Grant Readiness. Strategy. Compliance.
Funding. Capacity. NICRA.

Everything here is organized around the pillars of the TGP Grant System. Read what your organization needs most right now, and build from there.

Pillar 01

Grant Readiness

Grant readiness is the foundation every other pillar builds on. These articles cover the systems, documentation, and organizational infrastructure that determine whether an organization is ready to pursue and manage competitive funding.

Indirect Costs: How We Got Here and Where the Rules Stand

Indirect Costs: How We Got Here and Where the Rules Stand

Three OMB circulars became one rulebook, and then the numbers moved. Here is the short history of indirect costs and exactly where the rules stand today. ...more

Grant Readiness ,NICRA

September 09, 2026

Your Cost Allocation Method Has to Be Written Down

Your Cost Allocation Method Has to Be Written Down

A cost allocation method that lives in one person's head will not survive an audit. Here is how to choose a defensible base and get the plan written down. ...more

Grant Readiness

September 07, 2026

Your Chart of Accounts Is Your Grant Tracking System

Your Chart of Accounts Is Your Grant Tracking System

Your ledger should isolate every award, period, and cost category on its own. Here is what a grant ready chart of accounts does and how to restructure safely. ...more

Grant Readiness

September 02, 2026

Grant Readiness Hub

Not sure where your organization actually stands?

Get free access to the tools The Grant Project uses to assess and build grant readiness for local governments and nonprofits across the country.

10
10 interactive worksheets Real-world examples built for local governments and nonprofits. Save your work, print as a PDF, and reuse as your organization grows.
4
4 Financial Foundations guides Understand what accounting systems are, why they matter, and how they affect your grant competitiveness.
The proven pathway The same framework behind $1.25 billion in competitive grants secured for clients across the US.

Join the organizations doing this work.

Local governments and nonprofits building real grant readiness, one step at a time.

Pillar 02

Grant Strategy

A strong grant strategy is proactive, not reactive. These articles cover how local governments and nonprofits identify the right opportunities, build competitive positioning, and make deliberate decisions about what to pursue and what to decline.

  The TGP Grant System: Five Pillars, One Framework for Sustainable Funding

The TGP Grant System: Five Pillars, One Framework for Sustainable Funding

Grant readiness, grant strategy, compliance, funding strategy, and capacity building for local governments and nonprofits. The TGP Grant System is the framework behind $1.25 billion in competitive gra... ...more

Grant Readiness ,Grant Strategy Grant Compliance Funding Strategy &Capacity Building

November 03, 20255 min read

Adapting To Major Federal Funding Changes: Building Flexible Grant Strategies for 2025 and Beyond

Adapting To Major Federal Funding Changes: Building Flexible Grant Strategies for 2025 and Beyond

The federal funding landscape has shifted dramatically, and if you're feeling like the rules keep changing mid-game, you're not alone. Between executive orders, new oversight requirements, and ongoing... ...more

Grant Strategy

June 26, 20257 min read

7 Mistakes With Your Grant Strategy (and How to Fix Them in 90 Days)

7 Mistakes With Your Grant Strategy (and How to Fix Them in 90 Days)

The grant funding landscape in 2025 is more competitive than ever. Federal agencies are tightening requirements, private foundations are scrutinizing impact metrics more closely, and organizations acr... ...more

Grant Strategy

May 13, 20257 min read

Pillar 03

Grant Compliance

Federal grant compliance is not optional, and it is not static. These articles cover 2 CFR 200, award management, audit readiness, and the regulatory changes that local governments and nonprofits need to understand before the next award arrives.

The 2026 Uniform Guidance, Fully Mapped: Your Action Plan

The 2026 Uniform Guidance, Fully Mapped: Your Action Plan

Nine Uniform Guidance changes, one sequenced plan. Here is every action from the series organized by your role in the funding chain, before October 1. ...more

Grant Compliance

August 17, 20264 min read

2 CFR Becomes Binding Regulation. Here Is Why That Matters More Than It Sounds.

2 CFR Becomes Binding Regulation. Here Is Why That Matters More Than It Sounds.

2 CFR shifts from guidance to binding OMB regulation, applied government-wide the moment it takes effect. Here is what that changes in practice and how to update your compliance training. ...more

Grant Compliance

August 13, 2026

Merit-Based Selection Now Means Your Financial History Follows You

Merit-Based Selection Now Means Your Financial History Follows You

Federal award selection now explicitly prioritizes merit, and financial management history carries direct weight. Here is exactly what reviewers look at and how to build documentation that works in yo... ...more

Grant Compliance

August 12, 2026

NICRA

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rates

NICRA is one of the most misunderstood tools in federal funding. These articles cover what a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement is, who should pursue one, how the rate is built, and how to use it to strengthen your organization's federal funding position.

Indirect Costs: How We Got Here and Where the Rules Stand

Indirect Costs: How We Got Here and Where the Rules Stand

Three OMB circulars became one rulebook, and then the numbers moved. Here is the short history of indirect costs and exactly where the rules stand today. ...more

Grant Readiness ,NICRA

September 09, 2026

ICAP vs NICRA: What Each One Is and Why It Matters

ICAP vs NICRA: What Each One Is and Why It Matters

An ICAP is the indirect cost proposal you submit. A NICRA is the signed agreement you receive. Here is the difference and why it matters for federal awards. ...more

Grant Compliance ,NICRA

July 22, 20264 min read

The NICRA Vocabulary Every Local Government and Nonprofit Should Know

The NICRA Vocabulary Every Local Government and Nonprofit Should Know

Clarity on indirect costs saves time, reduces audit risk, and strengthens your funding strategy. This guide defines the core NICRA terms your team needs to communicate clearly across finance, grants, ... ...more

NICRA

July 14, 202610 min read

Want to own it instead of visit it?

The Grant Readiness Workbook.
Everything in one place. Yours to keep.

The hub is free and always available. The workbook is downloaded once and yours forever. Print it, fill it in with your team, share it across departments, and use it every time you pursue a new opportunity. No login. No navigating back. Just the complete framework in your hands with real-world examples, red flags, and action steps built into every section.

Get the Workbook →
Instant digital download  ·  88 pages  ·  PDF format
Pillar 04

Funding Strategy

Sustainable organizations do not depend on a single funding source. These articles cover portfolio thinking, diversification, long-term planning, and how to build a durable funding mix that supports programs through leadership changes, funding shifts, and economic disruption.

The Funding Cliff Was Always on the Calendar: Planning for the End of an Award Before It Arrives

The Funding Cliff Was Always on the Calendar: Planning for the End of an Award Before It Arrives

A funding cliff is predictable, which means it is preventable. Learn how local governments and nonprofits can plan for the end of a time-limited award from day one, so programs and people are not left... ...more

Funding Strategy

January 23, 20264 min read

  The TGP Grant System: Five Pillars, One Framework for Sustainable Funding

The TGP Grant System: Five Pillars, One Framework for Sustainable Funding

Grant readiness, grant strategy, compliance, funding strategy, and capacity building for local governments and nonprofits. The TGP Grant System is the framework behind $1.25 billion in competitive gra... ...more

Grant Readiness ,Grant Strategy Grant Compliance Funding Strategy &Capacity Building

November 03, 20255 min read

What Are Donor Advised Funds, And Why Do They Matter

What Are Donor Advised Funds, And Why Do They Matter

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are now a central channel for philanthropic capital. For nonprofit leaders, understanding how DAFs operate, and how to engage them effectively, is essential to building dive... ...more

Funding Strategy

July 08, 20254 min read

Pillar 05

Capacity Building

Grant funding is only sustainable when the internal systems and skills that support it are strong. These articles cover the people, processes, and infrastructure that allow local governments and nonprofits to pursue, manage, and sustain competitive funding over time.

Build Your Grant Readiness Systems With the Tools You Already Own

Build Your Grant Readiness Systems With the Tools You Already Own

Build every grant readiness system in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 using shared drives, tracker spreadsheets, and AI. No new software required. ...more

Grant Readiness ,Capacity Building

August 27, 2026

Grant Readiness Keeps Programs Running When the Rules Change

Grant Readiness Keeps Programs Running When the Rules Change

When federal compliance priorities shift, the organizations that keep serving their communities are the ones with grant readiness systems already in place. Here is why. ...more

Grant Readiness ,Grant Compliance &Capacity Building

July 09, 20265 min read

The Civic Infrastructure Reading List

The Civic Infrastructure Reading List

A reading list for the people who keep American civic life running: 26 books on local government, nonprofits, and public service to celebrate your contributions to the nation’s 250th year. ...more

Grant Readiness ,Capacity Building &NICRA

June 30, 202612 min read

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