Everything it takes to deliver a grant program.
We work on federal, state and local grants, including awards you receive directly and funds you pass through to others. Hand us the whole program, or the part your team can’t cover.
Program design and manuals
A program is only as good as the rules it runs on. We design grant programs and write the manuals that make them work. There are two kinds.
Program manuals: one program, start to finish.
Eligibility rules, application forms, scoring and review workflows
Outreach plans that reach underserved applicants, such as businesses in Qualified Census Tracts and Tribal-owned businesses
Competitive processes (NOFOs and RFPs) for funds you award to others
Budgets, allowable costs and payment schedules tied to deliverables
Reporting requirements, recordkeeping and closeout steps
Staff training before launch
Grants management manuals: every grant, across the organization.
A grants management manual sets the rules for how your organization handles all of its grants, whatever the funder or program. It gives every department the same process and gives auditors one place to look.
The full grant lifecycle, with your organization as recipient and as grantor
Federal administrative requirements: lobbying, debarment and suspension, and other cross-cutting rules
Award setup, budgets, budget adjustments and program income
Drawdowns, revenue and spending controls
Issuing subawards and fixed amount awards, and monitoring subrecipients
Property, equipment, records and closeout
We've written a grants management manual used across a large county, and program manuals for county, chamber and community programs.
Grant program administration
We operate grant-funded programs for you, or alongside your staff.
Application intake and eligibility screening
Communication with applicants, beneficiaries and contractors
Payment processing and disbursement batches
Outreach events and program materials that reach eligible applicants
Records kept to audit standard
Typical programs: rebates and incentives, direct assistance, rent assistance, small-business and recovery grants.
Subrecipient management and monitoring
When you pass money to other organizations, you stay accountable for how they spend it. We set up and run the oversight.
Subrecipient-versus-contractor determinations
Pre-award risk assessments
Subaward agreements with clear scopes, budgets and performance measures
Desk reviews, site visits and cost reviews
Single Audit and Form 990 reviews
Findings, corrective action plans and follow-up
Closeout
Financial systems, internal controls and audit readiness
Controls sized to your organization. A small city needs different controls than a large county.
Assessment of your financial management system against 2 CFR 200, using our Organizational Financial and System Assessment Tool
Written policies: procurement, conflict of interest, allowable costs, timekeeping, cost allocation, travel
Fiscal policies and procedures manuals, ready for board adoption
Cost allocation methods
Single Audit preparation and responses to findings
Reporting, reimbursement and closeout
The recurring work that keeps money flowing and funders satisfied.
Budget-to-actual tracking and dashboards your managers will actually use
Reimbursement and draw requests, and invoices on the funder's required template
Quarterly financial and performance reports
Budget modifications and funder communication
Closeout packages
Federal award management training
Practical training for finance and program staff, delivered live on Zoom, as recorded webinars, or in person for your team. Sessions use your own award terms and forms where possible.
Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) basics, and what the 2024 revisions changed
Preparing your organization to receive a federal award
Post-award management: budgets, allowable costs, indirect cost rates and reporting
Issuing and monitoring subawards, including fixed amount awards and subrecipient-versus-contractor decisions
Financial management and internal controls
Getting ready for a Single Audit
Custom software for grant programs
Off-the-shelf grant software rarely fits a program's own rules. We build tools around yours.
Online application and intake portals
Eligibility checklists and scoring tools
Payment and award tracking
Dashboards that show budget, spending and progress at a glance
Secure shared drives for participant data
Many programs need partners to collect sensitive information about the people they serve, and need the funder or lead agency to see it. We set up and manage a secure shared drive for that.
Partners upload participant records to one controlled location
Access limited to named people, with permissions set by role
Your staff get access for oversight, review and reporting
Clear folder structure and naming so files can be found at audit time
Interim program and operations leadership
When you need someone to run the program, not just advise on it.
Interim or part-time program director or operations director, on contract
Process and staffing design for new or growing programs
Job descriptions and hiring pipelines
Coaching for program and finance staff
Briefings for boards, councils and commissions
Funding we've worked with
ARPA/SLFRF and CARES Act, AmeriCorps, the Help America Vote Act, federal justice grants, state environmental, housing and lottery-funded economic development grants, and federal research awards.
Questions
Can grant funds pay for your services?
Often, yes. Many awards allow administrative or management costs. We'll help you check what your award allows.
Can you help before the award?
Yes, when we'll also be helping run the program. We can shape the budget, workplan and compliance plan so the program is ready to run on day one.
Where do you work?
Nationwide. Most work is remote, and training is delivered on Zoom. We travel for site visits, outreach events and kickoff meetings.
Can you take the whole program?
Yes. We can run it end to end, or cover the piece your staff can't, such as monitoring, payments or reporting.
Not sure which piece you need?
Describe the program and we'll sort it out together.