Score your prospects for genuine fit and give yourself permission to decline the misfits, because a grant that does not fit your mission is a trap even when you win it.
The fourth step of getting grant-ready, after prospect research. Score each prospect high, medium, or low.
| Prospect | Mission fit | Program fit | Real odds (our size and record) | Manageable if we won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The decision: keep prospects that are at least medium on mission fit and program fit. Drop any that are low on mission fit even if the money is large, and record why. A grant that pulls you off mission costs more than it pays.
The gate: if most available grants would pull your programs off mission, that is a mission problem, not a grants problem. Route the mission-fit question to mission clarity and strategic direction and its discipline to say no.
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