Grant readiness diagnostic
Grant decisions feel like a moving target. We built the scorecard.
You know your nonprofit does good work. So why is funding it such a struggle?
Your Return on Impact Quotient, or ROIQ™, helps you see where your nonprofit stands across nine areas of grant readiness. In about 15 minutes, you’ll uncover strengths, spot gaps, and get a clearer view of what needs attention first.
15 minutes·Personalized PDF report·Delivered within the hour·Free
20+ years
Experience across nonprofits, education, and business
10K+ leaders
Trained worldwide through our programs, workshops, and keynotes
Award-winning
2025 Strategic Advisor of the Year, McAllister & Quinn
“We just need a grant for that.”
We hear it all the time…
- …from leaders stretching a small budget to meet a growing need.
- …from teams doing work their communities can’t afford to lose.
- …from people whose boards keep asking about grants without knowing what it takes to get one.
You need funding. But when you’re already carrying the work, finding time to figure out what’s holding you back becomes one more thing on your list.
A strong application starts long before you write it.
The ROIQ helps you look at the organization behind the application. What’s working? What needs attention? Where would your efforts make the biggest difference?
The framework
What makes a nonprofit ready for funding?
Years of listening to nonprofit leaders, reviewing proposals, and working through funding challenges brought the same patterns into focus.
The work reaches beyond the proposal. The same thread runs through how you serve your community, how your organization operates, and how you build relationships.
Our ROI Framework™ brings those pieces together.
R
Relevant
Does your work address a clear community need? Can you show the difference it makes and connect it to what funders care about?
O
Optimize
Do your systems, people, and finances support the work you’re doing and the commitments you’re making?
I
Interact
Are you building relationships, communicating consistently, and following through with the people who can support your work?
Relevant + Optimize + Interact = Return on Impact.
The ROIQ looks across these three pillars and nine indicators. These same areas support your donor relationships, your fundraising, and your ability to keep delivering long after a grant ends.
What you get
Know what’s strong. Find what’s holding you back.
Your personalized PDF report arrives in your inbox within the hour. Read it at your desk, bring it to a staff meeting, or share it with your board.
Inside, you’ll find:
01
Your overall ROIQ score
A baseline for understanding where your organization stands.
02
Scores across three pillars and nine areas
See strengths and gaps that may get lost in the day to day.
03
Findings based on your responses
Understand what those results could mean for your readiness.
04
A recommended next step
Put what you learn to work.
You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Start with a clearer view of what needs your attention.
Why it matters
There’s more to funding than a strong application.
You can spend hours polishing a proposal while the bigger questions go unanswered.
Can you show the results?
Does the budget support the plan?
Have you built a relationship with the funder?
Can your team deliver what you’re promising?
Those questions deserve attention before another deadline takes over.
The ROIQ helps you step back, see how the pieces connect, and decide where to focus your time and resources.
Trust the source
Built from years of hearing what nonprofit leaders are up against.
We’ve heard the frustration after another rejection. The pressure to find money. The questions nonprofit leaders can’t say out loud to a funder.
We’ve also seen the transformation when an organization can explain its value, strengthen its systems, and build lasting relationships.
Teresa Huff introduced the ROI Framework™ in her 2022 TEDx talk, “The Real ROI of Grant Writing.” Our team has continued refining that work through training, strategy, and conversations with nonprofit leaders.
The ROIQ puts that experience into a tool you can use.
The Real ROI of Grant Writing TEDx, 2022
- 2025 Strategic Advisor of the Year, McAllister & Quinn
- Grant Writing Simplified® podcast, top 5% globally
- 10,000+ leaders trained through programs and keynotes
“I love working with Teresa and her team. They are professional, knowledgeable, and sincerely helpful in every way.”
Valerie S.
Nonprofit Practice, McAllister & Quinn
How it works
Fifteen minutes to step back and see more.
01
Step 01
Start the ROIQ
Free. No login or credit card needed.
02
Step 02
Tell us about your nonprofit
Answer a series of questions about how your organization operates today.
03
Step 03
Check your inbox
Your personalized PDF arrives within the hour with your scores, findings, and a recommended next step.
Who it’s for
When “go get grants” leaves you with more questions than answers.
The ROIQ can help if:
- Your board keeps asking about grants, and you need a clearer answer.
- You’re preparing to apply for the first time and want to know what to build first.
- You’ve received rejections and want to examine what could be stronger.
- Your nonprofit does meaningful work, but you struggle to show its value to funders.
- You’re ready to grow and want to put your limited time and resources where they count.
For foundations
Use the ROIQ to open conversations about capacity and help grantee organizations identify where support could make a difference.
Team reportIn development
Same organization. Different perspectives.
Your board, program staff, and executive team see your nonprofit from different angles. What feels clear to one person may look very different to another.
Each person can take the ROIQ for free. An aggregate Team Report is in development to bring those perspectives together and give your team a shared starting point for discussion.
Interested in a Team Report? Get in touch about current options.
Questions
Before you start.
How long does it take?
15 minutes. We built it to fit a lunch break, not a Saturday.
Who should take it?
Anyone with a real view into how your nonprofit runs. Executive directors and founders most often, but the diagnostic is built for the whole team, including board chairs, development directors, program staff, and operations leads.
What if I haven’t applied for grants before?
The ROIQ is useful at every stage. Before your first application, it shows you what to build first so the proposals you do send have a real shot. After a rejection, it helps you spot areas to strengthen before the next round. Between applications, it gives you a chance to step back and check your foundation.
Is this useful beyond grants?
Yes. The same systems, relationships, and communications that support grant readiness also shape your donor support and broader fundraising. Strengthening them pays off beyond your next application.
Can my team take it together?
Yes. Each person takes it free. An aggregate Team Report for boards and leadership teams is coming; reach out if you’re interested.
What do I get when I finish?
A PDF report delivered to your inbox within the hour. Your overall score, pillar scores, a breakdown across the nine areas, and a recommended next step. If it hasn’t landed, check your spam folder.
Does my score tell me whether we’ll get funded?
Your score shows where you stand and what you can strengthen. Funding decisions also depend on the fit, the funder’s priorities, and the competition. The ROIQ helps you work on the pieces within your control.
Is this a sales pitch in disguise?
No, the assessment and individual report are free. You can use the findings yourself, work through them with your team, or explore our support options.
Ready when you are
You’re carrying a lot. Get a clearer view of what needs you next.
Take 15 minutes to look at the organization behind the work.
See your strengths. Spot the gaps. Give your next step some direction.
Free · Personalized PDF report · Delivered within the hour
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