Insights
Grant work, explained with the rules open.
Short articles on the questions nonprofits and public agencies bring to us most often, across federal, state, local, foundation, and corporate funding. Where a statute or regulation governs the answer, we cite it so you can check our reading against the text.
How to Hire a Grant Writer: Questions, Red Flags, and the Contract
Where to find a grant writer, the questions to ask, red flags such as guarantees and percentage fees, and what the contract should say.
October 30, 2026
Foundation Indirect Cost Policies: What Major Funders Pay
What ten major foundations pay for indirect costs, whether each rate is a cap or a minimum, and the base it applies to.
October 30, 2026
Can Grant Funds Pay for a Grant Writer or Grant Manager?
Whether a grant can pay for grant writing or grant management depends on the funder. The federal default, the programs that allow grant writer fees, and state, local, and foundation rules.
October 26, 2026
Federal Grant Compliance: What to Do From Award to Closeout
What 2 CFR 200 requires at each stage of a federal award, from the notice of award to closeout, with the rule behind each step and a guide to it.
October 26, 2026
AI in Grant Writing: What Works, What Reviewers Notice, and What Funders Allow
Where AI helps in grant writing and where it hurts, what reviewers notice, and what NIH, NSF, and foundations currently allow. Ends with a safe AI workflow checklist.
October 25, 2026
SAM.gov Registration Step by Step (and How Long It Takes)
SAM.gov registration is free and takes at least ten business days after you submit. Every step from Login.gov to Grants.gov roles, the documents to gather, typical holdups, and how to avoid paid registration scams.
October 25, 2026
Grant Proposal Template and Sample (Section by Section)
A free Word grant proposal template with the standard outline, what reviewers look for in each section, and fictional sample paragraphs. Plus how a proposal differs from an application and a letter of inquiry.
October 25, 2026
Grant Budget Template and Budget Narrative Example
A free Excel grant budget template using the SF-424A categories, with working formulas for fringe, the indirect cost base, and totals. Plus a fictional $150,000 example and a budget narrative for each category.
October 25, 2026
Uniform Guidance Changes: Every New Threshold in One Table
The 2024 Uniform Guidance raised the Single Audit threshold to $1,000,000, the equipment threshold to $10,000, and the de minimis rate to 15 percent. Every changed threshold, with its old and new figure and the 2 CFR section.
October 25, 2026
How to Find Grants for a Nonprofit (Free Methods That Work)
The best free way to find grants is to look up who already funds work like yours. Foundation tax filings, Grants.gov alerts, state portals, and community foundations cover most of what a paid database would.
October 25, 2026
Foundation Grant Proposals: From Letter of Inquiry to Renewal
How to research a foundation, write a letter of inquiry and a full proposal in the funder’s terms, and send a final report that sets up the renewal.
September 22, 2026
State Grants and Contracts: Reimbursement, Invoicing, and Cash Flow
Most state funding pays you back after you spend. How to plan cash flow, invoice to the approved budget, work around the state fiscal year, and get amendments done in time.
September 22, 2026
How to Respond to a County or City RFP (and Avoid Disqualification)
Counties and cities usually fund services through procurement, not grants. What gets an RFP response disqualified, how blackout periods work, and what review panels score.
September 22, 2026
Corporate Sponsorship vs Donation: What the Tax Rules Allow
The ways companies give, the 2026 change to corporate deductions, and where thanking a sponsor ends and taxable advertising begins under the IRS sponsorship rules.
September 22, 2026
Grant Readiness Checklist: What to Have in Place Before You Apply
What to have in place before your first grant application: legal and tax status, SAM.gov and other registrations, financial records and policies, and a library of standard documents.
September 22, 2026
Indirect Cost Rate vs De Minimis Rate: Which Should You Use?
Most federal grantees without a negotiated rate can charge up to 15 percent of modified total direct costs. When that’s the right choice, and why the base matters as much as the rate.
September 9, 2026
Single Audit Threshold 2026: Who Needs One and How to Prepare
You need a Single Audit if you spend $1,000,000 or more in federal awards in a year. What counts, when the report is due, what auditors test, and how to prepare all year.
September 9, 2026
Subrecipient vs Contractor: How to Decide Under the Uniform Guidance
How to tell whether a partner is a subrecipient or a contractor under 2 CFR 200.331, what you owe a subrecipient, and how to document the decision.
September 9, 2026
Time and Effort Reporting for Federal Grants: What 2 CFR 200.430 Requires
What 2 CFR 200.430(g) requires to support salaries charged to federal awards, when timesheets are and aren’t needed, and a simple system that holds up in an audit.
September 9, 2026
How Much Does a Grant Writer Cost? (Hourly, Per Grant, Retainer)
Grant writer rates in 2026 by hourly, per-grant, and retainer pricing, why percentage-of-award fees are a bad idea, and what the contract should say.
September 9, 2026
Grant vs Cooperative Agreement vs Contract: What’s the Difference?
Grants and cooperative agreements are federal assistance; contracts are purchases. How the law tells them apart, what “substantial involvement” means, and how to tell which one you hold.
September 9, 2026
How to Read a Notice of Funding Opportunity (the Way a Reviewer Will)
Where a federal NOFO puts the review criteria, how to split your page limit by points, and what to check before anyone starts writing.
September 9, 2026
Grant Budget Revisions and Prior Approval: What You Can Change Without Asking
Which federal budget changes need prior approval and which you can make on your own, how the 10 percent transfer limit works, and how to get a no-cost extension.
September 9, 2026
Federal Grant Closeout: The 120-Day Rule and What Comes After
You have 120 days after a federal award ends to file final reports and pay obligations. What to submit, what you can still charge, and what lasts after closeout.
September 9, 2026