Tips on how to Create an Efficient Eligibility Quiz in Grant Purposes


There are millions of organizations on this planet doing superb work in your impression space. As a funder, you in all probability want you might fund all of them. Sadly, restricted sources imply you could make selections 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—it’s best to embrace an eligibility quiz earlier than the formal utility.

An eligibility quiz is an important a part of streamlining your grantmaking utility course of. When carried out accurately, it may well save worthwhile time for each your grantmaking workers and potential grantees.

Listed below are a number of finest practices for designing and executing an eligibility quiz, so you’ll be able to guarantee a extra environment friendly and efficient utility 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 on your funding program. These quizzes sometimes 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 sure that solely those that meet the {qualifications} for the funding program proceed to the complete utility stage. Moreover, for bigger organizations with a number of applications, routing varieties previous to the eligibility quiz can assist candidates determine this system that finest aligns with their work.

What Info Ought to Be on an Eligibility Quiz?

Your eligibility quiz must be concise, with questions reflecting the data offered in your program documentation. Listed below are widespread query matters for an eligibility quiz:

  • Quantity Requested: You possibly can confirm that what they want aligns with the quantity obtainable within the funding program. Choices might be, “This grant offers 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: When you serve particular counties or zip codes, replicate that in your query and reply choices. The query might be, “Are you positioned in or do you serve the residents of Cole and Boone counties?”
  • Focus Space: Embrace a listing of choices, equivalent to youth literacy, diet, and workforce readiness. Ask in case your applicant serves a number of of these impression areas. If the funding program is for a selected focus space, equivalent to meals insecurity, you’ll be able to ask, “Does your program help enhancing entry to wholesome meals?”
  • Prior Funding: In case you have restrictions on how typically a corporation can obtain funding from you, ensure that is mirrored in your eligibility quiz.
  • Tax Standing: Tax standing is a standard eligibility query. Your grant administration system can also combine with an information 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 test field or radio buttons as a result of that makes it simpler to arrange automation. You additionally keep away from errors on account 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 includes cautious planning and execution. Listed below are six finest practices that can assist you streamline your grant utility course of.

1. Present a Clear Description for the Function of Your Eligibility Quiz

At the start of your eligibility quiz, present a short clarification of its function. This helps candidates perceive why they should full the quiz and what info you’re searching for.

2. Preserve 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 stories of their grant administration system.

3. Use Automated Workflows

Automated workflows as a part of the eligibility and utility course of can assist 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. Embrace 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 keep a constructive relationship with potential grantees.

5. Present Contact Info for Error Decision

Sometimes, an applicant might 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 test course of by integrating your utility with information repositories. For instance, your grant administration system might have an integration with GuideStar Charity Test to mechanically confirm the group’s tax standing. This reduces handbook checks and quickens the method.

7. Construct a Funding Software That’s Simple for Your Employees and Candidates

Your candidates have sufficient on their plate with out prolonged utility processes. Make sure that your funding utility is user-friendly for each your workers and candidates. An eligibility quiz shouldn’t be a bottleneck however a gateway to a easy and environment friendly utility course of.

Construct a Fashionable Software Course of

Incorporating an eligibility quiz into your grant utility course of is a strategic transfer that advantages each your group and your candidates. With an intentional and well-crafted eligibility quiz and utility 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 utility course of on your grantees? Try our information, From Consciousness to Funding: The Grantmaker’s Information to a Streamlined Software Pipeline.

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