Funding Readiness Scorecard — FaithWorks Collaborative
FaithWorks Collaborative  ·  Free Assessment

The Funding Readiness
Scorecard

Find out exactly which of the 5 funding gaps is costing your organization the most — and what your specific next step is based on where you actually stand.

Questions
20
Time
~10 min
Score
0 – 20
Cost
Free
0 of 20 answered 0%
1
The Positioning Gap
Can funders understand who you are in one sentence?
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▼
Funders don't invest in confusion. If three people from your organization answered "what do you do?" and gave three different answers, you have a Positioning Gap. The grant writer may write the words, but the funder is evaluating the organization behind the words.
1. How would you describe your organization's primary work in one sentence?
We do several things — it's hard to narrow it down to one sentence
0 pts
We have a general description but it's not specific to a population or geography
1 pt
We have a clear one-sentence positioning statement naming a specific population, problem, geography, and approach
2 pts
2. If three people from your team were each asked "what does your organization do?" — how similar would their answers be?
Very different — everyone would say something different
0 pts
Somewhat similar — the general idea would be there but the wording and emphasis would vary
1 pt
Very consistent — everyone says essentially the same thing because we have a shared, practiced statement
2 pts
3. Does your organization's name, website, and grant proposals all describe your work the same way?
No — they each emphasize different things
0 pts
Partially — some materials are aligned but others are outdated or inconsistent
1 pt
Yes — our messaging is consistent across all channels and materials
2 pts
4. Have you tested your positioning with someone outside your organization in the last 12 months?
No — we've never formally tested it with an outside audience
0 pts
Informally — we've mentioned it to people but haven't tracked how they respond
1 pt
Yes — we've tested it with external stakeholders and refined it based on their feedback
2 pts
2
The Proof Gap
Can you show funders the evidence that your work works?
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▼
Funders aren't investing in your vision. They're investing in your ability to execute it. Stories are the wrapper. Outcomes are the substance. If you can't answer how many people you served last year, what changed for them, and how you know — you have a Proof Gap.
5. Can you state — right now — how many people your organization served in the last 12 months, with a specific number?
No — we don't track this systematically
0 pts
Approximately — we have a general sense but not precise tracking
1 pt
Yes — we track service numbers and can state a specific count immediately
2 pts
6. Do you have documented outcomes — what changed for the people you served — not just activities or outputs?
No — we track what we do but not what changes as a result
0 pts
Partially — we collect some testimonials and stories but not systematic outcome data
1 pt
Yes — we have documented, measurable outcomes from the last 12 months ready to put in a funder report
2 pts
7. Do you have a logic model or theory of change that is less than 18 months old?
No — we don't have one
0 pts
We have something but it's outdated or incomplete
1 pt
Yes — we have a current logic model that maps inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes
2 pts
8. Have any funders or community leaders referenced your organization to other funders — based on your results?
Not that we're aware of
0 pts
Possibly — we've received a referral or two but aren't sure if it was results-driven
1 pt
Yes — we have documented instances of being referred to funders based on our track record
2 pts
3
The Partner Gap
Do funders see you as connected or isolated?
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▼
Funders want to see one strong organization standing inside a network of credible partners. Most faith-based organizations have informal relationships. Funders need to see formal ones. The difference: "we work with people" vs. "we have a documented coalition delivering measurable outcomes."
9. Can you name at least 3 community organizations that would formally vouch for your work — with an MOU, contract, or documented collaboration?
No — we have informal relationships but nothing formal or documented
0 pts
1–2 formal partners but our bench is thin
1 pt
Yes — 3 or more documented partner organizations that we could list in a grant application today
2 pts
10. Are you currently named as a partner — not just participating, but formally named — in any collaborative grant or funded initiative?
No — we've never been formally named in a collaborative grant
0 pts
We've been involved in collaboratives informally but weren't formally named as a partner
1 pt
Yes — we are or have been formally named as a partner in a collaborative grant or funded program
2 pts
11. Do your partners represent diverse types of credibility — program, fiscal, institutional, or distribution?
No — our partners are mostly similar types of organizations (e.g., all churches or all community orgs)
0 pts
Somewhat — we have some diversity but are missing key types (e.g., no institutional or fiscal partners)
1 pt
Yes — our partner bench includes different types that strengthen our credibility across different funder categories
2 pts
12. Have you added a new formal partner relationship in the last 12 months?
No — our partner relationships have been the same for more than a year
0 pts
We've explored new partnerships but nothing is formalized yet
1 pt
Yes — we added at least one new formal partner relationship in the last 12 months
2 pts
4
The Funder Gap
Are you fishing in the right streams — or just the obvious ones?
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▼
Most organizations spend their time on the same 2–3 streams everyone else searches. There are 9 funding streams available to most faith-based organizations. The ones getting funded consistently are pursuing 4–6 of them. Invisibility in the other streams is a choice you may not know you're making.
13. How many distinct funding streams is your organization currently active in? (Government grants, foundations, DAFs, hospital community benefit, corporate CSR, CDFIs, United Way, earned revenue, faith-based networks)
1 or 2 streams — mostly government grants or foundation grants
0 pts
3 streams — we've diversified somewhat but still have big gaps
1 pt
4 or more streams — we have an intentional multi-stream funding strategy
2 pts
14. Can you name 3 specific funders — right now — whose current giving priorities align with your work?
No — I'd have to look them up
0 pts
I can name 1–2 but couldn't name 3 with confidence right now
1 pt
Yes — I can name 3 or more specific funders whose current priorities align with our work
2 pts
15. Do you have a documented Funder Target List — not a database subscription — but a curated list of funders aligned to your specific work?
No — we search for funders as opportunities come up, not proactively
0 pts
We have a partial list but it's not regularly updated or fully aligned to our work
1 pt
Yes — we have a curated, current Funder Target List that we actively manage and update
2 pts
16. Are you aware of the hospital community benefit or CDFI funding available in your region?
No — I'm not familiar with either of these streams
0 pts
I've heard of them but haven't identified specific opportunities in my region
1 pt
Yes — I can name the hospital(s) or CDFI(s) in my region and have explored or pursued these streams
2 pts
5
The Access Gap
Are you known before you ask — or just when you apply?
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▼
This is the most expensive gap on the list. A cold submission — a proposal from an organization the funder has never heard of — competes against 200 others with under a 4% approval rate. A warm submission — from an organization the funder already knows — is a completely different conversation. Same proposal. Completely different outcome.
17. In the last 6 months, have you had a non-application conversation with at least one funder in your primary funding stream?
No — we only contact funders when we're applying or following up on an application
0 pts
We've attended events where funders were present but haven't had direct relationship conversations
1 pt
Yes — we've had at least one direct, intentional relationship conversation with a funder outside of the application process
2 pts
18. Do funders in your community know your organization's name before you submit — because of your presence, not your application?
No — most funders would not know us until they receive our application
0 pts
Some funders know us but it's not consistent — it depends on who we've happened to meet
1 pt
Yes — we are visible and known in our funding community before we ever submit an application
2 pts
19. When you submit a grant application, is it the first time that funder has heard from you — or does it arrive in the context of an existing relationship?
First contact — our applications are almost always cold submissions
0 pts
Mixed — some submissions are warm, many are still cold
1 pt
Most of our applications arrive in the context of a prior relationship or introduction
2 pts
20. Do you have a strategy for being introduced to funders through trusted intermediaries — partners, denominational networks, or community coalitions?
No — we rely on direct outreach or open grant applications
0 pts
We've used introductions occasionally but don't have a systematic strategy
1 pt
Yes — we intentionally cultivate relationships that can introduce us to the right funders
2 pts

Answer all 20 questions to see your results

Your Funding Readiness Score
0
out of 20
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Your Score by Gap
Positioning Gap
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Proof Gap
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Partner Gap
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Funder Gap
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Access Gap
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Your Recommended Next Step

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