You can keep your church-facing ministry language for internal communication while using clear community-service language for funders.
Readiness intake
Get grant-ready in four simple steps.
Answer a few practical questions and MANNA builds your readiness score, the gaps to fix first, and funder-ready language for your programs — nothing invented.
Guided Intake
Four simple steps to grant-ready.
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Autosaves locally while you work. Use login when you want permanent account storage.Save profile with loginStep 1 · Your organization
Tell us about your organization.
Identity & eligibilityWhat funders check first.
Contact & locationWhere you operate and how funders reach you.
Mission & reachWho you serve and why.
CapacityThe scale funders use to size grants.
Eligibility & federal readinessQuick yes/no — what unlocks foundation and federal grants.
Step 2 · Compliance readiness
Documents funders expect
Step 3 · Programs
Structure each fundable program
What ministry do you run?
Start with church language, then MANNA turns it into funder-safe program language.
Pick a starter only as a guide. Edit the services, numbers, and evidence so the report stays accurate.
Ministry-to-grant translator
Translate ministry work into funder-ready program language.
Safe Pathways Youth Initiative
Safe Pathways Youth Initiative can be structured as a Youth development and mentoring program serving the community members this program serves. The program provides Mentoring, Tutoring, Leadership development, Family engagement. The program should add a clear, data-supported statement of community need before being used in a grant application. This draft is based on the information entered and should be reviewed against each funder's rules before applying.
- Attendance sheet or digital sign-in
- Basic intake form with consent to receive services
- Separate photo/testimonial consent
Translation guideSee church language examples
Youth Bible study→Youth development, mentoring, family engagement, and safe youth programmingKeep Bible study language for church communications. For restricted grants, describe the community-service portion separately.
Tutoring ministry→Academic support, after-school enrichment, and youth success programTrack attendance, grade range, schools served, tutoring hours, and academic-support milestones.
- What do you currently do for youth: Bible study, mentoring, tutoring, meals, sports, arts, leadership, transportation, parent support, or safe activities?
- What age groups, schools, zip codes, and neighborhoods are represented?
- How often do youth attend, and how many youth are served monthly and annually?
Youth enrolledAge, grade, school, zip code, and parent/guardian contact
AttendanceSession dates, frequency, and participation pattern
Mentoring activityMentor match, session count, topics covered, and follow-up needs
- Program name
- Who the program serves
- Age range served
GuardrailsClaims and compliance notes
Claims to avoid
- Do not claim proven outcomes until you track and can document them.
- Do not claim consistent participation until attendance is documented.
- Do not claim demographic reach unless it is collected voluntarily and appropriately.
- Do not say the organization is eligible, approved, guaranteed, or likely to receive funding.
- Do not describe restricted public funds as paying for worship, religious instruction, or proselytizing.
Faith-based compliance
For public or restricted grants, explicitly religious activities such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytizing should be separate, voluntary, and not paid for with restricted grant funds unless the funder clearly allows it.
Readiness score4
Not ready
Build the foundation before pursuing major grants.Score-driven next steps
What to fix, and which grants to pursue.
Confirm 501(c)(3) status or document a fiscal sponsor path.
Program draft: Create a program budget and budget narrative.
- Legal/Admin Readiness: 0/20
- Financial Readiness: 0/15
- Data Collection: 0/15
Grant expert review
Is your proposal competitive?
This organization is at 4/100 readiness and 1/100 proposal competitiveness. MANNA's grant-writer lens places this profile in the "Readiness buildout first" stage. The strongest next move is to fix evidence, budget, public proof, and compliance gaps before paying for a full proposal.
- Document gaps: IRS determination letter, Articles of incorporation, Bylaws.
- Data gaps: Attendance tracking, Participant demographics, Outcomes and evaluation data.
- Website needs a Community Impact page with program descriptions, outcomes, referrals, and partner proof.
- Program budget and budget narrative are missing.
Program competitivenessEach program gets a simple funder-readiness lane.
Program draft
0/100 - Not proposal-readyBest funder lanes
Indiana community foundations, Youth development foundations, Violence-prevention funders
Fix next
- Write a one-paragraph problem statement using local data and lived community need.
- Start a simple attendance tracker before applying.
- Choose 2-4 measurable outcomes and create a pre/post or follow-up tracker.
Funder-specific strategy
Where to look first.
MANNA prioritizes funder lanes by fit, credibility, and readiness. Review official funder rules before applying.
Center for Congregations
Best first lane for Indiana congregations that need capacity, planning, technology, or ministry infrastructure before larger grants.
Confirm current program rules, matching requirements, deadlines, and eligible expenses on the official site.First step: Prepare a clear congregation need, project purpose, quote/budget, and how the project strengthens community-serving work.Local Indiana community foundations
Usually the strongest early grant lane because geography, relationships, and documented local impact matter.
County focus should prioritize local grants but not hide statewide or national opportunities.First step: Match the program to the county served, verify the current grant cycle, and gather partner letters plus local outcome data.Lilly Endowment
Strong strategic target for larger Indiana work, but many opportunities are initiative-based or relationship/invitation-driven.
Do not position every church project as Lilly-ready; build evidence, partners, and scale first.First step: Track relevant initiatives, build a board-ready concept memo, and identify whether the project fits an active Lilly pathway.Walmart Spark Good / corporate local giving
Good quick-hit lane for documented local community benefit and practical needs.
Amounts are often smaller and rules change; verify the current application channel before applying.First step: Use a concise project summary, nonprofit/fiscal sponsor proof, budget, and local impact numbers.Find a grant writer for review
When to hire a grant writer.
Use MANNA to fix readiness gaps first; then seek a grant writer for review when the program packet is stronger.
Look for a grant writer or consultant with faith-based nonprofit experience, Indiana foundation knowledge, and compliance comfort with public/private grants.
What to sendReview packet
- MANNA readiness report and score breakdown
- Official funder link, deadline, guidelines, and application instructions
- Program description, target population, services, schedule, and counties served
- Attendance/outcome data, testimonials, photos with consent, and partner letters
Questions to askHiring screen
- Have you written grants for churches or faith-based nonprofits without creating public-funding compliance risk?
- Which funders in Indiana or this category do you think are the strongest fit, and why?
- What evidence is missing before this proposal would be competitive?
- Will you review official eligibility and application guidelines before drafting?
Red flagsProtect the ministry
- Guarantees funding, eligibility, or approval.
- Wants to draft without reading the official funder guidelines.
- Does not ask for data, budget, outcomes, or source links.
- Blends worship/religious instruction into restricted public-grant activities without warning.
Readiness roadmap
Your 7 / 30 / 90-day plan
Fix the first blockers
- IRS determination letter
- Attendance tracking
- Open source links for your top funders and confirm current eligibility.
Build the funder-ready packet
- Prepare program budget, board list, IRS/fiscal-sponsor proof, and partner list.
- Write one community-facing program summary with outputs, outcomes, and service area.
- Update website language so funders can see community impact clearly.
Move into applications
- Pursue local/community foundation opportunities first.
- Request letters of support and confirm data collection is active.
- Bring in a grant writer only after the funder page and readiness gaps are reviewed.
Funding readiness levels
What you can pursue now
PrepareChurch / congregation grants
Add an active program and basic proof of work.
PrepareLocal community foundations
Confirm EIN and basic documents first.
PreparePrivate foundations
Finish program budget and public impact language.
PrepareCorporate giving
Confirm nonprofit status and financials.
PrepareDonor-advised fund visibility
Improve website, financials, and public proof.
PrepareFederal / public grants
SAM.gov, UEI, compliance, and reporting capacity needed.
Missing Documents
What to fix first
- IRS determination letter
- Articles of incorporation
- Bylaws
- Board list
- Board meeting minutes
- Conflict-of-interest policy
- Financial controls policy
- Annual budget
- Program budget or project budget template
- Most recent financial statement or profit/loss report
Missing Data
What evidence to collect
- Attendance tracking
- Participant demographics
- Outcomes and evaluation data
- Testimonials or impact stories
- Intake form
- Consent form
Next actions
Recommended next steps
- Confirm 501(c)(3) status or document a fiscal sponsor path.
- Complete SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID setup before federal applications.
- Prioritize missing documents: IRS determination letter, Articles of incorporation, Bylaws.
- Start collecting core data: Attendance tracking, Participant demographics, Outcomes and evaluation data.
- Structure lower-scoring programs before using them in applications.
- Add a Community Impact page with program descriptions, outcomes tracked, referral paths, and partner proof.
- Collect partner names and letters of support for the strongest programs.
Aligned funding
Real opportunities for your programs
Matching your programs to live funders…
MANNA shows potential fits from your live directory. Eligibility, approval, amount, and timing are decided by the funder.
Your Smart Grant Calendar
What to prepare, and when
Building your calendar…
Grant writer packet
What a grant writer needs to seal the deal
- Organization summary: organization name needed, county needed County
- Primary program: program name needed (Youth Development)
- Readiness status: 4/100 — Not ready
- Top missing document: IRS determination letter
- Top missing data: Attendance tracking
- Attach official funder link, deadline, eligibility notes, and application instructions before writing starts.
- Include budget notes, partner list, outcome metrics, and compliance warnings.
This packet is for proposal review, LOIs, full applications, and monthly pipeline support. MANNA still uses potential-fit language only; funders decide eligibility, approval, amount, and timing.
Complete readiness report
A summary your board and partners can read.
Indiana
Not ready
Final eligibility must be verified with each funder.
Readiness buildout first
Executive summary
This organization is building grant readiness for its community through Youth Development. MANNA scored the current profile at 4/100 and identified the highest-priority gaps before applications should move forward.
Funder-ready program language
Safe Pathways Youth Initiative can be structured as a Youth development and mentoring program serving the community members this program serves. The program provides Mentoring, Tutoring, Leadership development, Family engagement. The program should add a clear, data-supported statement of community need before being used in a grant application. This draft is based on the information entered and should be reviewed against each funder's rules before applying.
Grant expert review
This organization is at 4/100 readiness and 1/100 proposal competitiveness. MANNA's grant-writer lens places this profile in the "Readiness buildout first" stage. The strongest next move is to fix evidence, budget, public proof, and compliance gaps before paying for a full proposal.
Top readiness gaps
- IRS determination letter
- Articles of incorporation
- Bylaws
- Board list
- Attendance tracking
- Participant demographics
- Outcomes and evaluation data
Grant-writer review gaps
- Document gaps: IRS determination letter, Articles of incorporation, Bylaws.
- Data gaps: Attendance tracking, Participant demographics, Outcomes and evaluation data.
- Website needs a Community Impact page with program descriptions, outcomes, referrals, and partner proof.
- Program budget and budget narrative are missing.
Next actions
- Confirm 501(c)(3) status or document a fiscal sponsor path.
- Complete SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID setup before federal applications.
- Prioritize missing documents: IRS determination letter, Articles of incorporation, Bylaws.
- Start collecting core data: Attendance tracking, Participant demographics, Outcomes and evaluation data.
- Structure lower-scoring programs before using them in applications.
MANNA helps identify potential funding fits and readiness gaps. Eligibility, approval, award amount, and timing are always determined by the funder.
Funder-ready language
Language preview
Website copy
Our organization provides community-based youth development services for families and residents in our community. Through structured programs, trusted relationships, partner referrals, and practical support, we help reduce barriers, strengthen families, and track measurable progress for the people we serve.
Grant narrative
Our youth development program provides structured, community-focused services for community residents. The program is designed to address documented barriers through direct service, referral coordination, partner collaboration, and consistent outcome tracking. This is a potential grant-ready program and should be reviewed against each funder's eligibility, compliance, and evidence requirements before applying.
Community Impact pageProgram description pageYouth program pageReentry program pageWorkforce program pageFood pantry pageMental health/wellness pageVolunteer pagePartner pageDonation pageOrganization backgroundStatement of need
Your dashboard
What you'll see
- Complete, incomplete, and urgent items
- Grant-ready programs
- Programs that need more structure
- Compliance status
- Website, data, and language status
Export & sharing
Board-ready outputs
- Grant readiness report PDF
- Program profile PDF
- Missing document checklist
- Data collection checklist
- Website language copy
- Grant narrative draft
- Board/partner packet
Use your browser's Save as PDF option for a board packet, intake review, or grant-writer handoff.
How the score works: MANNA weighs legal/admin readiness, financial readiness, program clarity, data collection, outcomes/evaluation, website credibility, partnerships, and sustainability. The score is a readiness indicator, not a funding guarantee.