There are literally thousands of organizations on this planet doing wonderful work in your influence space. As a funder, you most likely want you may fund all of them. Sadly, restricted sources imply it’s worthwhile to make choices concerning the particular neighborhood you serve.
To keep away from wading by means of funding purposes that don’t meet your program standards—and losing the time of these nonprofits submitting these purposes—it’s best to embrace an eligibility quiz earlier than the formal software.
An eligibility quiz is a vital a part of streamlining your grantmaking software course of. When applied accurately, it will possibly save priceless time for each your grantmaking workers and potential grantees.
Listed here are a number of greatest practices for designing and executing an eligibility quiz, so you may guarantee a extra environment friendly and efficient software course of.
What’s an Eligibility Quiz for a Funding Software?
An eligibility quiz is a brief sequence of easy questions designed to find out whether or not an applicant meets the essential necessities to your funding program. These quizzes sometimes encompass easy questions that may be answered with a sure or no. The quiz ought to solely take a couple of minutes to your candidates to finish.
As the primary display candidates encounter, eligibility quizzes assist make sure that solely those that meet the {qualifications} for the funding program proceed to the complete software stage. Moreover, for bigger organizations with a number of packages, routing kinds previous to the eligibility quiz will help candidates determine this system that greatest aligns with their work.
What Data Ought to Be on an Eligibility Quiz?
Your eligibility quiz must be concise, with questions reflecting the data offered in your program documentation. Listed here are widespread query subjects for an eligibility quiz:
- Quantity Requested: You’ll be able to confirm that what they want aligns with the quantity accessible within the funding program. Choices could possibly be, “This grant supplies between $5,000 and $10,000 in funding. Is the quantity you’re requesting inside that vary?” or “I perceive this grant program awards $5,000 to profitable candidates.”
- Location: In the event you serve particular counties or zip codes, replicate that in your query and reply choices. The query could possibly be, “Are you positioned in or do you serve the residents of Cole and Boone counties?”
- Focus Space: Embody an inventory of choices, comparable to youth literacy, diet, and workforce readiness. Ask in case your applicant serves a number of of these influence areas. If the funding program is for a selected focus space, comparable to meals insecurity, you may ask, “Does your program help enhancing entry to wholesome meals?”
- Prior Funding: You probably have restrictions on how usually a company can obtain funding from you, guarantee that is mirrored in your eligibility quiz.
- Tax Standing: Tax standing is a standard eligibility query. Your grant administration system can also combine with a knowledge repository like GuideStar that may pull that info in based mostly on the group’s info.
Your eligibility quiz questions must be easy and have clear solutions. Any query in your eligibility quiz also needs to be clearly addressed in your program documentation. You’ll need questions that may be answered with a examine field or radio buttons as a result of that makes it simpler to arrange automation. You additionally keep away from errors attributable to misspellings or keystroke errors and save your workers time in reviewing open-ended responses.
Greatest Practices to Decide Eligibility
Creating an efficient eligibility system includes cautious planning and execution. Listed here are six greatest practices that can assist you streamline your grant software course of.
1. Present a Clear Description for the Goal of Your Eligibility Quiz
In the beginning of your eligibility quiz, present a quick clarification of its function. This helps candidates perceive why they should full the quiz and what info you’re on the lookout for.
2. Maintain it Easy and Brief
Your eligibility quiz ought to require minimal time out of your applicant and your workers. Use not more than 10 questions, ideally 5 or much less, and the solutions must be info the individual is aware of with out working a number of reviews of their grant administration system.
3. Use Automated Workflows
Automated workflows as a part of the eligibility and software course of will help transfer potential grantees ahead and ship acceptable communications based mostly on their responses. This not solely saves time but additionally ensures that candidates obtain well timed suggestions.
4. Embody a Declination Message
If an applicant doesn’t qualify based mostly on their responses, embrace a well mannered declination message. This message ought to allow them to know why they didn’t qualify and thank them for his or her curiosity. Offering clear suggestions helps preserve a constructive relationship with potential grantees.
5. Present Contact Data for Error Decision
Sometimes, an applicant could consider there was an error of their quiz responses. Present contact info to allow them to attain out for clarification or correction. This ensures transparency and belief in your course of.
6. Combine with Information Repositories
Streamline the eligibility examine course of by integrating your software with knowledge repositories. For instance, your grant administration system could have an integration with GuideStar Charity Examine to mechanically confirm the group’s tax standing. This reduces guide checks and hurries up the method.
7. Construct a Funding Software That’s Simple for Your Workers and Candidates
Your candidates have sufficient on their plate with out prolonged software processes. Be certain that your funding software is user-friendly for each your workers and candidates. An eligibility quiz shouldn’t be a bottleneck however a gateway to a clean and environment friendly software course of.
Construct a Fashionable Software Course of
Incorporating an eligibility quiz into your grant software course of is a strategic transfer that advantages each your group and your candidates. With an intentional and well-crafted eligibility quiz and software course of, you let your grantee know you worth their time to allow them to do extra of the impactful work you need to help.
Need to study extra about how one can construct a contemporary software course of to your grantees? Try our information, From Consciousness to Funding: The Grantmaker’s Information to a Streamlined Software Pipeline.
