Q. What guidelines/best practices do you have/recommend for travel?   

A: Here are some tips from the RWJF Travel Office:

• Know the agenda times of the meeting. If at all possible, ask for a copy of the agenda to make your travel planning easier.

• Plan your itinerary. Determine the mode of transportation (air, rail or car), cities of departure and destination. Know the amount of time it takes to get from your home or office to the airport or train station.

• Find your travel options and make reservations. If you are traveling by Amtrak, you can access their schedules and fares by accessing them on the internet at www.amtrak.com. If traveling by air, you can access one of the many travel Web sites (www.orbitz.com, www.travelocity.com or www.expedia.com) for flight and price comparison information. The Foundation recommends, and it has been our experience, that more economical fares can be achieved by making flight reservations at least 14 to 21 days prior to travel.

Once travel plans have been made, it is important to try to make as few changes as possible, to avoid penalty fees and higher ticket prices for changes to existing reservations.

Be sure to bring a copy of your travel itinerary with you. It also is helpful to bring a copy of earlier/later flight or train options so, if the need arises, you will know what other options are available. If at all possible, stick with your original travel plans to keep travel costs down.

• If traveling to the Foundation: Grantees can take advantage of the Foundation's negotiated hotel rates when traveling to the Foundation in Princeton, N.J. Currently, the Foundation has negotiated rates with the Westin Princeton at 609-452-7900 (ask for the RWJF/Directravel rate), Marriott Doral Forrestal hotel at 609-452-7800 (ask for the RWJF rate), or the Holiday Inn Princeton at 609-520-1200 (ask for the RWJF rate).

Ground transportation reservations: Grantees may utilize Foundation vendors for their ground transportation. In the Princeton area, the Foundation currently uses AAA Taxi (800-481-8294 after you are connected dial 1 for taxi) for transportation between Trenton and Princeton Junction station or the Princeton area. For airport transportation (Newark or Philadelphia) the Foundation uses Concorde Limo (888-426-6267). Be sure to advise the service supplier that you are looking to utilize the Foundation's negotiated rate. Please be aware that you must pay the driver.

Q. What expenses are allowable for meetings and travel?

A. Travel by project staff and consultants directly related to the project, includes costs such as travel to professional meetings to present project findings or promote the program or project, and travel to attend RWJF meetings, to perform interviews or surveys, guest speaker travel, etc. This would also include stipends or scholarships to offset meeting participant travel expenses.

If you are unable to identify the specific destination and rates for airfare and lodging, please include the actual amounts in your budget and narrative. Otherwise, please use the Foundation's travel cost estimate of up to $1,110 for a one-day, one-night meeting and $1,360 for a two-night two-day meeting where air travel is necessary. This figure includes airfare ($760), lodging ($175 per night), meals ($75 per day), and ground transportation ($100). If the meeting runs for more than two nights, add $250 for each additional night for lodging and meals.

For local travel, you should use the mileage reimbursement rate approved by your organization.

Q. Do you have information on planning for meetings?

A: If you need to plan for a meeting, this report will help. You will find:

• Five main steps of the meeting planning process.
• Meeting format and content tips.
• A meeting planning time line.
• A sample conference site inspection checklist.
• Sample slide templates.
• A glossary of meeting terms.

Download the Planning a Great Meeting guide.

For guidelines when traveling for a meeting see our Travel section.

NOTE: For suggestions on planning healthier menus at meetings, download our Guidelines to Healthy Eating at Seminars.