Sometimes it can be tricky to find resources that specifically support grant assessors, yet we are such a vital part of the grantmaking process.
There are so many roles which incorporate assessing; Grants Manager, Director of Grants, Grants Officer, and of course freelance assessors to name a few. There are also many funding consultants who combine assessing with other roles such as bid writing.
This is such a rich and diverse base of skills and experience and is one that I want to support and belong to. So this blog post, and my others are designed to bring us together, and discuss different topics that are of interest, share knowledge and best practice, provide tips and insights and more.
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This post is based on my experience of assessing over the last few years. Having done so for a variety of different funders I have developed smarter ways of assessing to not only save time but also ensure I'm consistent, thorough and offer the best service possible.
Whether you're just starting out or looking to develop your skills, here are 10 strategies to help you assess efficiently and confidently.
1. Bookmark key due diligence links
Create a folder in your browser called “Due Diligence” and add links to:
Charity Commission
Companies House
OSCR
Ofsted Reports
Social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter)
This saves time and ensures consistency when checking an organisation’s governance and operations.
2. Create a programme specific assessment guide
When you're assessing for a new programme, or one that you haven't done before, make it easy by gathering the main information in one place, preferably on one page, for quick look up. Doing this also has the advantage of helping you to learn the criteria inside out.
Programmes are often accompanied by several pages of guidance which whilst helpful for applicants can leave you thumbing through reams of information when assessing, trying to find that critical piece of eligibility criteria.
For example, your guide might include:
Grant range: £5,000–£50,000
The main aim of the programme
Eligible organisations: Registered charities, CICs
Priority areas: Mental health, youth employment
Specific areas Trustees are interested in
Eligible costs
Scoring criteria
Any specific information you've been given e.g. from a briefing or previous learnings
Keep this guide in a Word doc or OneNote. You might find you use it less as you go through but it cuts out lots of time when you're doing those first few assessments.
3. Follow a clear step by step process
Having a clear process to follow for each assessment ensures consistency and fairness. Your process might look like:
1. Check eligibility
2. Review financials
3. Assess project fit with programme aims
4. Write assessment
5. Submit or log outcome
I find writing the process out helps massively, especially when working for different funders or programmes. It ensures I cover all the basis, and that I don’t forget any key parts. Having this checklist helps you stay consistent and avoid missing steps.
4. Write assessments offline
Use Word, Notion, OneNote or Google Docs to draft your assessment. This protects your work from your wi-fi cutting out, and lets you use spellcheck, formatting, and version history. Once you’re happy, copy and paste it into whichever grant system you're using.
5. Check for supporting documents before you start
Before assessing, confirm you have all the right paperwork to hand so that you can start and finish it without stopping for several days whilst you wait for the applicant to submit. If anything’s missing, request it upfront so you’re not interrupted mid-way.
6. Set clear deadlines for applicants
I find applicants are great at responding to queries, as long as you are clear about what you need. Not being afraid to provide a clear deadline (and of course one that is reasonable) also helps ensure you get the information in a timely manner. This helps you manage your time and enables applicants to do the same.
7. Aim to complete assessments in one go
This might depend on personal style but I find it so much easier to start and finish an assessment in one go. This might take 1 hour or a few days but focusing on one at a time ensures you don't get distracted, and can understand the proposal as best as possible. If you stop halfway, you’ll need to re-read everything later, which adds time and mental load. Even a rough first draft is better than starting from scratch days later.
8. Use assessment deadlines to stay on track
Create a simple tracker in Excel, OneNote or Trello to keep you focused and on target. This is especially helpful if you are freelancing and need to have good accountability of your time. Keeping note of assessment deadlines, query deadlines and Panel meetings is a good start, ensuring you keep to time and don't forget any important dates.
9. Schedule time for processing queries
When you have queries for the applicant and they've responded to clarify, it's helpful to incorporate this into your assessment as soon as possible. The less time that passes between your initial assessment and returning to it, the easier it is to remember the key details. Shorten that window and its far easier to pick up where you left off once you've had that vital piece of info sent to you.
10. Build your own resource hub
Create your own assessor handbook of all the useful learnings and insights you gain in your role as an assessor. This is so useful to keep coming back to over time and in helping other team members with their own queries. Use OneNote or Google Keep to store, for example:
Common eligibility issues and how you resolved them
Links to useful guidance (e.g. safeguarding policies and what should/shouldn't be in them
What that weird word in financial accounts means (amortisation anyone?)
Feedback from previous assessments
Trustee comments, and notes on what they look for
This becomes your toolkit for future assessments.
Assessing grants is a valuable skill, and a responsibility. But by building good habits and systems, we can make our work easier, more consistent, and more impactful. And best of all, it helps you build your skills to.
For more information about resources designed specially for assessors, or for my grant assessment service for funders please click here.
A note on AI - I used it to help me get started in writing this post. All the content has been edited since.
