There are millions of organizations on the planet doing superb work in your influence space. As a funder, you most likely want you would fund all of them. Sadly, restricted assets imply you want to make choices in regards to the particular group 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—you must embody an eligibility quiz earlier than the formal software.
An eligibility quiz is a necessary a part of streamlining your grantmaking software course of. When applied appropriately, it will possibly save invaluable time for each your grantmaking workers and potential grantees.
Listed here are just a few greatest practices for designing and executing an eligibility quiz, so you possibly can guarantee a extra environment friendly and efficient software course of.
What’s an Eligibility Quiz for a Funding Utility?
An eligibility quiz is a brief sequence of simple questions designed to find out whether or not an applicant meets the essential necessities on your funding program. These quizzes usually include easy questions that may be answered with a sure or no. The quiz ought to solely take a couple of minutes on your candidates to finish.
As the primary display screen candidates encounter, eligibility quizzes assist be certain 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 types previous to the eligibility quiz may 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 supplied in your program documentation. Listed here are frequent query subjects for an eligibility quiz:
- Quantity Requested: You’ll be able to confirm that what they want aligns with the quantity obtainable within the funding program. Choices could possibly be, “This grant gives 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: If you happen to serve particular counties or zip codes, mirror that in your query and reply choices. The query could possibly be, “Are you situated in or do you serve the residents of Cole and Boone counties?”
- Focus Space: Embody a listing of choices, reminiscent of 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, reminiscent of meals insecurity, you possibly can ask, “Does your program assist enhancing entry to wholesome meals?”
- Prior Funding: You probably have restrictions on how typically a company can obtain funding from you, ensure that is mirrored in your eligibility quiz.
- Tax Standing: Tax standing is a typical eligibility query. Your grant administration system can also combine with an information repository like GuideStar that may pull that data in based mostly on the group’s data.
Your eligibility quiz questions must be easy and have clear solutions. Any query in your eligibility quiz must also be clearly addressed in your program documentation. You’ll need questions that may be answered with a verify field or radio buttons as a result of that makes it simpler to arrange automation. You additionally keep away from errors as a consequence of misspellings or keystroke errors and save your workers time in reviewing open-ended responses.
Greatest Practices to Decide Eligibility
Creating an efficient eligibility system entails cautious planning and execution. Listed here are six greatest practices that will help you streamline your grant software course of.
1. Present a Clear Description for the Function of Your Eligibility Quiz
Initially of your eligibility quiz, present a short clarification of its objective. This helps candidates perceive why they should full the quiz and what data you’re on the lookout for.
2. Maintain it Easy and Quick
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 data the particular person is aware of with out working a number of experiences of their grant administration system.
3. Use Automated Workflows
Automated workflows as a part of the eligibility and software course of may help transfer potential grantees ahead and ship applicable 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, embody 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 keep 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 data 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 verify course of by integrating your software with information repositories. For instance, your grant administration system could have an integration with GuideStar Charity Verify to routinely confirm the group’s tax standing. This reduces guide checks and hastens the method.
7. Construct a Funding Utility That’s Simple for Your Workers and Candidates
Your candidates have sufficient on their plate with out prolonged software processes. Make sure 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 Trendy Utility 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 assist.
Need to study extra about how one can construct a contemporary software course of on your grantees? Take a look at our information, From Consciousness to Funding: The Grantmaker’s Information to a Streamlined Utility Pipeline.