Creating an Evergreen Content Library

As the federal funding landscape shifts, staying ahead of the curve is your secret weapon. One way to be proactive instead of reactive is to develop a submission ‘go bag’ – a library of core materials that can be quickly tailored to each grant opportunity. The goal isn’t to guess what a specific program wants but to prepare common content required in most applications. Instead of reinventing the wheel for every opportunity, you’ll have polished, reusable content at your fingertips, ready to tailor and deploy. When the basics are prepped and primed, you have more time to focus on crafting sharper, more competitive proposals.

 

What To Include in Your Grant Content Library 

Organizational Information

• Founding story, mission statement, company objectives

• Legal structure and EIN  

• Registration Information  

Key Staff and Qualifications 

• Updated bios and resumes for key staff  

• Organizational chart or team structure  

Needs Assessment and Problem Statements

• Clear description of community or industry need

• Descriptions of projects, programs, services, unique approaches, and how they address that need

Past Performance and Grant History

• Include funder name, award size, project dates, and impact

• Summary of previously funded projects and outcomes

Financial Documentation

• Recent audits and 990s (for nonprofits)

• Organizational and project-specific budgets

Policies and Reference Materials

• Descriptions of organizational policies, such as sustainability, data security, and evaluation

• Strategic plans, executive summaries, or annual reports

Partner or Customer Information

• Partner descriptions and roles

• Active MOUs or agreements

• Letters of support, commitment, or partnership

 

Where to Start

• Pull strong language, reusable data, and descriptions from previous proposals.

• Set up an organized folder system with clear naming conventions and version control.

• Schedule regular updates for a library refresh, especially for staff resumes, financials, and data.

 

The Good News

You likely already have most of what you need! It just needs to be organized and fine-tuned. A little effort now means less stress when deadlines sneak up on you.

Need a jumpstart? CFS can help you audit, organize, and build a grant-ready content library tailored to your funding goals.