Program officers spend 4-8 minutes on a first read of your proposal. In those minutes, they're looking for reasons to say no — because they receive 3-10x more proposals than they can fund.
This checklist gives them fewer reasons. Run through it before every submission.
Pre-submission checklist (12 items)
- Eligibility confirmed — Read the guidelines twice. Confirm your org type, geography, program area, and budget size all match the funder's criteria. This alone eliminates 20% of rejected proposals.
- Ask amount matches funder's range — Never ask for more than the funder's top typical grant. Ask for a specific number, not a range.
- Application format followed exactly — Word count, font size, margins, page limits, and file format. Deviations get proposals disqualified before they're read.
- Every required attachment included — 990 form, IRS determination letter, budget narrative, board list, financial statements, letters of support. Missing attachments = automatic rejection at many funders.
- Named the program officer — If the guidelines identify a program officer, address the cover letter to them by name (not "Dear Foundation").
- Mission alignment stated in the first paragraph — Not on page 3. The opening paragraph should make it clear why this specific funder should care.
- Problem statement is local and quantified — "Youth in Chicago's South Side face a 47% high school dropout rate" beats "Youth face challenges."
- Outcomes are specific and measurable — Numbers, timeframes, populations. Not "We will impact many youth" — "We will serve 120 youth over 12 months and achieve a 75% graduation rate."
- Budget adds up correctly — Line items match narrative descriptions. Total matches your ask amount. Percentages sum to 100%.
- Sustainability plan included — How will the program continue after this grant ends? Funders don't want to fund something that dies in year two.
- Two people have proofread — At least one who wasn't involved in writing. Fresh eyes catch typos and unclear language.
- Submitted 24+ hours before deadline — Portals crash. Emails bounce. Give yourself buffer.
The biggest predictor of a funded proposal
It's not writing quality (though that helps). It's fit. A perfectly written proposal to the wrong funder loses. A B-quality proposal to a great-fit funder wins.
Before spending 20+ hours on any proposal, spend 2 hours researching the funder: what have they funded recently, at what amounts, in what regions? If your project doesn't match their pattern, move on. Your time is better spent on the next funder.
Tools like RaiseRoot score every grant on fit before you invest hours writing. If a funder's match score is below 60%, either revise your approach or skip that funder entirely.