Get grant-ready

Most grant applications ask for the same handful of documents. Small groups often learn this a week before a deadline. Gather these once, keep them in one folder, and update them every year.

Start these first: they take the longest

• SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID (UEI): required for every federal grant, and for many state grants that pass through federal money. Free at sam.gov. It can take weeks, and it must be renewed every year. Never pay a website to do it for you.
• Grants.gov account: needed to submit most federal applications. Free at grants.gov, after SAM.gov is active.
• Tennessee Edison supplier registration: state agencies usually need it before they can pay you. Ask the program contact how to register.
• IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter: most foundations and corporate programs require it. If you don't have one, look for programs that accept a fiscal sponsor, or groups like churches, schools and local governments.

Keep these in your grant folder

• Legal name, EIN, address and UEI exactly as they appear on your IRS and SAM.gov records (mismatches cause rejections)
• Mission statement, a one-paragraph history, and the people and places you serve (counties, numbers served)
• Board list with officers and their affiliations
• This year's organization budget, and last year's actual income and expenses
• Your latest IRS Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-N
• Financial statements: an audit or review if you have one, or board-approved statements if you don't
• Tennessee Secretary of State status: nonprofit corporations file an annual report, and groups that ask the public for donations may need to register with the Division of Charitable Solicitations. Check sos.tn.gov.
• Two or three letters of support from partners, which you can ask for well before a deadline
• Photos and short stories of your work, with permission from the people shown

Before you start any application

• Read who can apply, and stop if you're not eligible. Time spent on grants people couldn’t win was one of the most common complaints we found.
• Check for a match (cost share) and whether the grant pays by reimbursement (you spend first and get paid back later).
• Find the scoring rubric or review criteria, and answer in that order.
• Look at who won before. Every GrantMe listing shows past Tennessee winners when we have them.
• Put the deadline in your calendar with a reminder a month ahead. Every grant page has an “Add to my calendar” button.

Free help in Tennessee

Cities, counties and fire departments can get free or low-cost grant help from their regional development district. Community foundations and United Way chapters often run free grant-writing workshops for local nonprofits.

This checklist is general guidance, not legal advice. Each funder's official instructions control.