PLC vote.  Conservancy and/or a PLC can limit allowable travel expenses

to an amount less than what would otherwise be considered acceptable

according to this Policy. If so, the smaller budget is the maximum

allowed expense. 

PLC's may, in fact, have their own travel policy that is more restrictive

than this one.  Please consult the PLC for your Conservancy project before

incurring an expenses to ensure you understand what expenses can be

reimbursed.

== Easy Reference Guide

Travelers should adhere to the following guidelines to stay In-Policy. 

* Flights.  

	* Book 14 days in advance. 

	* Air fares within $100 of the lowest fare (using standard 

	  airfare search tools) are In-Policy.  Fares > $750 domestically 

	  and > $1,500 internationally require Conservancy's pre-approval. 

* Hotels. 

	* Hotel fares < GSA rates are In-Policy.  Visit 

          http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem to determine the rate for your 

	  destination.

* Receipts.  Keep and submit PDFs of the following, as applicable:

	* Your fare search (i.e., a screen shot)

	* Your plane/rail ticket (e-confirmation of purchase is sufficient)

	* Your hotel/lodging invoice

* Per Diem. 

	* Use your per-diem to cover meals and incidental expenses.

	* Your per-diem is based on GSA guidelines.  Visit 

	  http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem to the determine the per-diem for your

	  destination. 

	* Try to be frugal - GSM per-diem rates are rather generous. 

	* When attending a conference where food is included, Do The Right

	  Thing and claim a lower per-diem.   

* Reimbursement.

	* To receive reimbursement, send hotel and flight/rail receipt, 

	  along with a list of Per Diem days and totals to 

          accounting@sfconservancy.org.  Refer to the Expense Report 

          section below for details.  

== Reimbursement Procedure

Note that reimbursements are only processed once per week.  While we usually

When circumstances require Travelers to utilize their personal vehicles

for Project purposes, they can be reimbursed at the current USA IRS

rate per mile, plus any related parking expenses and toll fees.  Drivers

are encouraged to find the lowest cost reasonably parking area nearby

their destination.

== Lodging

Travelers are expected to be cost-conscious and prudent when booking

lodging for approved trips, and to verify that rates are within the

established per-diem rates for the geographic area of travel.

If the cost per-diem of lodging chosen by the Traveler and/or the PLC

exceeds the

http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem[United States General Services Administration's Per Diem calculator]'s ``Max lodging'' column and/or

http://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp[United States Department of State's ``Foreign Per Diem Rates by Location'' calculator]'s 

``Maximum Lodging Rate column'' for the given location (per Traveler), the Traveler

and/or the PLC *must* obtain written

pre-approval from Conservancy and the PLC before booking the hotel.  If

written pre-approval is not sought or is not granted, Conservancy will only

reimburse up to the amount in the rate table above.

Lodging documentation submitted as part of a reimbursement request must

include a copy of the hotel invoice detailing all charges (credit card

In some cases, Conservancy, upon consultation with the PLC, may decide to

book lodging on behalf of Travelers.  In this case, Conservancy-booked

lodging is always considered In-Policy.

== Other Reimbursable Expenses

Conservancy will reimburse persons for Project-related expenses that

are incurred while traveling on approved Project business and/or approved

Conservancy business. Only necessary, ordinary and reasonable expenses

are eligible for reimbursement, and only those categories of expenses

listed in this document qualify. 

=== Meals and Incidental Expenses

==== Overview

Travelers can submit for a per diem for meals and incidental expenses

for every day of a trip devoted to Project- and/or Conservancy-related

mission work, including the day(s) of travel itself.  Maximum per diem

rates for travel within the United States shall be based on the

http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem[United States General Services Administration's Per Diem calculator],

using the ZIP code of the travel destination.  For example, a Traveler

based in Palo Alto, CA heading to a conference in Atlanta, GA (with