Budgeting and Expenses

Policy and Guidelines

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Officeholders should spend Jama’at funds with extreme care. Under no circumstances should there be wastage. (April 12, 2013)



Khalifatul Masih V

Quoted from "I Solemnly Pledge"

Budgeting and Expense Guidelines for National Approved Programs

Spiritual Fitness Camps

What is Covered and How Much?


  • National Tarbiyat Department (NTD) will typically reimburse up to $15/student/day as food and related supplies budget. This year we are holding a 1-day Camp only, so budget formula will be $15 x number of students.
  • Another $20/student (please note: the student number should not include any chaperones, organizers, etc.) can be reimbursed for a fun activity/field trip or sports facility rental and equipment. Students/parents (or local jamaat funds) should contribute towards the difference if any fun activity costs more than $20 per student.
  • Use the above formula whenever applicable in preparing your budget. For example, if you have 63 students, then the maximum amount reimbursable for Food & Supplies by NTD is $15 x 63 (Number of Students) = $945. The maximum amount reimbursable for the Fun Activity/Sports by NTD is $20 x 63 (Number of Students) = $1,260. Maximum approved budget is therefore $2,205.


Reimbursement Process


  • Obtain Pre-Approval → Please obtain pre-approval before incurring any expense in connection with the Fun Activity. Pre-Approval may be obtained by confirming your Camp dates, the nature of the proposed fun activity, and the estimated Number of Students attending the Camp. If the actual Number of Students who attend the Camp is less or more than earlier anticipated, the reimbursement will be adjusted accordingly to reflect the actual attendance. For budget approval please contact Hazeem Pudhiyapura at hazeem.pudhiapura@ahmadiyya.us 
  • Pre-Authorization received from NTD based on budget formula and guidelines.
  • Incur expense → maintain receipts (proper receipts are required for audit and must show seller's name, date, itemized cost and grand total).
  • Complete an Expense Report → A sample Expense Report (Excel file) will be circulated with Camp materials and also available on the website. 
  • Collect receipts (scan or photo taken with a mobile device is fine) with a short description or report of the event and actual attendance/participation (especially highlighting separately the number of boys and girls who actually attended the Camp) → submit at www.spiritualfitness.us/expense

Salat Ashara

What is Covered and How Much?


  • If requested by any local jama’at, NTD will reimburse up to $2/participant/day for no more than 10 days as food and related ziafat supplies budget to help the local jamaat with providing dinner/snacks at Maghrib or Isha time to the salat congregation at the Masjid (we do not encourage the practice of offering food/snacks at Salat Centers as this may make it inconvenient for the host, difficult to sustain in the long run, and doing so even during Salat Ashra may create a sort of expectation for such hospitality).


Reimbursement Process? 


  • Maintain Salat attendance record → To the best of your ability, please maintain a record/log of the attendance at congregational salat (Maghrib/Isha). If exact numbers are difficult to log, you may submit average attendance over the Ashra (10-day) period → Maximum reimbursable amount for NTD will be $2 x the average daily attendance x 10 days. For example, if 40 namaazis, on average, attended, then the total reimbursable expense is $2 x 40 x 10 = $800.
  • Submit expense claim. Collect all receipts (proper receipts are required for audit and must show seller's name, date, itemized cost and grand total) with a short description or report on the Ashra and attendance/participation at www.spiritualfitness.us/expense


Note: This reimbursement is intended only as a subsidy from NTD. It is very likely that the cost of dinner every night for your jamaat membership is higher than the $2/person offered by NTD. We respectfully ask you to still remain mindful of the subsidy set forth above and only request this budgeted amount as maximum reimbursement from NTD. Please obtain additional funding, if any is needed, from local jamaat funds (or similar sources).

Shura Decision 2023 (Programs for Training of Youth & Parents

What is Covered and How Much?


  • National Tarbiyat Department (NTD) will reimburse documented expenses in connection with activities/programs that are specifically in-line with the Shura Decision 2023 pertaining to conducting programs/sessions for the training of youth and the training of parents. Please refer to the Shura Decision 2023 (especially items 3 and 4) for a description of such programs/sessions. 


  • A funding, oversight and accountability system (as per Shura proposal) is currently being developed. In the interim, NTD is applying a budgeting formula of $10 per person for such activities/programs. For example, if 30 youth are attending, then the total reimbursable expense is $10 x 30 = $300.


  • It may be that the cost of the activity/program your jamaat is considering is more than $10 per person, or that in addition to the youth and/or parents, a larger part of the local jamaat membership will be participating in the activity/program. In both cases we respectfully ask you to still remain mindful of the expense budget set forth above and obtain additional funding, if any is needed, from local jamaat funds (or similar sources).


Reimbursement Process? 


  • Obtain Pre-Approval → Submit budget (or expense estimate) to NTD along with specific details of the program/session and the expected number of attendees; e.g. 30 youth between the ages of 18 to 35 will be attending a session on the importance of financial sacrifice (as mentioned in the Shura Decision) and the cost is $10/person or $300 total ($10 x 30).


  • Pre-Authorization received from NTD based on details of planned event and budget formula/guidelines.


  • Incur expense → maintain receipts (proper receipts are required for audit and must show seller's name, date, itemized cost and grand total).


  • Submit expense claim. Collect  receipts. Have a a short description or report of the event and actual attendance/participation (especially highlighting the number of youth and/or parents who attended) → Submit by clicking here: www.spiritualfitness.us/expense


Note: All reimbursements are made on the basis of actual expenses incurred and the actual final attendance/participation. For example, if actual expenses are lower than the $300 scenario used above, or the attendance was only 12 people as opposed to the 30 planned, then the final reimbursable amount will also be adjusted accordingly to, in this scenario, $120 ($10 x 12) instead of $300 ($10 x 30).

Less Engaged Members Project

What is Covered and How Much?


  • National Tarbiyat Department (NTD) will reimburse documented expenses in connection with activities/programs that are specifically aimed at bringing back less-engaged members. Examples of this are expenses incurred to support and implement programs necessary for engagement such as: small loans, BBQs, gifts, Jamaat picnics or trips, sports or playgrounds at the masjid, etc. (as per the Shura proposal 2021).
  • A funding, oversight and accountability system (as per Shura proposal) is currently being developed. In the interim, NTD is applying a budgeting formula of $10 per person for such activities/programs. For example, if 30 disengaged members are attending, then the total reimbursable expense is $10 x 30 = $300.
  • It may be that the cost of the activity/program your jamaat is considering is more than $10 per person, or that in addition to the disengaged members a larger part of the local jamaat membership will be participating in the activity/program. In both cases we respectfully ask you to still remain mindful of the expense budget set forth above and obtain additional funding, if any is needed, from local jamaat funds (or similar sources).


Reimbursement Process


  • Obtain Pre-Approval → Submit budget (or expense estimate) along with specific details of the activity; e.g. 30 people are attending of which 26 people have been identified as disengaged (as per the disengaged members list mentioned in the Shura proposal) and the cost is $10/person or $300 total ($10 x 30).
  • Pre-Authorization received from NTD based on details of planned event and budget formula/guidelines. 
  • Incur expense → maintain receipts (proper receipts are required for audit and must show seller's name, date, itemized cost and grand total).
  • Submit expense claim. Collect all receipts with a short description or report of the event and actual attendance/participation (especially highlighting the number of disengaged members who attended) → Submit by clicking here: www.spiritualfitness.us/expense


Note: All reimbursements are made on the basis of actual expenses incurred and the actual final attendance/participation. For example, if actual expenses are lower than the $300 scenario used above, or the attendance was only 12 people as opposed to the 30 planned, then the final reimbursable amount will also be adjusted accordingly to, in this scenario, $120 ($10 x 12) instead of $300 ($10 x 30).


Ramadan Youth Taraweeh

What is Covered and How Much?


  • NTD will reimburse the cost of a $25 gift card awarded to each of the boys between the age of 12—25 years who lead at least one-weekday Tiraveeh at the masjid/salat center during Ramadan (provided they have memorized enough Quran to be equivalent to half a part for the first timers and at least one part for subsequent years and keep a beard when possible, and their participation/selection has been made by the respected local missionary). 
  • We respectfully request that you only give $25 gift cards to the participants. Please do not give cash as we cannot reimburse any cash disbursements (for accounting reasons due to lack of supporting receipts).


Reimbursement Process


  • Maintain record → Please maintain a record/log of the names of the youth who participated in the Ramadan Tiraveeh program.
  • Recognition → Please hold a brief award ceremony (for example, on Eid day) where the names of the youth are announced and they are awarded the $25 gift cards.    
  • Submit expense claim. Collect all receipts (proper receipts are required for audit and must show the number of gift cards purchased and total amount) with a short description containing the names and number of participants who led Taraveeh → Submit by clicking here: www.spiritualfitness.us/expense


Note: As mentioned above, please purchase and award gift cards only. No cash awards.


Annual Tarbiyat Secretaries Conference

What is Covered and How Much?


  • NTD will reimburse long-distance travel (air-travel and road-travel exceeding 300 miles) for Tarbiyat Secretaries to attend the Annual National Tarbiyat Secretaries Conference.
  • Travel specific guidelines (“Travel Policy”) will be circulated closer to the event.
  • Travel must be (i) pre-authorized; (ii) with airline tickets purchased before the deadline announced by NTD (typically a month before the event date); and (iii) subject to expense caps (which NTD sets annually based on travel distance from your local jamaat to the venue of the Conference and average pricing of airline tickets at that time of year).


Reimbursement Process


  • Read Travel Policy → Familiarize yourself with the Travel Policy, especially the deadline for purchasing airline tickets and the expense cap applicable to you (for example, if the expense cap is set at $500 for all air-travel originating from the West Coast, you must ensure that the ticket you purchase is less than that amount).  
  • Submit expense claim. Need receipts (proper receipts are required for audit and must show airline flight numbers, dates of travel and total fare paid) → Submit by clicking here: www.spiritualfitness.us/expense.
  • Please submit your expense claim as soon as you have purchased your ticket. 
  • Reimbursement in person → A reimbursement check will typically be handed to you (i.e., in person) when you attend the Conference. 


Note: As mentioned above, please purchase tickets in advance and no later than the stipulated deadline. Detailed guidelines and answers to other FAQs in connection with travel reimbursement (“what is” and “what is not covered”) is contained in the Travel Policy. Please read this document carefully when it is circulated.


Appendix

Travel expense policy of National Tarbiyat Department (2023)

If you will be flying to the Detroit area for the annual National Tarbiyat Department meeting, your air-fare will be reimbursed 100% from National Tarbiyat Department (“NTD”). Air travel reservations should be made as far in advance as possible in order to take advantage of reduced fares. However, airline tickets must be purchased no later than October 18th, 2023. Tickets purchased after October 18th, 2023 require pre-approval by NTD. Please only book your air-ticket for Detroit Metropolitan Airport (“DTW”). NTD will reimburse or pay only the cost of the lowest coach class fare from the airport nearest to the individual’s home to DTW, except when an alternate airport was used to lower the total travel expense including factoring in the cost of ground transportation from that alternate airport to the Detroit metropolitan area or meeting venue. 


Important: If your home (local jamaat) is within a 300 mile driving distance from the NTD meeting venue, you are advised to drive to the meeting and will not be reimbursed for air travel. Travel insurance, overnight parking, seat upgrade and/or baggage costs will not be reimbursed. Cost of any COVID-19 test or screening will not be reimbursed even if it is a requirement for travel and/or required by the airline/transportation company.

Members may accept and retain frequent flyer miles and compensation for denied boarding for their personal use. Individuals may not deliberately patronize a single airline to accumulate frequent flyer miles if less expensive comparable tickets are available on another airline.

Airline Fares:

Airline Fares:

• Jama’ats including and east of Houston-Chicago:  Maximum allowed $250.00

• Jama’ats west of Houston-Chicago: Maximum allowed $400.00

Ticket over the above stated limits must be pre-approved by NTD.

Note: Please book early. Currently, tickets from the West Coast to DTW, for example, are less than $350 return, and tickets from Washington/New York area are less than $250 return.


Please also note: If your home (place of origin) is within a 300 mile driving distance from the NTD meeting venue, you will not be reimbursed for your air ticket and are advised to drive to the meeting. Any exceptions to this must be pre-approved by NTD.   


In an emergency situation, travel can be cancelled. NTD should be notified immediately and every effort should be made to obtain credit for any airline ticket purchased for the trip. Reimbursement for unused ticked will be considered only in emergency situations and approval by NTD is required.

Accommodation will be arranged at local mosque or at local members’ house/apartment. Stay in hotel will not be reimbursed.

Members are not reimbursed for any cost of meals (including tips).

Item Link

Out of town meals

Transportation will be provided to and from the DTW airport.

(a) Personal Cars: Members may request compensation for use of their personal cars when used for more than 300 miles from the place of residence. Mileage reimbursement rate is 20 cents per mile for use of an automobile. In the case of individuals using their personal cars to take a trip that would normally be made by air, e.g., Baltimore, MD to Detroit, mileage will be allowed at the currently approved rate; however, the total mileage reimbursement will not exceed the lowest available coach airfare.

(b) Rental Car or Taxi: No reimbursement will be issued for rental cars or use of taxi.

(c) Toll Charges: Toll expenses incurred by members traveling from East of Chicago will be reimbursed.

(d) Other Ground Transportation: All other ground transport expense, not mentioned above, including parking tickets, fines, car washes, valet service, etc., are the responsibility of the member and will not be reimbursed.


Description Title

Members can request reimbursement for expenses that are incurred to carry out duties/responsibilities delegated by National Tarbiyat Department. Examples of such expenses are: phone/fax charges, postage, stationary (paper, envelopes etc.), purchase of books etc.  Approval must be obtained from National Tarbiyat Department before incurring any such expense.

Description Title

Unless prior approval is given by National Tarbiyat Department, all expenses not clearly stated above are not eligible for reimbursement. These ineligible expenses include travel insurance, business or first class travel or upgrades, Covid-19 and other health-related tests, etc.

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