Grant Application Review & Evaluation

A polished proposal can still be a poor investment.

mo:) provides independent, criteria-based review of grant applications for foundations, public agencies, corporate giving programs, and other grantmakers. We look beyond presentation to determine whether an application actually responds to the opportunity, whether the proposed work is credible and executable, and how well it advances the impact the funder is trying to achieve.

What we evaluate 

Depending on the engagement, review may include:

• Eligibility and responsiveness to published requirements

• Alignment with funding priorities and intended impact

• Organizational capacity and readiness to execute

• Feasibility of the proposed approach, timeline, and partnerships

• Budget alignment and reasonableness

• Outcomes, measurement strategy, and evidence of impact

• Gaps, inconsistencies, risks, and unsupported assumptions

• Comparative strength when multiple applications are competing for limited funds

How it works

Grant review is a finite, independent engagement. The funder provides the application materials, evaluation criteria, scoring framework, and deadline. mo:) reviews each assigned application against those standards and provides the agreed scoring, written analysis, recommendations, or comparative assessment.

We can support anything from initial eligibility screening through substantive application review and final comparative analysis. Development or substantial revision of a funder’s evaluation rubric is scoped separately.

Independence matters

mo:) will not evaluate an application or competition in which we assisted an applicant or have another material conflict of interest. Potential conflicts are disclosed before assignments are accepted.

Pricing

Grant application review starts at $110 per application, with a five-application minimum.

Assignments involving unusually lengthy or technical applications, specialized compliance review, rubric development, consensus panels, or additional analysis are quoted separately.