The Grant Readiness Workbook
Most organizations lose grants before they ever apply.
The Grant Readiness Workbook gives local government staff and nonprofit teams a clear, honest picture of where they stand and exactly what to build next.
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The problem is not the application. It is what comes before it.
Most organizations focus on writing the grant. The organizations that win focus on what happens before the NOFO drops: the systems, the financial infrastructure, and the organizational alignment that make applications competitive before anyone types a word.
What changes
Work through this workbook and your organization will:
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01
Know exactly where your gaps are before the next deadline hits No more applying and wondering. The workbook gives you a specific, honest assessment of where your organization is ready and where there is work to do.
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02
Align your finance team and program staff before the application starts Budget narratives that do not match your accounting system lose grants. This workbook closes that gap before it becomes a problem.
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03
Build the evidence and documentation reviewers need to see Strong need statements and track records do not get built the week the NOFO drops. They get built over time, with structure and intention.
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04
Open a NOFO and know exactly where you stand Not scrambling. Not guessing. Applying from a position of organizational strength because the foundation was already in place.
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05
Make compliance and reporting systems a strength, not a liability The Financial Foundations guides inside this workbook go deeper on the accounting and budget mechanics that determine whether funders view your organization as ready to manage an award.
Is this right for you
This workbook is built for specific people doing specific work.
This workbook is right for you if:
- You manage grants for a local government department or nonprofit and want a clear picture of where your systems stand
- Your organization has lost grants and you want to understand why
- You are preparing to pursue your first federal award and want to build the right foundation
- Your finance and program teams are not fully aligned and it is showing up in your applications
- You are serious about building grant infrastructure that produces repeatable results
- You want the same framework consulting clients pay significantly more for
This workbook is not right for you if:
- You are looking for a fill-in-the-blank grant writing template
- You want a quick fix rather than a real assessment of where your organization stands
- You are not willing to look honestly at your systems and infrastructure
- Your organization has no interest in federal funding and works exclusively with private foundations
Know where you stand before the next opportunity appears.
Get the Workbook for $79 Instant digital download · 88 pages · PDF formatPart One
Ten worksheets covering every critical readiness factor.
Worksheet 01
Mission Alignment
Confirm your project flows from mission, not from funding availability.
Worksheet 02
Strategic Fit Map
Connect your project to strategic plans and community priorities funders want to see.
Worksheet 03
Capacity Checklist
Assess your staff, partners, and systems honestly before you apply.
Worksheet 04
Data and Evidence Builder
Build the evidence base that makes your need statement credible and compelling.
Worksheet 05
Success Story Bank
Capture past results and lessons learned to demonstrate your track record.
Worksheet 06
Partnership Planner
Map your partners and build the stakeholder support that strengthens proposals.
Worksheet 07
Budget Builder
Develop a funder-aligned budget that tells your project's story in numbers.
Worksheet 08
Sustainability Plan
Answer the question every funder asks: what happens when the grant ends?
Worksheet 09
Grant Systems Self-Check
Evaluate your reporting and compliance systems before an award lands.
Worksheet 10
Leadership Alignment
Document leadership commitment and make sure the whole team is ready.
Part Two
Four Financial Foundations guides. The section most workbooks skip.
Guide 01
Accounting Basis Cheat Sheet
Cash, accrual, or hybrid? What your organization uses shapes every budget you build and every grant you manage.
Guide 02
Chart of Accounts Conversation Guide
The questions to ask your finance team so grants can be tracked, reported, and reconciled cleanly.
Guide 03
Cost Allocation Starter
How shared costs get distributed across programs and grants, and why grant managers need to understand the basics.
Guide 04
Grant Budget Reality Check
A practical audit of whether your budget tells the same story as your narrative, with the right indirect cost treatment.
Who built this
Built by a practitioner with two decades of real grant work behind it.
The Grant Readiness Workbook was built by The Grant Project, a federal grant consulting firm founded by Catherine Riggs, MPA, PhD. Catherine brings more than 20 years of experience working directly with local governments and nonprofits on grant readiness, compliance, indirect cost rates, and post-award management.
The frameworks inside this workbook are the same ones used in active client engagements, not a generic guide built from theory. Every worksheet reflects a real gap that real organizations face when pursuing competitive federal funding.
Know where you stand. Build what is missing.
$79 one-time purchase. Instant digital download. 88 pages.
Get the Workbook"Hard Work Doesn't Win Grants. Readiness Does."