Grant readiness is a common topic among grant writers. At Professional Grant Writers, we either don’t take on new clients if they’re not in a good position to apply for and compete for grants, or we work with them to get to that point.
 

So what does grant readiness entail? This handy infographic from SmartEGrants breaks down the basics — and, in our opinion, the most important elements of grant readiness:
 

These elements are in line with what we look for with new clients: Do they have a mission statement? And more importantly, do their programs align with that statement or are they victims of mission creep?
 

Is there a strategic plan in place, or a similar, five-year plan? Have they performed a community needs assessment to determine whether their services are in line with community needs? Is their budget diversified, with lots of different income streams? Are they ready and willing to manage the grant once the money comes in, reporting back to the funder on what they’ve accomplished with the money given?
 

Without these items, nonprofits likely can’t write a strong enough grant to compete for the limited funding dollars out there. Sometimes there are exceptions, but knowing whether a nonprofit has these items in place goes a long way to determining readiness.