts must account for repeat participants.
Put the financial result beside the program result
The two excluded transactions and negative refund remain visible in the ledger. The detailed calculation is available in the budget-versus-actual worked example.
Synthetic example — July 1–September 30, 2026; USD; variance = actual minus budget.
| Category | Budget | Actual | Actual minus budget | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | $36,000 | $32,400 | −$3,600 | −10% |
| Participant support | $12,000 | $13,800 | $1,800 | 15% |
| Travel | $6,000 | $4,200 | −$1,800 | −30% |
| Supplies | $6,000 | $4,800 | −$1,200 | −20% |
| Total | $60,000 | $55,200 | −$4,800 | −8% |
Explain changes without inventing approval
The fictional program lead reports a staffing gap, postponed workshops, fewer staff visits, higher transport-assistance needs and deferred supplies purchases. These explanations still need review against supporting records.
Participant support is 15% over budget. The fictional agreement requires documented approval above 10%. No approval was provided.
Give unfinished work an owner
The draft identifies four open items: overspend approval for the grants owner; original financial support for the finance reviewer; participant count support and deduplication for the program reviewer; and final finance and program review sign-offs.
The downloadable report leaves the submitter unassigned and its submission date marked Not submitted. A completed narrative does not establish submission readiness.
Make the handoff specific
Finance supplies the approved budget, period GL, mapping and reviewed calculations. Program staff supply the metric definition, result, source, explanation and proposed next action. The grants owner checks the package against the funder’s dates, form and approval requirements.
Missing information stays missing; it does not become a plausible story.
Inspect the complete example
Start with reviewable-quarterly-report.md. Follow its links to the source files. The evidence register distinguishes included summaries from missing primary records. The workbook recalculates the financial example.