If you are new to the world of grants, you may feel a little overwhelmed with all the complexities of grant administration. Thinking about it in just 7 Steps will assist you in understanding the process.
Pre-Award
- Step 1 - Project Definition: Projects should reflect the organization’s mission and grants should align with how business is done in your organization.
- Step 2 - Funding Analysis: This is your time to find grant programs. The type of project, eligibility, and special considerations should be evaluated for each program you are investigating.
- Step 3 - Application: Many agencies won’t even look at your proposal if it is not formatted correctly. It is also important to be reasonable in your proposal and budget requests.
- Step 4 - Approval: Congratulations! You have been awarded a grant. The approval phase usually presents itself in the form of a formal award letter from the funding agency.
Post-Award
- Step 5 - Finalization: During this phase, your organization and the funding agency hammer out the details of the contract and arrange its execution.
- Step 6 - Implementation: The implementation phase occurs once the project period begins and you start to carry out the activities of your project.
- Step 7 - Close-Out: Once all the program funds have been expended, a final report on the use of funds as well as the resolution of all accounts is required.
Grants can be complex and hard to understand, but remembering that the overall grant process is comprised of 7 Steps will increase your chances of being successful throughout the process.
