# Review grant applications for a foundation's funding decision

A structured review and due diligence summary of each applicant, scored against your criteria, for a program officer or grants committee.

- Topic: Thinking & Decisions
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Finance, Productivity, Analyze, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/review-grant-applications-for-a-foundation-s-funding-decision

## Prompt

```text
Help me review grant applications for our foundation.

**Our funding priorities and criteria:** [PASTE guidelines and scoring rubric, or the criteria we weigh]
**Grant size and type:** [e.g. $25,000 general operating / project / capacity building]
**Application materials:** [PASTE proposal, budget, financials, 990 highlights, references]
**Our approach:** [e.g. trust-based philanthropy, outcome-focused, equity priorities]

For each application:
1. A summary in 5 lines: organization, request, use of funds, population served, and expected results.
2. Fit with our priorities, scored against our rubric, with evidence for each score.
3. Organizational health: revenue trend, months of operating reserves, reliance on a single funder, audit findings, leadership stability, and governance. Note what can and cannot be concluded from the documents.
4. Program strength: clarity of the theory of change, realism of goals and budget, evidence base, and community voice in design.
5. Risks and questions to ask in a site visit or call.
6. Legal checks: confirm public charity status (or plan for expenditure responsibility for other grantees) and that funds will not support lobbying or political activity beyond what we allow. [CONFIRM with counsel.]

Rules:
- Judge proposals on substance, not polish; small and grassroots organizations often write less polished proposals.
- Do not penalize reasonable overhead.
- Do not invent facts; mark missing information as [REQUEST].

Return: a comparison table across applicants, a recommendation for each (fund, fund with conditions, decline, more information), and draft decline feedback that is specific and kind.
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE guidelines and scoring rubric, or the criteria we weigh
- e.g. $25,000 general operating / project / capacity building
- CONFIRM with counsel.
- REQUEST

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.