Findovia Consulting Group
Grant basics
A readiness checklist and plain-English glossary to help you prepare for funding conversations.
Preparation
Grant readiness checklist
Use this list to see what funders often expect before you apply.
General information, not legal or financial advice.
- A clear, one-paragraph mission statement.
- Proof of legal status and any registrations you need.
- A current organizational budget.
- Recent financial statements.
- A board or governance list (for nonprofits).
- A clear description of the project you want funded.
- A project budget with realistic costs.
- A plan for how you will measure results.
- Key staff or leadership bios.
- Reports or feedback from past funders, if any.
Terms
Grant glossary
General information, not legal or financial advice.
- Allowable costs
- Expenses a funder permits you to charge to a grant.
- Closeout
- The final stage of a grant, including final reports and financial reconciliation.
- Cost share (match)
- The part of a project's cost that the applicant covers.
- Deliverables
- The specific outputs or results you agree to produce.
- Fiscal sponsor
- An established nonprofit that receives grants on behalf of a project that lacks its own tax-exempt status.
- Indirect costs
- Shared overhead such as rent and administration that supports many activities.
- Letter of inquiry (LOI)
- A short introduction to a funder, sent before a full proposal.
- Logic model
- A simple chart linking resources, activities, outputs and outcomes.
- NOFO
- A Notice of Funding Opportunity, the term US federal agencies use to announce grants.
- RFP
- A Request for Proposals, a funder's call for applications.
- SAM.gov registration
- The US federal registration organizations complete to be eligible for federal awards.
Want help with any of this?
Tell us about your organization and your funding goals.