Below are JustFund's recommended best practices to follow while filling out your Grant Cycle Intake Form in the portal.
Key Dates:
- Launch on Tuesday - Thursday 9 AM ET/6 AM PT, Close on Tuesday - Thursday at 5 PM PT.
- Avoid holidays and long weekends so that your applicants can obtain adequate support if they have questions.
- For end-of-year giving, launch cycles in October if possible to account for closing out the year obligations, holidays, and any urgency from your team to process grant funding before the close of the calendar year. If you have an advisory board or decision making body, it can be challenging to navigate people's time, which can cause delays.
Recommended Cycle Length:
- The grant cycle should run for a minimum of 2 weeks, with an average of 3-4 weeks.
- 75 - 80% applicants will apply within the last 2 days of a grant cycle (typical behavior).
Recommended RFP Language:
- About: explain your fund, your priorities, and your goals. Be sure to include any strategy documents that are public or templates your applicants may need to complete the RFP.
- Eligibility: Be very clear about your priorities and who is eligible for funding. For example, 501(c)(3) and fiscally sponsored projects only? Geographic region limitations? Make sure these requirements are stated so that your applicants align with your requirements.
- Contact Information: We recommend setting up a webpage where you can include any updates to the cycle, as well as listing a contact at the fund should a applicant have any additional questions.
- Supplemental Questions: Unless necessary, JustFund suggests not asking additional questions to limit the burden of the applicants.
- Attachments: Unless necessary, JustFund suggests not asking for additional documentation. If disbursing your own grants, determine if your finance team does need certain documentation for due diligence and processing (e.g. 501(c)(3) determination letters, fiscal sponsor agreements, 990).
Please review these example RFPs from other JustFund partners: