This collection brings together practical tools, guides, and learning resources to help nonprofits strengthen their strategy, grant readiness, program design, fundraising, evaluation, grant management, governance, and organizational capacity. Resources are identified as free or paid whenever applicable.
This BoardSource guide helps nonprofit leaders and boards create a strategic planning process grounded in thoughtful decision-making, organizational priorities, and long-term impact.
Created and published by BoardSource. Grants Within Reach is not affiliated with BoardSource and does not receive compensation for this recommendation.
This guide from the Nonprofit Association of Washington walks nonprofit leaders through six phases of strategic planning and includes practical exercises, tools, and guidance for developing and implementing a plan.
Created and published by the Nonprofit Association of Washington.
Before pursuing grants, an organization needs more than a compelling mission. It also needs the governance, financial systems, program structure, policies, and operational capacity required to secure and responsibly manage funding.
My colleague and fellow grant professional Patrina Pelton-Smith of The Business of Charity has generously made this thorough four-page checklist freely available. It helps nonprofit leaders assess readiness in areas including governance and compliance, strategic planning, accounting and financial controls, administration, insurance, human resources, program design, fundraising, sustainability, and government funding preparation.
The checklist is especially useful for newer nonprofits, but established organizations can also use it to identify infrastructure gaps that may affect funding readiness.
Created and generously shared by Patrina Pelton-Smith and The Business of Charity.
A logic model does not need to be intimidating. At its core, it is a visual explanation of how a program is expected to work: what resources are available, what the program will do, what it will produce, and what changes should result.
This approachable article explains what a logic model is, how it differs from an action plan, why it is useful, and how “if–then” thinking can help an organization articulate the reasoning behind its program. It is a helpful starting point for anyone encountering logic models for the first time.
Written by Connie C. Schmitz of Professional Evaluation Services and Beverly A. Parsons of InSites. The paper was funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Created by Innovation Network, this do-it-yourself workbook guides nonprofit teams through each component of a logic model using straightforward questions, explanations, and examples. It covers the community need, program goal, resources, activities, outputs, outcomes, external factors, assumptions, and the connections among them. A printable logic-model template and outcomes-chain worksheet are included.
Created by Innovation Network and made available through BetterEvaluation.
Finding potential funders is not simply about locating open opportunities. Strong prospect research examines where a funder has actually given, which organizations it supports, typical award amounts, geographic priorities, and whether your work aligns with its demonstrated interests.
Candid provides nonprofit and foundation profiles, IRS filings, financial information, and grantmaking data that can help organizations identify and evaluate prospective funders. A free account provides access to basic information. Many public libraries, community foundations, universities, and nonprofit resource centers also provide complimentary on-site access to Candid’s more advanced research tools.
To make the most of the platform, begin with funders that have supported organizations similar to yours. Review their recent grants, typical award amounts, geographic reach, and giving priorities. Examine Form 990-PF filings for additional giving history and application information, then visit each funder’s website to confirm current priorities, eligibility requirements, and application procedures.
Free registration is available. Broader complimentary access varies by participating location, and paid subscriptions are also available.
IRS Form 990 contains valuable information for evaluating prospective funders, assessing funding potential, and understanding how an organization’s financial story may appear to grantmakers. In this in-depth webinar, my colleague Rachel Waterman of Global Development Solutions explains how to read a 990 and put the information inside it to work for prospecting and grant success.
The training is self-paced and eligible for 2.5 GPCI continuing education credits.
Created and presented by Rachel Waterman of Global Development Solutions. This is an independent recommendation based on my professional knowledge of Rachel and her expertise.
FoundationSearch by Metasoft Systems provides detailed information on foundations, corporate giving programs, previous grants, recipients, and funding patterns.
I have personally used FoundationSearch and appreciate its user-friendly interface and the ability to adjust multiple filters to progressively narrow a search. Its detailed search functionality makes it easier to move from a broad list of possibilities to a focused group of funders with meaningful alignment.
Paid subscription; contact FoundationSearch for current pricing and access options. This is an independent recommendation based on my professional experience with the platform.
A strong grant budget should accurately reflect what it will take to deliver the proposed work. Financial readiness goes further: an organization must understand its full costs, maintain reliable financial records, manage restricted funding, monitor cash flow, and clearly explain its financial position.
This introductory training from Candid explains the basic components of a project budget, including income and expenses, estimating realistic project costs, and identifying other financial documents a funder may request. It is a helpful starting point for nonprofit professionals who are new to grant budgeting or need a straightforward refresher.
Created by Candid and available free on Candid’s YouTube channel.
Nonprofit Finance Fund offers a 12-part webinar series with downloadable slides and companion workbooks. Organizations can complete the entire series as a financial-management curriculum or select the sessions most relevant to their needs.
Topics include financial planning, cash flow, strategic budgeting, revenue mix, financial risks and opportunities, full costs, restricted funding, balance sheets, board oversight, and communicating an organization’s financial story.
Created by Nonprofit Finance Fund, a nonprofit organization and federally certified Community Development Financial Institution.
NonprofitReady offers free, self-paced training on the grant proposal development process. Courses cover preparing for a grant application, writing effective and persuasive proposals, and avoiding common mistakes. This is a useful starting point for nonprofit staff members who are new to proposal writing or want a refresher on the fundamentals. A free account is required.
NonprofitReady is a signature program of the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation.
Published by The Grantsmanship Center, this guide helps nonprofit professionals develop strong programs and translate them into clear, persuasive funding proposals. Rather than treating grant writing as a formula, it emphasizes the connections among community need, outcomes, activities, evaluation, sustainability, and budget.
Created and published by The Grantsmanship Center.
How do you know whether a program is truly making a difference? This accessible overview from the National Council of Nonprofits explains the distinction between the work an organization performs and the results that follow. It also introduces practical ways to define success, collect useful information, communicate impact, and apply what you learn to improve program performance.
Created by the National Council of Nonprofits.
The Urban Institute’s Outcome Indicators Project provides sample outcomes, indicators, and data-collection strategies for 14 nonprofit program areas. Organizations can use the framework as a starting point for deciding what success should look like, how it will be measured, where the information will come from, and how often it should be collected.
Created and published by the Urban Institute.
Strong grant work does not end when an application is submitted—or even when an award is received. Effective grant management requires tracking opportunities, deadlines, submissions, award requirements, reporting obligations, funder communications, and results throughout the full grant lifecycle.
As a grant professional managing multiple client portfolios, I use GEMS to keep opportunities, applications, awards, reports, documents, and deadlines organized in one place. Its reminders help me avoid missing important deadlines, while its collaboration features allow me to work seamlessly and transparently with my clients.
GEMS offers a free plan that is a good starting point for individuals and smaller organizations, along with reasonably priced paid plans for consultants, teams, and larger nonprofits.
Use referral code GEMS-DEJA-7JXK when signing up.
Referral disclosure: I may receive a benefit when you sign up using my referral code. I recommend GEMS based on my own experience using the platform in my grant consulting work.
The Board Doctor’s Nonprofit 911 library includes practical templates that small nonprofits can adapt to strengthen board governance. Resources address board orientation, committee structure, succession planning, meeting effectiveness, board composition, policies, financial oversight, fundraising expectations, and more. The tools are created and curated by Cathy Allen, The Board Doctor, with a focus on concrete and manageable action steps.
The Board Doctor’s free Board Wellness Test helps nonprofit leaders consider whether their board is functioning effectively or may need focused attention. Participants receive their results by email, along with the option to schedule a complimentary conversation with Cathy Allen about possible next steps.
The Ford Foundation’s Organizational Mapping Tool helps nonprofits examine their strengths and identify priorities for organizational development. The assessment considers strategy, leadership, finances, staffing, organizational culture, systems, security, and external relationships. It is designed to support organization-wide discussion and help teams translate their findings into practical capacity-building priorities. A separate facilitator guide is also available.
The tool is open source and available in multiple languages. Because it is comprehensive, the Ford Foundation recommends completing the process with a neutral facilitator who is not an employee or board member.
Tell us about your organization and the goal you are working toward. Someone will reach out shortly to talk through how Grants Within Reach can support your mission.