19. Eligibility Checklists
By the end you'll be able to
- Build a standardized eligibility checklist that runs in fifteen minutes.
- Identify threshold requirements (org type, geography, match, registrations, audit).
- Produce a written go/no-go memo with a one-line rationale.
- Redirect time saved from no-decisions toward better-fit prospects.
The single highest-leverage decision in grant work is the go/no-go call: do you pursue this opportunity or walk away. Made well, it protects forty hours of writing time. Made poorly, it sinks your quarter into a proposal that was disqualified before page one.
In this lesson you will learn to build a standardized eligibility checklist that runs in fifteen minutes and answers the threshold questions every funder asks: organizational type (501c3, public agency, fiscal sponsor), geographic eligibility, program area alignment, minimum match or cost share, registration requirements (SAM.gov UEI, state charitable registration), audit thresholds, and historical performance requirements. If any threshold fails, the answer is no, and you redirect the time saved to a better-fit prospect.
By the end you should be able to run any opportunity through your checklist in fifteen minutes and produce a written go/no-go memo with a one-line rationale. The mistake to avoid is letting enthusiasm override the checklist. The most expensive proposals in your career will be the ones where you knew the eligibility was marginal but wrote it anyway because the dollar amount was attractive. Saying no to wrong-fit opportunities is the discipline that makes the yeses count.
Common mistakes
These are the traps learners hit most often on this topic. Knowing them in advance is half the fix.
Letting dollar amount override the checklist.
Large opportunities attract sloppy eligibility work. Run the checklist exactly the same way regardless of dollar size.
Skipping the written memo.
A go/no-go decision that lives only in your head is the one you reverse under pressure. Write it down so you can defend the no the next time someone asks "but why didn't we apply?"
Practice problems
Try each on paper first. Click Show solution only after you've made a real attempt.
- Problem 1Draft the first ten rows of a reusable eligibility checklist for any federal opportunity.
Show solution
Row 1, "Is the applicant a 501c3 in good standing?" Yes/No, evidence "IRS letter." Row 2, "Is the applicant registered in SAM.gov with an active UEI?" Yes/No, evidence "SAM record." Row 3, "Does the NOFO geographic eligibility include our service area?" Yes/No, evidence "NOFO page X." Row 4, "Does the applicant meet the minimum match or cost share?" Yes/No, evidence "budget worksheet." Row 5, "Does the applicant have a current single audit if required?" Yes/No, evidence "audit report." Row 6, "Does the applicant meet any minimum operating budget threshold?" Yes/No, evidence "Form 990." Row 7, "Does the program align with the priority population stated in the NOFO?" Yes/No, evidence "program description." Row 8, "Can the applicant meet any prior-experience requirement?" Yes/No, evidence "past awards list." Row 9, "Is the application deadline at least three weeks from today?" Yes/No, evidence "calendar." Row 10, "Go/No-Go decision and one-line rationale," with named decider and date.
Practice quiz
- Question 1Roughly how long should a well-built eligibility checklist take to run on a new opportunity?
- Question 2Which of the following is NOT a typical threshold requirement on an eligibility checklist?
- Reflection 3Why does the lesson argue that enthusiasm is the most dangerous override of an eligibility checklist?
Lesson 19 recap
The eligibility checklist is the highest-leverage tool in Week 2. Fifteen minutes of disciplined screening protects forty hours of drafting and keeps the pipeline honest.
Coming next: Lesson 20 — The Pre-Proposal Contact
Next, we cover the pre-proposal contact with a Program Officer, the conversation that can reshape an entire proposal before you draft a single word.
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