Grant Readiness Checklist

1. Foundation and readiness:

Assess whether your organization has the core elements in place to pursue grant funding effectively.

• Priority projects are clearly identified and documented

• Projects have defined scopes and clear outcomes

• Plans, studies, and supporting documentation are up to date

• Understand current funding restrictions and evolving federal priorities

• Roles and responsibilities for staff and leadership are clearly defined

• Understand time commitment required to pursue grants

  • Research
  • Review
  • Gathering supplemental material
  • Internal/external coordination
  • Engaging Partners
  • Construction of application
  • Submission & follow up
  • Approval & implementation

2. Internal Processes and Capacity:

Evaluate how prepared your team is to consistently pursue and manage grants.

• Have internal processes established for tracking and pursuing grants

• Staff capacity for grant application and management is identified

• Have access to grant writing support (internal or consultant)

  • Utilize outside partners
  • Understand procurement parameters

• Have workflows in place for approvals, submissions, and reporting

• Leadership and elected officials are aligned on funding priorities

3. Project Planning and Prioritization:

Strong prioritization improves competitiveness and resource efficiency.

• Projects are prioritized based on community needs and impact

• Cross-department coordination occurs during planning

• Opportunities to bundle projects or align funding sources are explored

• Discuss where projects or funding sources may overlap

• Community challenges and needs are clearly defined

4. Funding awareness and Strategy:

Understanding where and how to pursue funding is critical in uncertain environments.

• Regularly monitor available funding opportunities

• Understand key categories

  • Economic Development
  • Environmental & Sustainability
  • Emergency Management
  • Infrastructure
  • Transportation
  • Parks + Communities Facilities

• Know when funding cycles occur and how to prepare in advance

• Identify potential partners or collaborators

5. Risk and compliance awareness:

Grant success requires understanding requirements and managing risks.

• Understand match requirements

• Be mindful of deadlines to submit documentation and complete the project

• Be aware of procurement and compliance expectations

• Have processes in place to track funding use and reporting

• Understand restrictions for specific funding sources

6. Emergency Management and Resilience

Preparedness planning is increasingly tied to funding opportunities.

• Emergency management and hazard mitigation planning is in place

• Resilience and safety priorities are incorporated into projects

• Understand how preparedness impacts funding eligibility

7. Continuous improvement

Learning from past efforts strengthens future success.

• Evaluate outcomes of previous grant applications (successful or not)

• Document lessons learned and adjust processes

• Create knowledge base of prior submissions

• Align projects to known funding cycles

• Incorporate key feasibility questions into early grant evaluation (timeline, funding structure, match requirements)