Common Mistakes in Grant Management (and How to Avoid Them)
Lessons for funders—simple fixes that improve fairness, speed and assurance.
By Plinth Team
Common Mistakes in Grant Management (and How to Avoid Them)
Most problems stem from unclear criteria, manual processes and poor records—each fixable with simple changes.
- Publish plain‑English guidance and examples.
- Standardise workflows and due diligence.
- Keep clean audit trails and feedback.
Frequent pitfalls
Avoid these patterns.
- Over‑long forms not mapped to scoring.
- Email‑based reviews with missing logs.
- Heavy reporting for small grants.
Key takeaway: proportionate, structured processes work best.
Practical remedies
Make improvements step by step.
- Templates for criteria, feedback and agreements.
- Reviewer calibration and conflict logging.
- AI assistance for summaries and reporting.
Key takeaway: Plinth bakes in most fixes by default.
Sustaining good practice
Review annually and share learning.
- Track time saved and applicant feedback.
- Publish fairness and transparency statements.
- Iterate policies based on evidence.
Key takeaway: continuous improvement builds trust.
FAQs
What’s the quickest win?
Clarity—rewrite guidance and map forms to criteria.
How do we secure buy‑in?
Pilot changes and show measured improvements.
Do we need external consultants?
Not always; start with templates and data from your platform.