Grant Readiness Checklist

The grant readiness checklist above is a ten-item self-assessment. Tick each statement that is true for your organization and the tool scores you as you go: 80 percent or more reads "Grant ready", 50 to 79 percent "Almost ready", and below that "Building readiness". The score is a quick screen, not a funder's verdict; the useful output is the list of items you could not tick.

What counts as a yes

Each item is easy to tick generously. Use this table to decide whether you can honestly check it, and what to gather if you cannot.

Checklist item	You can tick it when you have
501(c)(3) status or an eligible fiscal sponsor	Your IRS determination letter, or a signed fiscal sponsorship agreement
Written mission and program description	A one-page description of each program you would seek funding for
Community need documented with data	Recent local figures with sources, not only national statistics
Program budget and recent financial statements	A current program budget plus your latest financial statements, Form 990, or audit
Measurable goals and outcomes	Targets with numbers and dates, and a record of results so far
Board roster and governance documents	A current board list with affiliations, bylaws, and conflict of interest policy
A system for tracking potential funders	A list of prospects with fit notes and deadlines
At least one year of history	Twelve months of operations you can describe with results
A plan for continuing after the grant	Named funding sources or revenue that will sustain the program
Someone to manage reporting	A named person responsible for tracking spending and outcomes after an award

Items the checklist does not cover

The ten items fit most foundation applications. Two kinds of funding need more:

• Federal grants. You need an active SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity ID, renewed every year, and a Grants.gov account before you can submit; our guide to Grants.gov and SAM.gov registration walks through both. You also need financial systems that can separate grant spending, track staff time, and meet the Uniform Guidance; organizations that spend $1,000,000 or more in federal awards in a fiscal year (for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2024) need a single audit. See the Uniform Guidance basics.
• Small businesses. Businesses do not need nonprofit status, but they do need the registrations their funder requires, and for SBIR and STTR awards, a project with research and commercial potential.

Closing the gaps

Fix the items that block an application outright first: legal status or a fiscal sponsor, financial statements, and for federal funding, registration. Measurable outcomes and a need statement come next, because they take the longest to build and every proposal uses them. Funder tracking can wait until the rest is in place; when it is, our funder deadline tracker gives you a simple place to start.

For a fuller assessment of what funders evaluate and how to prioritize the work, read our guide to nonprofit grant readiness. Our grant readiness service prepares the documents and systems for organizations that want them done before their first application.