Guide to Streamlining

The Guide to Streamlining series is a set of tools and resources to help grantmakers apply Project Streamline’s four principles:
  1. Taking a fresh look at information requirements with a special focus on what due diligence grantmakers really need to do in order to make a grant.
  2. Rightsizing grant application and reporting requirements.
  3. Reducing the burden that grantseeking places on grantees with a special focus on improving financial reporting and implementing online systems.
  4. Improving communications and obtaining feedback from grantseekers to support and help direct your streamlining efforts.
 Online Guide

Available Now

Online Applications and Reporting (Relieving the Burden)
Identifies the essential and “gold standard” features and practices of online systems to help your grantmaking organization select and implement—or retrofit—a system that is user-friendly and designed to help grantseekers succeed.

Grant Budgets and Financial Reporting (Relieving the Burden)
Many nonprofits find that specialized budget and financial reporting requirements are some of the most time-consuming and burdensome aspects of grantseeking. This guide can help your organization streamline its grant budget and financial reporting requirements in ways that benefit your organization and your grantees.

Released by March 15

Online Grant Applications: A Review of Vendors
A comparison of the features offered by some of the most widely-used grants management products.

Making Streamlining Stick
A guide to starting and developing buy-in for a streamlining process at your organization.

Released by April 15

Right-Sizing Guide
When grantmaking is right-sized, the information and due diligence requirements are proportionate to the size of the grant, appropriate to the type of grant, and take into consideration prior relationships with grantees. This guide will help your organization think through the opportunities to right-size your own process.

Take a Fresh Look at Information Requirements: Due Diligence Guide
This guide will help grantmakers think through what information is really needed to make a grant, and clear up some of the confusion surrounding what materials are truly “required.”

Released by May 15

Communications Guide
This guide will share ideas and suggestions for improving grantmaker/grantseeker communications to make sure your organization gets the best possible results with the proposals it receives and the grants it makes.