Blog

Practical guides to finding funders, reading 990s, and winning grants — for small nonprofits and the people who write their grants.

evaluating and monitoring

Evaluating and Monitoring Grants That Actually Works

The reporting deadline is tomorrow. Your team has attendance figures, activity logs, invoices, and a narrative that says the work is progressing. Yet the most important question remains unanswered: what do these numbers mean for the grant, and what should someone do next? That situation is common in nonprofit work. Teams collect more information than they can interpret, funders receive tables without context, and program staff lose time maintaining measures that never influence a decision.

Sep 16, 2026 · 12 min read

sample letter of support for grant

Sample Letter of Support for Grant: Free Templates

A strong grant support letter can influence the funding decision far more than its page count suggests. A widely cited 2026 analysis of more than 10,000 grant submissions found that applications with strong community-partner letters had a 35% higher approval rate than applications without those endorsements (analysis of grant support letters). The advantage doesn't come from enthusiasm alone. A persuasive letter establishes a credible relationship, validates the applicant's need and capacity

Sep 15, 2026 · 14 min read

letter of inquiry for grant

Letter of Inquiry for Grant Funding That Wins

You're staring at a blank letter of inquiry template, trying to decide whether to begin with your organization's history, the community's need, or the amount you want to request. Before you draft a sentence, make a more consequential decision: is this funder's process and portfolio a credible fit for your project? A letter of inquiry for grant funding is usually the first contact with a foundation. It's commonly limited to one to three pages, and Candid's guidance says it should still iden

Sep 14, 2026 · 12 min read