Create budgets to control reward spending at an organisational level. Budgets contain spending pots and provide visibility into what's available to spend.
Purpose: Establish controlled spending environments while encouraging recognition through clear budget visibility.
⚠️ Note: You need Rewards Admin permissions to create budgets.
What Budgets Control
Budgets are the top-level containers for your rewards programme:
Total spending limit for the year
Who can create spending pots within the budget
Who approves rewards that exceed limits
Budget period aligned to your financial year
Before You Start
Prerequisites:
Rewards Admin access in Mo
Decided on budget amount for the year
Identified budget collaborators and approvers
Understood your organisation's financial year dates
📖 Recommended: Review the Mo Rewards Quick Guide to understand how budgets fit into the overall rewards structure.
Accessing Budget Creation
Click Rewards in the sidebar
Click Manage in the top right
Click Create Budget button in the top right
Creating Your Budget
Step 1: Budget Information
Budget Name
Enter a clear, descriptive name
Examples: "UK Retail Budget", "Sales Department Budget", "2025 Recognition Budget"
Use names that indicate geography, department, or purpose
Currency
Automatically set based on your region
Cannot be changed after creation
Ensure this matches your organisation's financial reporting
Annual Budget Amount
Enter the total amount available for the year
This is your spending cap for all spending pots within this budget
If using currency system: Enter monetary amount (e.g., £10,000, £50,000, $25,000)
If using points system: Enter points value (e.g., 10,000 points, 50,000 points)
Consider carefully - this controls all spending for the year
Budget Start Date
Select when the budget becomes available
Budgets run for 12 months from this date
Align with your financial year for easier reporting
Example: 1 April 2025 if your financial year starts in April
Step 2: Budget Collaborators
Budget collaborators can:
Create spending pots within this budget
Change budget approvers
Manage the structure of reward spending
Who should be collaborators:
Heads of departments
Regional managers or directors
HR team members managing rewards
Anyone structuring rewards for their section
How to add collaborators:
Select individual users by searching their names
Select entire groups (e.g., "Department Heads" group)
Add multiple collaborators as needed
Why collaborators matter: They have significant control over budget allocation and spending pot creation, so choose trusted individuals.
Step 3: Budget Approvers
Budget approvers can:
Approve or decline rewards from this budget
Handle rewards requiring approval
Make decisions when spending would exceed budget
When rewards require approval:
Reward settings require approval
Approving the reward would exceed budget limits
Spending pot is over its allocated amount
Who should be approvers:
Finance team members
Senior leadership
HR directors
Anyone with oversight of spending
Note: Users with Rewards Admin role can also approve rewards, even if not listed as budget approvers.
How to add approvers:
Select individual users by searching their names
Select entire groups (e.g., "Finance Team" group)
Add multiple approvers for backup coverage
Step 4: Create the Budget
Review all settings to ensure accuracy
Click "Create Budget" button at the bottom
Budget appears on the budgets page
You can now create spending pots within this budget
Understanding Calculated Max Yearly Spend
After creating spending pots within your budget, Mo calculates the maximum possible yearly spend.
How It's Calculated
For each spending pot, Mo multiplies:
Number of people with access × Amount each person can spend × Number of cycles per year
Then Mo adds up all spending pots to show total potential spend.
Example Calculation
Budget: £30,000 annual cap
Spending Pot 1 - Engineering:
5 people
£200 per person per cycle
Monthly cycle (12 cycles per year)
Calculation: 5 × £200 × 12 = £12,000 per year
Spending Pot 2 - Customer Service:
3 people
£400 per person per cycle
Quarterly cycle (4 cycles per year)
Calculation: 3 × £400 × 4 = £4,800 per year
Spending Pot 3 - Sales:
10 people
£1,000 per person per cycle
Bi-annual cycle (2 cycles per year)
Calculation: 10 × £1,000 × 2 = £20,000 per year
Total Calculated Max Yearly Spend: £12,000 + £4,800 + £20,000 = £36,800
Result: This exceeds the £30,000 budget cap, so rewards will require approval.
What This Means
If calculated spend is within budget:
Rewards process normally
No automatic approvals required
Spending stays controlled
If calculated spend exceeds budget:
All issued rewards go to approval queue
Budget approvers must review each reward
Options: Increase budget cap or reduce spending pot allocations
Why it's useful:
Early warning system for budget overruns
Helps plan spending pot allocations
Prevents surprise budget exhaustion
Guides adjustments before problems occur
Managing Your Budget
Viewing Budget Status
From the Budgets page, you can see:
Budget name and amount
Calculated max yearly spend
Current spending progress
Associated spending pots
Editing Budgets
To modify an existing budget:
Find the budget on the Budgets page
Click 'Edit' to open budget details
Edit settings as needed
Save changes
What you can edit:
Budget collaborators
Budget approvers
Budget amount (with caution)
What you cannot edit:
Budget name
Currency
Start date
Monitoring Budget Health
Regular checks recommended:
Monthly review of spending progress
Quarterly assessment of calculated max spend
Adjust spending pots if approaching limits
Plan for next year's budget based on usage