Your Grant Interview

The GrindingGang process helps us understand how your organization is positioned for grant funding. The process will help you identify areas in which you may need additional support to make your business dreams a reality. This tool also serves a diagnostic purpose. It provides information upon which our experts or another technical assistance provider can use to help you find the resources you need to start, sustain or grow your project.

Organizational Description questions (Grant Writing-Organizational Description):

●     What type of organization do you have?

●     Who is your target population?

●     What services do you provide (specify core services)?

●     How long have you been in existence?

●     How long have you been delivering your core services?

●     What makes your organization qualified to deliver services?

●     How long have you been delivering the services related to this proposal?

●     Do you have the documentation to support everything that you indicate in your proposal? Other organizational information/history (mission, vision, awards, board, staff, data, budget, etc.)

●     From what sources has your organization received funding in the past?

Needs Assessment questions (Grant Writing - Needs Assessment):

●     What are the needs that your program addresses?

●     How do you know that the target population needs to be helped?

●     How do you know that the help you are offering is appropriate for the target population?

●     What are the societal consequences of the proposed project?

●     What data have you used to determine need?

●     What assumptions have you made (population, community, etc.)?

●     How is your organization positioned to address these needs?

●     What resources are needed to address the problems?

●     What alternatives can be used to address the populations needs?

●     Are there other organizations addressing the populations’ needs?

●     How are you different?

●     How do the needs you plan to address fit within the population’s other needs?

Project Goals questions (Grant Writing - Project Goals):

●     What goals does your project hope to accomplish?

●     What are the activities to accomplish the goals?

●     How do the goals relate to the stated needs?

●     What are the planned activities used to reach the objectives?

●     How do the activities help to meet the stated needs?

●     Do the goals and activities affect the target population in a way that does not relate to the stated needs?

●     How do you measure each activity?

●     What is the time frame for accomplishing the activities?

Project Design questions (Grant Writing-Project Design Form):

●     What are the major project activities?

●     What resources are needed to execute each activity?

●     How/when will the resources be gathered?

●     How/when will the resources be deployed?

●     How will the quality of the resources be measured?

●     How will the effectiveness of the resource be measured?

●     How do all the activities work together (flowchart)?

●     How does the project fit in the organization’s overall mission or other activities (particularly core services)?

●     Provide a walkthrough of the client’s experience.

●     Which individuals or organizations will be partners in this project?

●     What happens to the client after the project?

●     Does the project have a limited duration or is it ongoing?

●     How is the project innovative?

●     Can you justify every decision?

Management and Evaluation questions (Grant Writing-Management and Evaluation):

●     How will you demonstrate that the activities occurred?

●     How will you measure the impact of the activities on the clients?

●     What does success look like?

●     What is your population’s baseline?

●     How much time will be needed to evaluate the data?

●     Who is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the data?

●     When will monitoring and evaluation activities occur?

●     Was the help received sufficient to meet the need?

Sustainability questions (Grant Writing-Sustainability):

●     How will the project be sustained?

●     What are the organization’s other sources of funding?

●     What other funding will be used for the project?

●     What happens to the need if funding is not received?

●     What are the contingency plans for funding shortfalls?

●     What is your reputation for financial management?

●     When is funding needed?

●     Is the funding estimate realistic?

Grant Attachment questions (Grant Writing-Attachment Checklist):

Which of the following do you have?

• Articles of Incorporation
• Certificate of Good Standing
• Employee Identification Number (EIN)
• IRS Determination or Fiscal Sponsor Letter
• Bylaws
• Mission and Vision
• Returns (990s)
• Certification from MD Secretary of State
• Audit (more likely for $100k+)

THANK YOU

A member of the GrindingGang has submitted a grant that they believe might be able to help you think through your submission and compare.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to help you take a different look at your grant opportunities. We hope that this will not be your last time working with the GrindingGang.

You can always find us at www.GrindingGang.com.

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