Grant development and process.pdf

Grant development and process guide: case of local NGO west
Ethiopia

Grant development and process guide: case of local NGO west Ethiopia
Guide Topics
• Conceptualization
• Silent terms in grant management
• Grant management maker side
• Grant lifecycle maker end
• Pre-requisite for grant
• Types of grant form
• Grant seeking methods
• Grant management recipient side
• Grant lifecycle grantee side
• Grant proposal
• Pitfall in grant Management
• Contract management

CONCEPTUALIZATION
Macmillan English Dictionary-New edition, defines grant as “an amount of
money that the government or an organization gives to you for a specific
purpose and does not ask you to pay back.
Farlex (2021), grant is a sum of money agreed, usually by a government or
nonprofit organization, to fund certain projects that one may receive the
grant in order to perform the needs of community collective basic needs that
the government is not able to deal with and fill the gaps the problems that
the society are facing such as health care, women and young people SRH
services, HIV/AIDs, education, and other social needs

Silent terms in Grant management in general
 Grant: a funding contract between the funding agency and the recipient to support an
organization activities and deliverables are detailed in their proposal or application
which enables the organization to perform specific activities for common good.
 Grantor: (also known as grant maker or funder):Is the organization or agency that
receive your funding request and decides to fund or reject it
 Grantee; the organization or individual designated to receive a grant award.
 Grant proposal: It is narrative description of the work that a nonprofit organization plans
to undertake to fulfil both its own and the grant-maker goals.

First, a clarifying note: The term “grant management” can also be used in
relation to grant seekers who are writing proposals and reports, and then
ensuring grant requirements are met as their organization spends grant funds.
The guide tries to focus both on grant makers: those who distribute grants and award funds
and recipient of the grant fund.
For grant makers :
Grant management encompasses the processes and administrative work that happen
throughout the grant lifecycle. This includes setting up the grant, reviewing applications,
selecting worthy recipients, disbursing grant funds, and ensuring those funds are put to
good use.
Grantee:
Is a term used to state that individuals, groups or organizations who receive the
recognized grants provided by the donor or funder (Hall, 2020)

Grant development and process: case of local NGO west Ethiopia
THE GRANT MANAGEMENT PROCESS FOR GRANT MAKERS SIDE
Grant Making
is the process where by a funder or donor request for grant application/Proposal through a
competitive or non-competitive manner, review such application or proposal, select the entire
or some of the application/proposal for funding and subsequently process and issue out grant
award for each of the application/proposal selected.
Grant making process in brief
1. Solicitation of Grant application/Proposal
2. Review application/proposal and initial selection of application
3. Pre-award assessment
4. Final selection of application/proposals
5. Process Grant document
6. Issue out the grant Award.(Grant 2020)

THE GRANT MANAGEMENT PROCESS FOR GRANT MAKERS SIDE
Now that we’ve covered some of the foundational “what” questions, let’s dig into the “how”
Effective grant management is important throughout the entire lifecycle of a grant, which can
be broken into three stages: pre-award, award, and post-award.
We’ll cover each of the three stages, and the must-do activities in each of them—regardless
of organization or grant type.

I. Pre-award stage
The pre-award stage involves everything that happens before the grant recipient is chosen,
including the planning, application, and review processes. (It’s also our favorite stage
because it’s where we get to help grant makers the most.)
Key pre-award stage to-dos:
1. Develop your guidelines and implementation plans.
2. Collect applicaties.
3. Conductie a review proces.
1.Develop your guidelines and implementation plan
Like any foundational step, this one is critical to setting your overall program up for success.
The better you can define who will receive grants and how, the clearer and easier things
will be for everyone involved. It helps make sure your grant money is put to
use more quickly and effectively.

1.Develop your guidelines and implementation plans…….
Before anything is announced, gather your key stakeholders and discuss:
1) What is the funding source for the grant and type of grant offered (e.g. matching
funds, direct grants, etc.)?
2) What is the end goal? What are you helping the grantee achieve?
3) Who will be able to apply, and what criteria and process will you use to select the
recipient?
4) What are the key deadlines involved in your process?
5) What will you require of the grant recipient, and how will the organization report to
you?

2. Collect applications
First, if you haven’t already, please release yourself from the logistical nightmare of paper
applications and applications submitted over email.
Creating an online grant application makes things easier on applicants, expands your
reach, and–when connected to a powerful grant management platform like Submittable–
saves time for your staff when collecting applications, review applications, and subsequent
reporting.
There are five key steps to creating an effective grant application form
Your application should collect all vital information, but nothing more; you don’t want to
overwhelm applicants with unnecessary work. If you do this correctly, you’ll set your
reviewers up for success and make later reporting requirements easier.
We think the following features are key to building an online application experience that
creates a an efficient, effective process

2.Collect applications….
1. Flexible form builder. Look for a simple, drag-and-drop form builder where your staff–no
matter their technical background–can easily build and edit your application.
2. Eligibility quizzes. Eligibility quizzes pre-screen applicants and save you (and applicants) from
wasting time on applications that aren’t a good fit.
3. Advanced form logic creates different paths based on applicant answers, to keep forms relevant
and concise. With Submittable, you can build eligibility questions into your application form to
save time using form logic or eligibility screening.
4. File uploads. Being able to accept different file types on your form means applicants can be
more creative with their applications, including photos, video, tables and more.
5. Branded application portals. With Submittable, you can create branded, customized portals to
give your grant application platform the same look and feel as the rest of your materials. You’ll
make a polished, professional impression lets grant applicants know they’re in the right place.
Once you’ve set up your application, it’s time to announce your new grant program. You’ll need to
figure how you’re going to promote your grant and get qualified people to apply. Consider
marketing partnerships and reaching out to people and organizations directly

3. Conduct a review process
Reviewing grant proposal can be the most exciting part of the pre-award process.
But it can also be the most daunting and time-consuming, depending on the size of your review
team.
By following these steps, you can run a smooth review process that surfaces the best-fit
applicants to receive your funds.
Build a detailed review rubric to evaluate grants. A comprehensive rubric helps reviewers stay
consistent, minimizes personal bias, and provides a useful resource to answer questions.
Having review rubrics and criteria side-to-side with applications in the Submittable platform
keeps reviewers more focused and consistent as they review grant proposals.

3. Conduct a review process….
Make good assignments. Recruit a qualified review team and have multiple readers or teams on
each application to ensure all receive fair consideration. Breaking review into multiple rounds
with deadlines and checkpoints along the way can reduce reviewer fatigue while keeping the
process moving forward. Easily set up a multi-stage process in Submittable. Each stage can be
auto-assigned to the right team members and incorporate the style of review required at that point
in your process.
Use a numerical strategy to find a winner. Score applications with a ranking system or a point
system defined by your rubric. If an awardee isn’t immediately evident, it might be helpful to
hold a meeting where reviewers discuss top contenders and their merits

II. Award stage
The award stage is generally the shortest of the three phases. It’s where the grant maker awards the
grant, works with the awardee on a final agreement, and awards funds.
Key award stage to-dos:
1. Notify successful and unsuccessful applicants.
2. Finalize Legal agreements.
3. Award funds.
During the award stage, the grantor notifies all applicants of their decision. Ideally, your grant
management system lets you decline applications with bulk actions and customizable email templates to
save you time.
The funder then drafts an agreement that spells out the terms of the grant. The recipient and grantor both
sign the agreement, and the funds are disbursed to the recipient.
This might seem fairly straightforward for grants with a single recipient, but managing awards for a larger
grant program can become overwhelming without a strong grant management system in place.
Look for a system with built-in funds tracking to stay on top of your budget and make sure you’re not
overextending your organization

III. Post-award stage
After the grant agreement has been signed and the funds have been disbursed, the post-award
stage begins.
During this stage, the grantor and recipient work to ensure any expectations or requirements
outlined in the agreement are being met. This stage includes the implementation, monitoring,
and closeout of the grant program.
Key post-award to-dos:
1. Provide support and oversight.
2. Report on results
3. Close out the grant.
Consider, how will your grant recipients report on their progress?
As the grantor, you may require the recipient to send you periodic reports about how the funds
are being used and what is being accomplished. You can also set up an auditing program with
on-site visits and in-person interviews or presentations.

III. Post-award stage …….
The post-award period is also a crucial time to reflect and report on your own internal process.
 What worked well? What didn’t?
• Did your organization hit goals for efficiency, applicant numbers, diversity and more?
• What rules and regulations should you revisit or add?
Digging into the data and analyzing the outcomes is the first step in understanding past results
to inform future action.
Upon completing all the closeout requirements, including a review of the final financial reports
and results from the awardee, the grant lifecycle comes to an end.
==============THE END FROM GRANT MAKRER SIDE============

THE GRANT MANAGEMENT PROCESS FOR GRANT RECIPIENT SIDE
Grant Management
It includes all the administrative responsibilities to be completed during timeframe of the grant. It
ensure keeping all the promise made in the project proposal meaning staying in compliance with
the term of the grant, following through on all the deliverables and submitting reports according
to the funder’s requirement. Such administration might be progress report , financial reports but
when time frame.(Muchami 2022)
Grant management includes strategic planning , efficient grant design , program development
and effective tracking and having sufficient resource to smoothly manage the process.

PRE-REQUISITE FOR READINESS FOR GRANT
I. Are my organization ‘s mission, purpose and goal well established and articulated? Do we
have a strategic plan or operational plan in place?
II. Does my organization have financial procedure in place? Do we have the ability to
affectively track and monitor how we spend grant fund?
III. Do we have needed staff in place to ensure that we promise? After all grant proposal is a
contract. If not , do we have the ability to get the right staff in place quickly and efficiently
if we are awarded a grant?
IV. Are we prepared to do what it takes to meet the requirement that come with receiving grant
funding? These requirement might include some or all of the following:
Quarterly, semi annual and annual progress report
Ongoing program evaluation
Participating in special training and attending conference and meeting

WHAT ARE TYPES OF GRANT FUND
1) Capital: is grant for a building, equipment, renovation or construction
2) General operating: An unrestricted grant for the every operation of the applicant organization
3) Technical assistance: the grant made to strengthen the nonprofit organization staff development,
infrastructure or other functions that need improvement.
4) Endowment: is grant that is to be invested in perpetuity so that nonprofit can draw earning from fund to
support its defined purpose.
5) Challenge: is a grant made to stimulate giving from other source , the donor release funds only aster the grant
has met the challenge.(Usually s specific amount of money to be raised) outlined in the grant agreement.
6) Matching: fund that correspond to those donors .Example: Fund will be fro one of other donor within specified
time frame like 70/30% ratio.
7) Demonstration: A grant made to develop an innovative project or program that if successful, will serve as a
model for others replication
8) Start up(Seed fund): is a grant to cover cost of starting a new project or organization.
9) Exploratory /planning: a grant that enable an organization to flesh out a good idea , develop a stronger
project and project implementation plan o test the theory or plan of action.(Is more research related funding
10) In kind Grant: a type of grant that do not involve direct cash transfer

GRANT SEEKING
To get a grant we either use application and proposal.
There are basically two types of grant seeking
1.Proactive(Unsolicited) grant seeking
• It deals with application
• It is used to describe the process of identifying appropriate matches between programs of
funders and nonprofit organization applying for grant
• It require that grant seeker understand philanthropy as practiced by charitable giving
foundations is able to research specific foundations giving patterns and can connect the
mission and goals of non profit organization and those of prospective funders.
2.Reactive(Solicited) grant seeking
• It deals with grant proposal most of the time
• It is used to describe the process of responding the request for proposal

A PROACTIVE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS IN BRIEF
Step 1:Identifay the need for funding at the nonprofit organization
Start by asking these question
a) What is the mission and what are the goals of the nonprofit?
b) What program is it launching o sustaining?
c) What are the important outcome of those project?
d) Who are the project beneficiaries and what are this outstanding needs?
e) When you understand the organization’s potential users for grant you can use that information to
grantors that share in the organization’s mission and goal.
Step 2: Grantor’s search
 Search for all grantors that do funding the nonprofit organization
 Begin locally by first learning about local foundations and other grant resource
 Later, expand our search to international or national funders but only if yours is a project that some
special importance to that particular funders.
(NB: Remember some grantors do not accept unsolicited proposals)

Step 3:Reading grant making guidelines
Guidelines can be simple and complex
Step 4:Contacting a program/Grant officer
• Once you have a short listed of potential funders begins containing program officers to
discuss your project.
• Before you contact a program officers in any grant organization , be sure you have as much
homework as possible
Step 5:Prepropsal interview/Discussion
• If all possible, try to schedule a meeting a meeting or phone call with a grant officers before
submitting a proposal
• This is specially important when you are planning to submit to a local funders.
• If you succeed it will be a plus

A REACTIVE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS IN BRIEF
The planning process for reactive grant writing includes
1. Reviewing the RFP
2. Determining the fit between the nonprofit organization and its programs and those outlined in
the request for proposal
3. Planning a comprehensive response that made both funder’s requirement and the nonprofit’s
mission and goals.

THE PROPOSAL WRITING PROCESS INCLUDE
1. Gather information on the organization and its target population and or the problem it is addressing
2. Study it so that it’s familiar to you. Find out what development specific terms means so that you can
explain the to other, if needed.
3. Outline the grant proposal. Use every header in the instruction as you own and keep the heading in
the specific order or if informant so.
4. Develop a schedule for writing, review, completing forms and securing signature.
5. Request letter of support from collaborators or draft an interagency agreement for review by all
partners.
6. Write as complete a first draft as possible
7. Meet with design team or client to review the draft
8. Write a second draft
9. Recruit an outside reader, someone who is unfamiliar with the agency or project and who can let you
know that they understand about the project and when they have questions. It gives objective
assessment of proposal.

10. Complete the final edit based on input fro readers and design team. Ensure for through
review and approval by all collaborators.
11. Complete all forms and schedule times for securing the signature of required
parties(Usually the executive directors and a board chair of the nonprofit)
12.Put the grant proposal packet together and make copies. Generally you will send the
original and a requisite number of copies (this always varies) to the funders and reserve one
for each of the involved agencies and one for your own files.
13.Ship, upload and deliver the grant in whatever way needed to ensure that it arrives before
the deadline.
NB: Major component of grant proposal
Cover letter, Executive summary, Need assessment, Goal and objective,
method/Methodology, Monitoring and evaluation, sustainability plan, organizational back
ground, and other planning tools, problem trees, budget and necessary annexes
(Sample attached at the end)

Grant Management lifecycle
Effective grant management is important trough out the entire life cycle of grant which
can be broken in to 5 stages
1. Pre-award phase
2. Award phase
3. Post-award phase
4. Close out phase
5. Audit

1. PRE-AWARD PHASE: It include identification of the kind of funding sources to support your
projects. These are baseline survey, planning, analysis , concept paper etc
2. AWARD PHASE: Notification and announcement of grant you receive. More elaborated as:
2.1.Negotiation awards with funding sources
Once a project has been selected for funding, project personnel typically by phone or email
the contact person to discuses clarification additional information needed and budget
reduction/revision.
2.2 .Obtaining Board and administrative approvals.
Once the award letter is received the award must be accepted by receiving organization
before you can start expending the fund implanting project activities.
Individuals are not allowed to accept award on behalf of the organization

2.3.Setting up the grant account
Once your grant is officially accepted through approval the account is set up in the granter
funder system using the budget that was submitted
A grant notification email which include grant details such as the start and end date, the
amount of the award and other pertinent information is sent
The organization project/grant officer or accountant will be handling the fiscal activity
reporting and audit aspects of the project.
 They will also answer fiscal question about your budget
2.4. Project management and evaluation
 Accompanying the grant goals and project objective is obviously of paramount important
 Most grant proposals contain a project management plan which can be very helpful in
identifying the key tasks that need to be accomplished each year of the grant

 If your proposal does not contain project management plan, you are strongly encouraged to develop
one to guide the accomplishment of objectives, development of deliverables , attainment of
objectives and required reports.
 Close attention must also be paid to the date and other information that will to be captured for
programmatic or evaluation reasons.
 All records and documents must be retained number of years after final report submitted.
 Formative evaluation is the type of evaluation that is conducted through out implantation of project
activities
 Summative evaluation is completed at the end of the grant period and is particularly concerned with
project outcomes. Evaluation reporting dates are usually specified.
2.5 Managing the project budget
 One of the hallmark of excellent grant management is to pay close attention to the financial aspect of
their project as well as the programmatic aspects
 Both require carful monitoring if the total project is to be successful.
 Meeting the project objective and budget population needs is only half way the job. The organization
will be held responsible for managing both the program and the budget.

3.POST AWARD PHASE: implementation and tracking of the grant.
4. CLOSE-OUT-IT includes administrative and contract closer of the grant. There are final
program and financial reports.
5.AUDIT: Financial audit at the completion of the grant
==============THE END FROM GRANT RECIPENT SIDE============

Pitfalls and issues in grant management process
This ides are collected from grant audit and learning report of project evaluation grants.
1. Slow project startup due to vacancies: Slow initial hiring and filling of vacant position
can cause project to get so far behind that objective can not be accomplished in time
for performance reporting.
2. Co-mingling of funds: Grant fund must be kept in separate account. Co-mingling is
when all your budget funds including grant fund are put into the same budget account.
3. Control of spending: an approval grant proposal clearly and specifically identifies how
project funds are to be spent. Changing how the fund are spent without funder approval
can result in expense being disallowed .Lack of proper work plan is key.
4. Supplanting: Using grant fund to replace fund in the operational budget is supplanting
and it’s illegal.
5. Unauthorized travel: Reimbursement for travel out of the country or office depends on
procuring appropriate permission in advance of travel.

6. Purchasing mistakes: purchasing process involves a series of tasks such as securing purchase
authorization, obtaining required bid, etc. Double checking policies before making purchase is the
best way to ensure you follow the proper procedure.
7.Control of spending: An approved grant proposal clearly and specifically identifies how project funds
re to be spent. Changing how the funds are spent without funder approval can result in expense
being disallowed.
8. Equipment order: only purchase equipment that was approved in the grant or by the funding agency.
Example: USG grant allow us only US based manufacturer.
9. Effort reporting: Grant project must report as per procedure and regulation of the grant.
10.M & E data collection: Adequate M & E data collection is must for any successful grant project.
This helps identify what is and what is not working in order to make continuous improvement.
11.Information consent and assent: You must get the permission consent and assent for participants, in
advance , to collect personally identifiable information about the beneficiaries especially about
children or other vulnerable population

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
 It specifies contractual relationship paly a central and fundamental in the Grant
management process
 Good management of the operational phase of the Grant contract is therefore key to
successful grant delivery.
Activities in this stage are grouped in to 3 areas
1. Service delivery management: Ensuring that service are being delivered as agreed.
2. Relationship management: It keeps the relationship between the two parties open and
constructive.
3. Contract Administration and change management: It handles formal governance of the
contract and changes to the contract document.

A contract is mutually and legally binding agreement that obligates the grant and
grantor to enter into a great service delivery relationship.
There are 3 types of contract
1) Fixed price or Lump sum :It involves a fixed total price for a well-defined product
or service.
2) Cost –reimbursable contract: It involves payment to the grantee for direct and
indirect cost.
3) Unit price contract: It require the grantor to pay the grantee a predetermined
amount per unit of service delivery.

Reference
 Stephen Muchami a training material for grant seekers 2020
 Birmingham City Council, 2021; Summary of Grant Funding Guidance & Toolkit for Third
Sector Organisaties
 Farlex, Fafchamps, M. & Owens, T. (2021). The Determinants of Funding to African NGOs,
Department of Economics, University of Oxford, UK
 Project Streamline, Grants Managers Network. “Due Diligence.” Guide to Streamlining
Series. Washington DC: Grants Managers Network, 2021.
http://www.issuelab.org/resource/guide_to_streamlining_series_due_diligence
 USAID & JSI (2019) Grants Management Manual, Civil Society Organization, Uganda
Program for Human and Holistic Development, p.2.

Grant proposal written to German donor sample

Grant development and process.pdf

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