GrantCraft Tool
Grant Readiness Checklist
Answer 15 questions across 5 key areas to assess your organization's readiness for competitive grant seeking. Get a scored evaluation with recommendations and resources.
Assessment Questions
1Organizational Capacity
Your organization's infrastructure, leadership, and ability to manage funded programs.
Does your organization have a clear mission statement aligned with potential funders?
Funders look for mission alignment. Review your mission against the priorities listed in funder RFPs.
Do you have dedicated staff or a team member responsible for grant management?
Even part-time grant coordination signals organizational readiness to funders.
Does your organization have a board of directors that actively supports fundraising?
Board engagement in fundraising is a strong signal of organizational health.
2Financial Systems
Accounting practices, audit readiness, and compliance with federal cost principles.
Does your organization have an annual independent audit or financial review?
Federal grants above $750K require a Single Audit under 2 CFR 200 Subpart F.
Can your accounting system track expenses by individual grant or project?
Cost segregation is essential for compliance. Funders require grant-specific expense tracking.
Do you have a negotiated indirect cost rate or use the 10% de minimis rate?
Understanding your indirect cost rate ensures you recover administrative costs appropriately.
3Project Design
Clarity of your project's goals, logic model, and evidence base.
Do you have a logic model or theory of change for your proposed project?
A logic model maps inputs to outcomes. It's the backbone of a fundable proposal.
Are your project objectives written as SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)?
Vague objectives are the #1 reason proposals lose reviewer confidence.
Do you have evidence or data supporting the need for your project?
Use community-level data, needs assessments, or published research to ground your need statement.
4Grant Research
Your approach to identifying and qualifying aligned funding opportunities.
Do you research funders systematically (e.g., using 990 analysis, grant databases)?
Analyzing a foundation's 990 filings reveals giving patterns, average award sizes, and priority areas.
Do you use a Go/No-Go decision framework before committing to a proposal?
A Go/No-Go checklist prevents wasting time on misaligned opportunities.
Do you maintain a 12-month grant calendar or pipeline tracker?
Pipeline management ensures you're planning ahead rather than scrambling at deadlines.
5Track Record
Past experience managing grants, reporting, and demonstrating outcomes.
Has your organization successfully managed a grant in the past 3 years?
Prior grant management experience is a strong credibility signal in proposals.
Do you have documented outcomes or impact data from past funded projects?
Concrete outcomes from past work demonstrate your capacity to deliver results.
Do you submit progress and financial reports on time for current grants?
Timely reporting builds trust with funders and positions you for renewals.