Is your organization grant ready?

1. Is your 501(c)(3) status current, with state charity registrations up to date?

Funders verify this before reading a word of your proposal.

2. Can your team state the mission in one sentence — the same sentence?

A mission that filters decisions is the first thing reviewers look for.

3. Is your flagship program described in outcomes (not activities) somewhere in writing?

"Participants gain X, measured by Y" is what funders are buying.

4. Does your budget tell the same story as your program narrative?

Narrative/budget disagreement is the fastest credibility killer in review.

5. Do you have honest evidence of impact — numbers served, completion rates, or strong testimonials with permission?

Any real evidence beats none; polish matters less than honesty.

6. Does 100% of your board give financially, at any amount?

Many funders ask this exact question on the application.

7. Could you deliver the program AND the reporting if the grant landed tomorrow?

Funders fund organizations that can absorb the money.

8. Have you filed every report on time for grants you've already received?

Your last final report is your application for the next, bigger grant.

9. Do you have reusable boilerplate — mission language, program descriptions, budget narratives?

Grant-ready organizations don't start from a blank page each time.

10. Do you know which 3–5 funders you'd approach next, and why they fit?

The right funder matters more than a perfect proposal to the wrong one.