Receiving

1. Pre-Grant Activities
   Pre-grant activities are a set of procedures developed by a foundation to ensure prompt action on all requests, respectful interaction with grantseekers and the provision of accurate, essential information to foundation decision-makers.
   • Acknowledge and Track
     • Sample Acknowledgement Letter
     • Flow chart
   • Review Process
     • Sample Proposal Review Worksheet
     • Sample Tracking and Assessment Form
     • Proposal Application Checklist
     • Saying Yes/Saying No to Applicants
     • Sample Decline Letter
   • Docket Process
     • Sample Docket Format Form
     • Sample Docket Write-up Goals and Strategies Form
     • Completed Sample Docket Format Form
   • Grants Management Files
     • Sample Grant File Set-Up
     • Sample Grant File Index
   
   
2. Grant Approvals and Notification
   After all pre-grant activities are completed and the proposal is presented to the foundation board or other decision-making body, a final funding decision will is made.
   
   • Sample Agreement Letter
   • Sample Grant Contract

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Managing

1. Conducting Site Visits
   Most foundations use site visits as a part of their grant application process, for grant monitoring or for final evaluation. Site visits are beneficial because they allow the foundation to meet the people behind the project -- staff, board members and those who the organization serves. Site visits also give grantmakers and volunteers the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the field and learn about the community they serve.
   • Sample Site Visit Worksheet
   • Ten Interviewing Styles to Avoid at All Costs
   • Successful Interviews with Grantees
   
   
2. Grant Evaluation
   A foundation's legal responsibilities to monitor, assess and evaluate its grants are minimal. The IRS requests little in the way of detailed reporting on the outcomes of grants -- except for those grants which are to organizations that are not public charities and exempt from tax under 501(c)(3) status. Some foundations however, ask their grantees for interim and/or final reports that give a financial and narrative record of how funds were used.
   • Seven Reasons to Evaluate
   • Sample Grantee Progress Form
   • Sample Expenditure Report
   • Sample Completion Report
   
   
3. Closing the Grant
   Closing grants is not always identified as a formal procedure at foundations. Its purpose is to assess program outcomes, determine lessons learned and to satisfy the financial record-keeping requirements. Grants are usually closed after all grant payments have been made and all reporting requirements have been fulfilled. The tickler system used by foundations to track grantee reporting schedules can also be used to monitoring the closing of grant files.
   • Sample Close-out Form
   • Sample Close-out Letter
   • Sample Closing Documents Checklist