What we take on.
Almanac provides the full grant function as a single ongoing engagement. Below is what that includes in practice.
01 / BUILD THE PIPELINE
Finding the opportunities worth pursuing.
Opportunity discovery
Most organizations apply to the funders they already know. We work the other direction — starting from what your programs actually do, who they serve, and where, then searching continuously across private foundations, corporate giving programs, community foundations, state agencies and appropriate government opportunities for genuine matches.
Research is ongoing rather than annual, and the pipeline is reviewed weekly. Funder priorities shift, new programs open, and deadlines move. What reaches your calendar is what still fits when the deadline arrives.
Qualification and prioritization
A long list of opportunities isn't useful. Every prospect is assessed against eligibility requirements, alignment with your programs, and the effort a competitive application would take.
We'd rather pursue well-matched opportunities than pad a list. Prioritization is where that discipline happens, and you see the reasoning before anything is committed to the calendar.
02 / MANAGE THE CALENDAR
One calendar, kept current.
Grant calendar management
Your calendar is the centre of the engagement — a working grant calendar covering every LOI, full application, interim report and final report, with internal deadlines set well ahead of funder deadlines.
It's kept current. When a funder shifts a date or opens an unexpected cycle, the calendar reflects it and you're told what changed.
Deadline management
Internal deadlines are set ahead of funder deadlines by a documented margin, so a delay on your side doesn't become a missed opportunity. You get advance notice of what's needed, then reminders, then escalation.
Nothing in this work is recoverable after a deadline passes. The process is built around that fact.
03 / PREPARE AND SUBMIT
Getting complete applications in on time.
Application preparation
We draft the full application from your program materials, outcome data and financial information — need statement, program description, evaluation approach, organizational background, budget narrative — formatted to each funder's specification.
You review a complete draft. Revisions are part of the process, and nothing goes to a funder without your approval.
Requirements and attachment tracking
Every application carries its own requirements, and they vary widely between funders.
Every requirement for every open application is tracked against the deadline that needs it, and we tell you what we need from you with enough notice to get it.
Submission coordination
Funder portals differ enormously — Submittable, Foundant, Fluxx, agency systems, and plain email all behave differently. We prepare submissions to each portal's requirements and handle the mechanics.
Where submission authority sits with someone at your organization, we coordinate that final step and confirm it's complete rather than assuming it happened.
Almanac Grant Partners — Engagement File
02 / Active applications
| Opportunity | Deadline | Stage | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Development Initiative | May 14 | Drafting | Narrative in progress |
| Community Health Program | May 28 | Client review | With Executive Director |
| General Operating Support | Jun 06 | Final review | Budget confirmation |
| Workforce Development | Jun 21 | Ready to submit | Awaiting signature |
ILLUSTRATIVE ENGAGEMENT VIEW. Not based on any actual client.
04 / CLOSE THE LOOP
Reporting on what you've been awarded.
Post-award reporting
Winning a grant creates an obligation. Interim and final reports are drafted from your outcome data and delivered on the funder's schedule, tracked on the same calendar as new applications.
Reporting well is also how renewals happen. Funders notice which grantees report on time and which ones need chasing.