The Grant Readiness Checklist: Are You Ready to Apply?
Writing a grant application takes 20–100 hours. Before you invest that time, make sure your organization meets the basic readiness criteria most funders expect.
Writing a competitive grant application takes 20–100 hours. Before you invest that time, make sure your organization meets the basic readiness criteria most funders expect. Applying to grants you're not ready for is one of the most common reasons grant-seeking organizations fail — not because the applications are bad, but because the underlying organizational gaps are visible to experienced reviewers.
Organizational Readiness
Legal status: Do you have the legal entity required by this grant? Most foundation grants require 501(c)(3) status; federal grants require a DUNS/UEI number and SAM.gov registration; state grants often require state business registration. Confirm before applying.
Financial systems: Do you have basic financial management in place? Funders expect accrual-basis accounting (or at minimum cash-basis for small organizations), bank statements, and the ability to produce a budget vs. actual report. Larger grants require audited financial statements.
Board governance: For nonprofit grants, a functioning board is a basic expectation. Funders look for evidence of independent board oversight, regular meetings, and financial controls.
Track record: Most grants require a description of prior work. New organizations should be honest about being early-stage and emphasize the leadership team's experience and the community need being addressed.
Programmatic Readiness
Clear program design: What exactly will you do with the grant funds? Funders want a specific activity description, not a general mission statement. Be able to articulate: the problem you're addressing, your specific activities, who will do them, on what timeline, and what outcomes you expect.
Logic model: A logic model (inputs → activities → outputs → outcomes → impact) is required by many federal funders and makes any application stronger. Build one before writing.
Evaluation plan: How will you know the program worked? Funders increasingly require measurable outcomes and a plan for tracking them. Define your metrics before writing the application.
Financial Readiness
Matching funds: Some grants require 1:1 or 2:1 matching from other sources. Do you have committed or likely-to-be-committed matching funds? "We plan to raise the match" is not a match — funders want evidence.
Indirect costs: Do you have an approved indirect cost rate? Federal grants use negotiated indirect cost rates. Nonprofits without a rate can use the 10% de minimis rate on direct costs, but larger organizations should negotiate a rate with their cognizant federal agency.
Budget realism: Can you actually do what you're proposing with the funds requested? Reviewers who have run similar programs will notice if the budget is unrealistic — too lean or padded.
The Fastest Disqualifiers
- Organization doesn't meet the stated eligibility requirements
- Application submitted after the deadline (most funders don't accept late submissions)
- Required attachments missing from the submission
- Budget doesn't add up
- Proposal doesn't address the stated funding priorities
Go through this checklist before starting an application. The 30 minutes spent confirming readiness can save 80 hours of work on an application you'll ultimately have to withdraw.