This data represents Total Expenditures over the next five (5) years. Since this is a request for operational funds, it may not be necessary to increase your operating budget in the first fiscal year. For example, if a project has 12 months of planning and 18 months of construction, it will probably be three years before any additional operational funds are needed. Therefore, request the additional funds in the third year. Unless a major change is anticipated in the operating budget, we generally increase the funding request by 4% (a typical inflation rate for each following year).