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Guide

A grant application: assemble the evidence before the deadline does it for you.

Small businesses, nonprofits and research-driven startups in the United States apply for grants from federal agencies, state economic development programs, local governments and private foundations. Each funder has its own forms and portal, but almost all of them want the same kind of evidence behind the narrative: proof of eligibility, a budget that holds together, financial statements and letters from partners.

This guide is about getting that evidence organized well ahead of the deadline and sharing drafts with the people who help write and review it. It is general information. Read each funding opportunity's own instructions carefully, and ask your CPA or attorney about anything financial or contractual.

What funders commonly ask for

Eligibility and registration

  • For federal awards, an active registration in SAM.gov and the Unique Entity ID it assigns, which the government uses in place of the older DUNS number.
  • Formation documents and, for nonprofits, the IRS determination letter.
  • Any certifications the specific program asks for, as described in its notice.

The money

  • A detailed budget and a budget justification explaining each line.
  • Recent financial statements, and audit reports if your organization has them.
  • Evidence of any matching funds or cost share the program requires.

The project

  • Resumes or biographical sketches of key personnel.
  • Letters of support or commitment from partners, customers or collaborators.
  • Data, prior results, photographs or technical material that support the narrative.

A grant room for the writing team

  1. 1

    Start from the notice

    Turn the funding opportunity's list of required attachments into a document request list, with an owner and status for each.

  2. 2

    Collect letters directly

    Send partners a request-a-file link so their signed letters arrive straight in the right folder.

  3. 3

    Version every draft

    Upload each draft of the narrative and budget as a new version. Reviewers always see the latest, and the history is kept.

  4. 4

    Invite reviewers

    Outside readers confirm their email with a six-digit code and see only the folders you choose.

Working with consultants, partners and reviewers

Many applications involve a grant writer, a budget preparer, a principal investigator, partner organizations and an internal reviewer or two. Put each of them in a group: the grant writer sees everything, a partner sees only the folder for its own letter and scope, and a reviewer sees the near-final package. A folder a group cannot see does not appear for it.

Questions and comments can be raised in the room's question and answer area, assigned to whoever owns the section and prioritized as the deadline approaches. That keeps feedback in one place instead of spread across a dozen email threads.

ShareAndGo can read each document, including scanned letters, tag and summarize it, and find words inside documents with highlighted snippets. When a reviewer asks where a figure came from, search usually finds it in seconds.

After the award

If you win, the paperwork continues. Funders typically require progress reports, financial reports and records that support how the money was spent, sometimes for years after the project ends. The award terms will say what to keep and for how long.

Keeping the application, the award documents and every report in one room gives you a single record. The audit log records every view, upload and change, chained so alterations are detectable, and the room can be exported as a ZIP with an index when a funder or auditor asks for the file.

Questions

Does ShareAndGo submit the application?
No. Funders use their own portals. ShareAndGo is where the team assembles and reviews the package before submission.
Can a partner organization upload without an account?
Yes. A request-a-file link lets them upload directly, and invited reviewers confirm their email with a six-digit code.
Can we keep budget drafts private from partners?
Yes. Put the budget in a folder only your internal group can see.

Related guides

Responding to an RFP

A close cousin of a grant application.

Year-end document collection

Getting the financial statements ready.

Setting up a joint venture

When the application involves a formal partner.

All guides

Every business process we cover.