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.
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.
Data Shows the Scope. Stories Show the Stakes.
Local data first, then regional, then national. Most applicants invert it. Plus the honest substitute when a government cannot tell one persons story. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Capacity Building
October 14, 2026
Capacity Gaps Are Not Disqualifying. Ignoring Them Is.
Reviewers are not looking for an applicant with no gaps. Here are the three legs of capacity, the four parts of a credible closure plan, and the three clocks. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Capacity Building
October 13, 2026
Strategic Fit Is a Citation, Not a Claim
Consistent with our strategic direction is a claim. Goal 2 of the 2024 to 2029 plan is a fact. Why citation stacking is a local government advantage here. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Grant Strategy
October 07, 2026
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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.
Strategic Fit Is a Citation, Not a Claim
Consistent with our strategic direction is a claim. Goal 2 of the 2024 to 2029 plan is a fact. Why citation stacking is a local government advantage here. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Grant Strategy
October 07, 2026
Mission Alignment Is Overlap, Not Adjacency
Adjacency is finding a grant near your work and reasoning toward a connection. Overlap is the real intersection. Here is the verb test that tells them apart. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Grant Strategy
October 05, 2026
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, 2025•5 min read
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.
SAM.gov, Your UEI, and Grants.gov: Keep All Three Current
SAM.gov expires twelve months after activation and warns nobody about it. Here are the six registration facts to confirm today, including your EBiz POC. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Grant Compliance
September 30, 2026
Your Conflict of Interest Policy Needs a Procedure Behind It
2 CFR 200.318 reaches board members and requires disciplinary actions. Here are the six questions your disclosure procedure has to answer, in writing. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Grant Compliance
September 23, 2026
What Auditors Test First: Records Retention and Procurement
Retention runs three years from your final financial report, not the award date. Here are the exceptions that matter, and what belongs in a procurement file. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Grant Compliance
September 21, 2026
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
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
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, 2026•4 min read
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, 2026•10 min read
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.
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
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, 2026•4 min read
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, 2025•5 min read
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, 2025•4 min read
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.
Data Shows the Scope. Stories Show the Stakes.
Local data first, then regional, then national. Most applicants invert it. Plus the honest substitute when a government cannot tell one persons story. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Capacity Building
October 14, 2026
Capacity Gaps Are Not Disqualifying. Ignoring Them Is.
Reviewers are not looking for an applicant with no gaps. Here are the three legs of capacity, the four parts of a credible closure plan, and the three clocks. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Capacity Building
October 13, 2026
You Need an AI Use Policy Before a Funder Asks for One
NIH will not treat work substantially developed by AI as your original idea. Here are the six things your AI use policy has to cover, and who signs it. ...more
Grant Readiness ,Capacity Building
September 28, 2026
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