Free resource · Checklist

Funder Fit Go / No-Go Checklist

Twenty checks to run before you spend a dollar or an hour on any grant application. A wrong-fit pursuit costs a $4,500–$15,000 package or sixty staff hours — this list is how you avoid paying that tuition.

Free resource from the AfricaBridge method — print it, use it, share it. It reflects how we actually run this work; the judgment calls behind each check are what our engagements add.

A · Hard eligibility (any failure = stop)

Your legal structure (501(c)(3), fiscal sponsor, government, for-profit) is explicitly eligible in the guidelines — not assumed
Your geography is inside the funder’s stated service area — check the map, not the mission statement
Your budget size clears any minimum/maximum organizational-budget rules
Required registrations exist and are ACTIVE today (SAM.gov/UEI for federal; state charity registration where required)
You have the audited financials or Form 990s the funder requires, for the years they require

B · Stated vs. revealed behavior

You read the last 2–3 years of ACTUAL awards (990-PF, annual reports, press releases) — not just the published mandate
Organizations like yours — size, geography, maturity — actually appear on the grantee list
Typical award size fits your ask (asking $250K from a funder whose median grant is $25K is a form letter rejection)
The program you’d propose matches what they FUNDED, not just what they SAY they fund
First-time grantees appear in recent cycles — some funders only refund known organizations

C · The path in

You know whether the funder accepts unsolicited proposals — many major foundations are invitation-only and say so quietly
If invitation-only: you have a realistic introduction path (board connection, funded intermediary, program officer contact) — not hope
The current cycle is actually OPEN, with a submission window you can hit with quality work (deadline minus today ≥ 4 weeks for a full proposal)
You know the decision timeline and it works for your program’s start date

D · Capacity & strategy

You can deliver the reporting the funder requires (interim reports, site visits, outcome data) with current staff
Match or cost-share requirements, if any, are documentable — not aspirational
This funder fits your funding STRATEGY — not just this quarter’s cash need
Someone senior has asked: if we won this, could we actually run it?
You are prepared to hear “don’t apply” — the cheapest possible outcome of this checklist
Two or more checks failed above → the answer is no-go or fix-first, and that is a SUCCESS of the process, not a failure

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