Grants 101: how a grant works from start to finish

A grant is money a funder gives for a stated purpose, usually with rules about how it is spent and reported. Most grants follow the same path. You do not have to finish every step in one sitting, and deciding not to apply is a normal, useful outcome.

1. Find opportunities

Funders publish opportunities, often called a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), a request for proposals (RFP) or a program announcement. Use Discover grants to search by topic, funder, deadline and award size. Saving a result only tracks it for your own research. It does not apply or contact the funder.

2. Check that you are eligible

Read the eligibility section before anything else. Three things rule most people out early:

• Applicant type: many funders accept only certain organizations, such as nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, public agencies, universities, tribes or small businesses. Individuals are often not eligible.
• Geography: the funder may limit awards to a state, county or city. Compare the area your project serves, not your mailing address or the funder's headquarters.
• Other requirements: matching funds, a minimum organization age, a required partner, a prior invitation or an earlier letter of intent.

If a requirement is unclear, ask the contact listed in the notice. GrantCue records your answers but does not certify that you are eligible.

3. Start registrations early (federal grants)

Federal opportunities usually need accounts that you cannot create overnight. Begin them as soon as you think you may apply.

• SAM.gov: the federal system where an organization registers. Registering gives it a Unique Entity ID (UEI). The registration is free, must be kept active, and is renewed every year. Review and validation can take several weeks.
• Grants.gov: where many federal applications are submitted. It needs your organization to be active in SAM.gov, and it assigns roles to the people who may submit.
• Login.gov: the sign-in service Grants.gov uses for individual accounts.

• SAM.gov: register your organization
• Grants.gov: register to apply
• Login.gov

State, local and foundation grants rarely need these, but some ask for a state vendor registration, a tax-exempt letter or a board-approved resolution. The notice lists them.

A missing or expired registration is a common reason a finished application cannot be sent. Check the status of each one well before the final week.

4. Decide whether to pursue it

Before writing, weigh the fit with your mission, the award size against the work of applying, the deadline, who will write each part, and whether the reporting is realistic for your team. In GrantCue, the decision step of the first-application guide and the stages are where you record it. A decision to hold or skip is a valid result.

5. Read the funder's instructions

The NOFO or application guidelines are the rule book. Note the due date and time zone, page and character limits, required forms and attachments, scoring criteria, and how the funder wants the application delivered. Write down each question the funder asks, with its limit. Reviewers score your answers against these, not against what you would like to say.

6. Write the application

• Narrative: answer each question directly, in the funder's order, using facts you can support. Leave a clear placeholder for anything you still need to confirm.
• Budget: list each cost, tie it to an activity in the narrative, and follow the funder's rules on allowed costs and indirect costs. A budget justification explains how you arrived at each figure.
• Attachments: gather items such as your tax-exempt letter, board list, financial statements, letters of support and resumes early. People outside your team can be slow to send them.

The GrantCue templates page has free proposal templates to fill in, and sample proposals written for invented organizations. Read the samples to see how a complete proposal fits together, not as text to copy.

• Grant proposal templates and samples

7. Submit it in the funder's own portal

GrantCue does not submit applications for you. Submit through the method the funder requires, such as Grants.gov, a state portal, a foundation's online form or email, and keep the confirmation receipt. Then record the external submission and its confirmation in GrantCue so My grants and reminders stay accurate. Downloading a draft does not submit it.

8. After you submit

1. Decision: funders review applications and tell you the result, which can take weeks or months. Some ask follow-up questions or for a revised budget first.
2. Award: if you are funded, you receive an award letter or agreement that sets the amount, the period and the conditions. Read it fully before accepting, and check its amounts and dates against your budget.
3. Reporting: awards come with progress and financial reports, and sometimes payment schedules and audits. Put each due date on your calendar when the award arrives.
4. If you are not funded: ask whether the funder gives reviewer feedback, and decide whether to apply to the next round.

GrantCue's first-application guide walks through finding, qualifying, deciding, preparing and recording for one grant at a time. Choose Guide me in the working view menu to see it one step at a time.