Grant readiness checklist: 15 questions to answer before you apply

Most funders ask for the same basics: proof of your registrations and tax status, current financial and governance documents, a clear plan for the program, and someone who can manage the grant. Answer each question yes or not yet to get a list of the gaps with a next step for each; your answers are not saved or sent anywhere, and the result is a to-do list, not a score.

Registration and status

Does your organization have an EIN?
Why it matters: Nearly every grant application asks for your Employer Identification Number, and funders use it to look up your IRS records.
Do you have an IRS determination letter for 501(c)(3) status, or are you another type of applicant the funder accepts?
Why it matters: Most foundation grants go to 501(c)(3) public charities, while many government grants are also open to local governments, schools and tribes.
If you plan to apply for federal funds, do you have a UEI and an active SAM.gov registration?
Why it matters: Federal applicants must be registered in SAM.gov before they apply and keep the registration active, and organizations that receive federal money through a state or county need a Unique Entity ID.
Are you registered with your state's charity regulator, if your state requires it?
Why it matters: By the National Council of Nonprofits' count, 40 states require charities to register before they ask residents for donations.

Documents

Do you have a current budget for the whole organization?
Why it matters: Funders compare your request with your total budget, and many applications ask for the organization budget as well as the project budget.
Do you have recent financial statements, audited or reviewed if a funder or your state requires it?
Why it matters: Funders read your financial statements to judge whether you can manage their money, and some require an audit or a CPA review once your budget passes a certain size.
Do you have a current board list?
Why it matters: Funders look at who governs the organization, and many ask for a board list with each member's outside affiliation.
Do you have a recent annual report or a one-page summary of last year's results?
Why it matters: It shows a funder what you have already delivered, which counts for more when the funder does not know you yet.
Do you keep standard text ready, such as your mission, history, program descriptions and staff bios?
Why it matters: Most applications ask for the same background, and writing it from scratch each time takes hours away from the sections that differ.

Program

Can you describe the need your program addresses, with local data and a source for it?
Why it matters: The statement of need is where a reviewer decides whether the problem is real and whether your program fits it.
Have you written down the outcomes you expect and how your activities lead to them?
Why it matters: A logic model shows on one page how your resources and activities are meant to produce results, and funders use it to check that the plan holds together.
Do you know how you will measure those outcomes, and who will collect the data?
Why it matters: Many proposals ask for an evaluation plan, and the reports you owe after an award usually ask for the same measures.

Capacity

Is there a named person with time to research, write and submit applications?
Why it matters: Each application takes hours to prepare, and a deadline that nobody owns is the one most likely to be missed.
Do you keep one calendar with every application deadline and every report due on grants you already have?
Why it matters: A late report can hurt your standing with a current funder, and a missed deadline often means waiting for the next cycle.
Can you report on a grant, tracking its spending against the budget and collecting the numbers you promised?
Why it matters: Every award comes with reports, and a funder deciding whether to fund you again will look at how the last grant was reported.

Your result

0 of 15 answered. Your result and fix list appear when every question has an answer.