How to address the 4 most common criteria for grant applications

The 4 most common criteria you need to meet as part of your grant applications are:

1. Demonstrated need for the project
2. Detailed project description
3. Organisational capability
4. Corporate Governance

They may seem like simple criteria, but there’s an art to demonstrate how you best meet these criteria. Remember, you are in a competitive environment when applying for a grant. You need to be able to demonstrate why your project and organisation is the BEST suited to receive the grant funds you are applying for.

Demonstrated need for the project

• To meet this criteria you need to provide the following information at a minimum:
• Who the key beneficiaries will be
• Qualitative evidence to prove that a need exists
• Quantitative research to support the need
• Evidence of community consultation and input
• Proof that the program is unique
• Supporting documentation from affected communities and organisation

Detailed project description

To meet this criteria, here are some of the key things you need to include. Again this is at a minimum. Successful grant applicants will often exceed the listed criteria.

• Clearly and precisely outline the details of the project.
• Include the inputs,for example the time required, the resources required.
• How you will project manage it
• How you will measure and evaluate the outcomes
• How the project will be marketed
• A detailed budget
• Evidence to back up the budget (quotes, invoices etc)
• A Program Logic

Organisational capability

In this section you need to be able to:

• Demonstrate that you have the people, resources and infrastructure to deliver the project
• Provide biographies of the team delivering the project
• Outline the team’s roles and responsibilities and why they are suited to the roles.
• Demonstrate past successes – outcomes
• Provide details about how you will track the finances
• Show how you will track the KPIS
• Provide testimonials – from past beneficiaries, participants, collaborators

Corporate Governance

Tight governance around finances, people, policies and consultation is important for a successful grant application. Here are just some of the things that funders will want to know about:

• Your Board
• Risk analyses
• Business strategies
• Governance documents
• Your Constitution
• How decisions are being made by senior management
• Processes and procedures
• Delegation of authority for finances
• Dispute resolution
• Stakeholder relationship
• Community consultation
• Diversity & Equity policies
• Relevant agencies you to report into and how you comply with them.

If you are really ready to start applying for a grants to support your project/s you need to have most of this information at hand.

If you don’t have access to this information and the relevant documentation to include in, and support your grant application, funders will most likely tag your application as ‘not grant ready’.