What this sample shows
The Grants Desk is $750 a month: your grants handled every month, entirely in writing. Each month you get one foundation proposal or two letters of inquiry, your grant calendar kept current, drafts of up to two funder reports due that month, and a one-page status note. The status note replaces the check-in call. There are no calls or meetings.
Below is a full sample status note: month 2 for the fictional Southwest Mountains Watershed Alliance, the same invented watershed group used in the sample roadmap, the sample audit and the sample proposal. The Virginia Environmental Endowment and the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge are real funders. Funders marked † are invented for this sample, and so are all the dates and amounts that belong to the client.
What is included each month, and what is not
| Included each month | Not included (a separate flat fee, or next month's deliverable instead) |
|---|---|
| One foundation proposal, or two letters of inquiry | A second proposal; a third letter of inquiry |
| Calendar upkeep: every date in the next 90 days re-checked on the funder's own page, new report dates added | New funder research (that is the Funding Roadmap) |
| Drafts of up to two foundation reports due that month | Further reports; government or federal applications and reports |
| One written status note, and answers to your email within two business days | Calls, meetings, board presentations or site visits |
| Editing your own budget into the funder's format | Building a budget from scratch; bookkeeping |
| Two review rounds on each deliverable | Rounds beyond two, or a change of direction after approval |
The term is three months, then month to month with 30 days' notice to end. Unused work does not roll over. Fees are flat. I never take a percentage of a grant.
How a month runs
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | I confirm the month's deliverable in writing, ask for any report data due, and re-check every date in the next 90 days |
| Weeks 1 to 3 | I draft the proposal or the two letters. You review in two rounds of written comments |
| Weeks 2 to 3 | I draft any funder reports due, using the funder's own questions. Your finance lead confirms every figure |
| Week 4 | I hand off the final and send the status note, with two or three options for next month. You choose by email |
Every date in the calendar carries one label: V verified on the funder's own page, E expected from the last cycle, R rolling, or 990 inferred from the tax filing only.
Sample: monthly status note
GRANTS DESK STATUS NOTE: Southwest Mountains Watershed Alliance, December 2026
Prepared December 18, 2026 by Short List Grants · Month 2 of the 3-month minimum
1. This month's deliverable
Proposal to the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, Community Grants Program (Nelson County buffer care). Amount requested: $6,000. This is also a cash match item in your Virginia Environmental Endowment budget.
Status: final draft handed off on December 17 after two review rounds. You submit from your own account. The window is expected to open in December and close in early February (E, based on last cycle's December 1 to February 2). I will confirm the decision date on the funder's page when the window opens.
2. Decisions and news
| Funder | What happened | Date | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Environmental Endowment | Your $25,000 proposal was submitted | Nov 24 | Board normally decides in April (E). Watch email from December to April in case VEE asks for more information |
| Riverbend Monitoring Fund† | Award letter received: $18,000 for stream monitoring | Dec 3 | Report dates added to the calendar below |
| Hollow Creek Trust† | Declined your 2025 request; feedback received | Dec 9 | Debrief note in your folder. Reapply in the fall 2027 cycle (E) |
3. What is due: reports
| Funder | Report | Due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverbend Monitoring Fund† | Interim report | Jan 31, 2027 (V) | Data needed from you. I draft it in January (report draft 1 of 2) |
| State water agency† | Final report on the 2025 sampling grant | Mar 15, 2027 (V) | Reminder at 60 days sent. Data and photos due from you Feb 5 |
4. What is due: pipeline, next 90 days
| Month | Funder / program | What is due | Date | Confidence | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec to Jan | Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge | You submit the proposal | by Jan 15 | E | Executive director |
| Jan | Riverbend Monitoring Fund† | Interim report: data from you, draft from me | Jan 31 | V | Finance manager, then me |
| Feb | River Basin Trust† | Letter of inquiry | Feb 12 | V | Me (next month's deliverable, if you choose it) |
| Feb | Valley Community Fund† | Letter of inquiry | rolling | R | Me |
| Mar | State water agency† | Final report | Mar 15 | V | Finance manager, then me |
5. Next month: please choose by December 28
- Option A. Two letters of inquiry: River Basin Trust† (due Feb 12, score 8 of 10) and Valley Community Fund† (rolling, score 7 of 10).
- Option B. One full proposal to Valley Community Fund† (rolling, score 7 of 10). This needs a short refresher written interview.
- Option C. Skip a new deliverable and spend the month on the two reports due in January and March.
My recommendation: Option A. Both funders fit your Nelson County work and sit in months with no other deadline. For it I will need: your last Riverbend report, two program stories with numbers, and the board list. No refresher interview is needed.
6. What I need from you now
- Your finance lead's budget-versus-actual for the Riverbend grant, by January 12.
- Monitoring counts for July to December and five photos with permission, by January 12.
- Your choice of Option A, B or C, by December 28.
7. News from you
Please reply with anything since December 1: funder replies or contacts, awards, declines, new deadlines, staff changes.
Totals to date: awarded 1 ($18,000) · pending 1 ($25,000) · declined 1
Why it is written, not a call
Everything a monthly check-in call would cover is in the note: what went in, what came back, what is due, and what I need from you. You reply by email, on your own time, and the note becomes the record your board can read. If something needs more than that, email me. I answer within two business days.