Grantmaker Due Diligence Questionnaire

15 Questions Foundations Should Ask as Part of Their Grantee Due Diligence

Your foundation has a strong mission, and the programs you fund are a reflection of your priorities and values. By completing some basic due diligence, you can gain valuable insight into the level of alignment between your foundation’s mission and your potential grantees’ objectives.

Whether you are building a due diligence process for your grantmaking or fine-tuning your current process, this questionnaire will help you gather the information you need to be confident that the grantees you select can use the funds effectively to further your shared goals. These questions will cover what you need to know about grantseekers’

  • Mission and priorities

  • Financial health and compliance

  • Organizational structure and governance

Interested in learning more about the importance of strong due diligence during the grantmaking process? Watch our on-demand webinar, Due Diligence Defined: What “Being Compliant” Really Means for Grantmakers.”

This questionnaire was created in conjunction with Liz Gousse Ballotte, a Principal at PKF O’Connor Davies with more than 15 years of operational and organizational consulting and management experience. Liz specializes in developing and performing grant compliance reviews, new business initiatives, internal control reviews and M&A implementations. She has experience in federal grant compliance, benefits analysis, financial analysis, and research.