Showing the love: How better grant processes support your whole funding community 

The grant lifecycle can sometimes feel like an assembly line of tasks, from organising the open call and application intake to the review process and oversight of funding and outcomes. With so much admin at hand, it can start to feel robotic, and it’s possible to lose sight of the mission and impact that lies at the heart of your program.

But, it’s important to remember: every decision you make along the way shapes how applicants feel about your organisation, how reviewers experience their role and impact, and how sustainable and rewarding the work is for your own team.

When grant processes are clear, fair and mission-centred, everyone benefits. Applicants feel respected, reviewers stay engaged and administrators avoid burnout. In short, better processes show care for your entire funding community, which can result in better outcomes.

Here, we look at how good grantmaking design can support applicants, reviewers and administrators. Learn some practical ways to make your program more efficient and more mission-oriented.

Respect applicants’ time and energy

For grant applicants, applying for funding is often done alongside work, study or community commitments. Complex forms, unclear criteria or repeated requests for the same information can quickly turn enthusiasm into frustration.

A well-designed application process shows respect by being clear, proportionate and purposeful.

What this looks like in practice:

• Asking only for information that is genuinely needed to assess eligibility and impact
• Clearly explaining assessment criteria and timelines upfront
• Using plain language rather than policy-heavy or technical wording

Actionable tip:

Try reviewing your application form with fresh eyes. If a question does not directly inform an assessment decision, consider removing it or making it optional. Good Grants supports this approach by making it easy to design clear, structured forms with built-in guidance, helping applicants understand exactly what’s expected of them.

Read more:

• The 7 most common mistakes in grant application forms—and how to avoid them
• 6 Best practices for great grantseeker experiences

Support reviewers to make fair, confident decisions

Your grant review team plays a critical role in ensuring funding decisions are fair and consistent. Yet these people are often volunteers or staff balancing this assessment work alongside other responsibilities. Their time is precious, and it’s important to be mindful of how to make the process as easy as possible for them.

Design your reviewing process and rubric with these people in mind. Here are a few best practices for better assessment design:

• Create clear, shared scoring criteria aligned to program goals
• Provide simple, consistent scoring scales
• Add enough context to assess applications without overwhelming detail
• Use a system that is easy to access and does not require any training to use

Actionable tip:

Provide contextual advice for your review team directly in the assessment platform. Good Grants streamlines the workflow by keeping applications, scoring and comments in one place, and providing relevant spaces on the screen to add contextual advice, tips and information for your review team.

Read more: The grantmaker’s guide to creating an equitable grant review process

Protect your team’s wellbeing

According to a State of Nonprofits survey, 76% of leaders indicated that burnout among their staff is impacting their organisation’s ability to achieve its mission. This is an alarming statistic, especially given that grant administrators are often the quiet engine behind successful programs.

Managing deadlines, answering queries, coordinating reviews and reporting outcomes can be demanding, especially during peak periods. When systems rely heavily on manual work, spreadsheets or inbox-based tracking, the risk of burnout increases.

Many organisations find that moving to a purpose-built grant management platform allows them to spend less time chasing information and more time supporting their funding community. Good Grants is purpose-built for grantmakers to help teams manage complex programs with a system that streamlines and automates processes.

Healthier grant administration relies on:

• Clear timelines and automated reminders
• Centralised data and document management
• Automating any manual, repeatable tasks that take up too much time

Actionable tip:

Map out your end-to-end grantmaking workflow and identify where tasks are duplicated or done manually. Even small changes, like automated emails or standardised reporting templates, can significantly reduce workload.

Read more: 5 Grants management automations to save time + spark joy

Foster trust through transparency and clarity

Clear processes don’t just save time; they also build trust. Applicants and grantees are more likely to engage when they understand how decisions are made, even if they are unsuccessful.

Transparency might include:

• Publishing assessment criteria and timelines
• Communicating outcomes clearly and respectfully
• Providing brief, meaningful feedback where possible

Actionable tip:

Ask your reviewers to provide feedback on grant applications. This provides an added value to applicants, so even if they don’t get funding, they come away with a positive experience. Even a thoughtful, personalised rejection email can make a lasting impression.

Read more: The value of feedback: another way to give back to grantseekers

More care, better outcomes

Designing your grant program to respect people’s time, energy and wellbeing is not just a nice-to-have. It leads to stronger applications, fairer decisions and happier teams. It shows genuine care for your funding community, and that care pays dividends in impact and reputation.