If you’ve ever applied for a federal grant, chances are you’ve seen the words “matching” or “cost sharing” pop up in the application. At first glance, it sounds straightforward: your organization contributes financial or in-kind resources to a project to supplement the federal funding. In some cases this is required, but some entities (particularly state and local government agencies) utilize this cost share for each grant. But in practice, this is one of the most common areas where grantees stumble — and the consequences of mistakes can be costly.

Cost sharing (matching) means your organization is committing to use non-federal resources to support the program. This contribution can come in many forms, like cash from your own funds, a private donation, or even in-kind contributions such as donated goods, services, or volunteer hours. However, once you commit to providing a cost share, it’s no longer optional. It becomes a binding part of your award.

One of the biggest challenges with cost sharing is knowing what actually qualifies. Federal dollars can’t be used to meet a matching requirement unless the Notice of Funding Opportunity specifically says so. That means you can’t double-dip by using one federal grant to cover another’s cost share. Your documentation has to be airtight too. Every donation, staff hour, or piece of equipment you count toward the cost share must be properly recorded and backed up.

The most common pitfall? Over-promising. Some organizations commit to a higher cost share in the hope of making their application more competitive, only to find themselves scrambling later when they can’t fulfill the obligation. Others run into trouble by failing to track match contributions as carefully as federal dollars, which can lead to findings in an audit.

The safest approach is to be realistic and precise, and to communicate with your finance team on what is feasible. Commit only what you can sustain and make sure your accounting system has a clear way to track match contributions in real time. Train staff so they understand what qualifies, and double-check that your match sources are allowable before including them in your proposal.

Ultimately, cost sharing isn't about adding pressure — it’s about showing your investment in the program. With careful planning and strong documentation, you can meet the requirement confidently and avoid unnecessary compliance headaches.

Want to go deeper? Our grant management courses and webinars include practical tools for building and documenting risk assessments that meet Uniform Guidance expectations—helping your team reduce risk and strengthen compliance.