Where to Start
Find your path.
Every organization comes to grant readiness from a different place. Start with the challenge that is most urgent for you.
"We keep losing grants we should be winning."
The problem is rarely the writing. It is the organizational infrastructure behind the application. The Grant Readiness guide walks you through what federal funders actually evaluate and how to build the foundation that makes your applications competitive.
Read the Grant Readiness Guide"2 CFR 200 is changing. We do not know what it means for us, and we have no compliance infrastructure."
OMB just proposed the most significant overhaul to federal grant rules since 2013. The Grant Compliance guide explains what is changing, what your organization needs to have in place, and how to build a compliance system that holds up under scrutiny.
Read the Grant Compliance Guide"We have federal grants but no negotiated indirect cost rate. We are leaving federal funding on the table."
For many organizations, indirect costs represent 20 to 40 percent of actual operating expenses. Without a NICRA, you absorb those costs with unrestricted funds. The NICRA guide explains what the agreement is, who needs one, and how to negotiate it.
Read the NICRA GuideThe Grant Project Point of View
Why Organizations Lose Grants
Most organizations that lose competitive grants do not lose because their work is not strong. They lose because they were not ready when the opportunity arrived, and readiness is not something you build in the weeks before a deadline.
Grant readiness is an organizational state, not a document you produce at the last minute.
It means your financials are audit-ready. Your data tells a compelling story. Your systems can track and report on federal dollars. Your team understands how to operate within a compliance framework. When those things are in place, you compete differently.
The Grant Project was built on one belief: strategy and systems win grants, not heroic effort at the deadline. If your organization is ready to compete, we can help you win. If you are not sure where you stand, the resources below are the place to start.
Start with the foundation.
Two comprehensive guides built on decades of grant strategy work. No email gate. No upsell. The technical depth your organization needs to compete.
Grant Readiness for Local Governments and Nonprofits
A complete framework for local and regional governments and nonprofits preparing to compete for federal funding. Systems, compliance, and strategic positioning.
- What readiness actually means
- SAM.gov and registrations
- Federal compliance posture
- Building internal capacity
The Complete Guide to NICRA
Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements explained. What they are, who needs one, and how to position your organization for the right rate.
- What a NICRA actually is
- De minimis vs. negotiated
- Indirect cost calculation
- 2 CFR 200 alignment
About The Grant Project
Built on one belief.
The Grant Project was founded on the belief that local governments and nonprofits doing meaningful work in their communities deserve the resources and expertise to secure funding for that work. Working at the intersection of grant strategy and federal compliance, TGP helps local governments and nonprofits build the organizational foundation for sustainable grant funding through grant readiness, strategy, compliance, funding strategy, and capacity building. With more than two decades of experience and $1.25 billion in competitive grants secured across both sectors, TGP equips organizations to compete for and manage federal funding with confidence.
Learn More About The Grant ProjectStay Current
Grant readiness tools and federal compliance updates, every Friday.
Join local government staff and nonprofit teams who get practical grant readiness tools, 2 CFR 200 updates, and funding insights delivered weekly. No noise. No filler.
View our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions here. © 2026. All Rights Reserved.