Stop chasing grant deadlines. Start with a Grant Readiness & Risk Audit.
A fixed-scope diagnostic for small and mid-sized nonprofits that need a cleaner grant pipeline, stronger proposal assets, better funder-fit decisions, and safer AI/data workflows.
Led by Jeremiah Onaolapo, Ph.D. | Grant development advisor with experience contributing to sponsored research proposals
The proposal is usually not the first problem
A grant deadline draws near.
The development team scrambles.
Program data is scattered all over the place. The budget story is not ready. Attachments are missing. Someone suggests using AI to speed things up, but no one is sure what client, donor, financial, or program information is safe to paste into an AI tool.
That’s a grant readiness problem.
Start with the Grant Readiness & Risk Audit
Strong proposals usually start before grant writing begins.
The Grant Readiness & Risk Audit reviews five readiness areas:
Funder fit
Evidence
Proposal assets
Workflow
AI / data safety
The outcome: You receive a practical view of where your grant system is strong, where it is exposed, and what should happen next.
Note: This is a fixed-fee audit. Pricing is confirmed before work begins.
Why this matters now
Grant readiness matters because public funding is a major revenue stream for nonprofits—not a side project.
“Government funding makes up almost one-third of nonprofits’ revenue.”
- Urban Institute, Nonprofit Trends and Impacts 2021–2023: National Findings on Government Grants and Contracts from 2019 to 2023 (published 2024)
Foundation grantmaking remains a serious funding channel. A stronger grant system helps your development team pursue foundation grants with better fit, evidence, and preparation.
“Foundation grantmaking surpassed the $100 billion mark for the third straight year.”
- Giving USA Foundation and Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Giving USA 2025: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2024 (published 2025)
As nonprofits use AI in grant work, there is a need for stronger systems for handling sensitive data—before staff paste client, donor, financial, or program information into AI tools.
“Data risks top AI concerns across causes.”
- Salesforce, Nonprofit Trends Report, 7th Edition (published 2025)
What you receive
Your Grant Readiness & Risk Audit includes a readiness scorecard, gap analysis, risk notes, and a 90-day action plan. You leave with a clear view of what is ready, what is missing, what is risky, and what to build next.
This is a good fit if your nonprofit has:
Existing programs with some track record
3–50 staff or a small development team
Some prior grant activity, but no mature grant system
ED-led fundraising or overloaded development capacity
Scattered narratives, attachments, budgets, or outcomes data
Sensitive client, youth, housing, health, education, donor, or community data
Interest in AI, but concern about privacy, confidentiality, or funder trust
A staff member who can gather documents and coordinate internal input
Best fit: small and mid-sized nonprofits in human services, youth/education, rural or community development, digital equity, arts/culture, and municipal-nonprofit partnerships.
This is probably NOT the right fit if you:
Need an emergency proposal written in the next few days
Want guaranteed grant awards
Want commission-based or percentage-of-award compensation
Have no internal point person for grant work
Cannot provide program, budget, or outcomes information
Want someone to solicit donors or funders directly without compliance review
Are looking for “free money” instead of a disciplined grant process
Ready to minimize the scramble before your next grant deadline shows up?
Meet your grant readiness advisor
I’m Jeremiah Onaolapo, Ph.D., founder of Ghostapex, a Vermont-based consulting company.
My background includes research, technical communication, and sponsored project strategy. Prior to business consulting, I served as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Vermont (UVM). That shapes how I handle grant readiness: evidence, fit, documentation, workflow, and safer handling of sensitive information.
I obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Science from University College London, and my research has been featured by major news outlets—including BBC News, Huffington Post, and New Scientist.
I do not promise grant wins. I do not work on commission. I do not handle charitable funds.
Jeremiah Onaolapo, Ph.D., speaking as a panelist at UVM’s inaugural Research, Innovation, Sustainability, and Entrepreneurship (RISE) Summit in 2023. Photography by Joshua Defibaugh.
What happens on the readiness call
The call is 30 minutes.
We will discuss your current grant process, upcoming deadlines, common bottlenecks, AI/data concerns, and whether the Grant Readiness & Risk Audit is the right next step.
Please do not send any sensitive client, donor, beneficiary, financial, or confidential program data before we agree on a secure workflow.
Ready to build the grant system your team needs?
After the Grant Readiness & Risk audit
Depending on what the audit finds, additional support may include:
Proposal infrastructure: Turning audit findings into reusable proposal assets and a cleaner grant workflow.
Safe AI + data workflow guidance: Helping your team use AI and shared documents more responsibly in grant work.
Fractional grant development partner: Ongoing support for nonprofits that need more grant capacity but are not ready for a full-time grants role.
Note: Ongoing support is usually recommended only after a readiness audit or focused diagnostic.
Ready to build the grant system your team needs?
Start with a 30-minute call to determine if the Grant Readiness & Risk Audit is a good fit.
No grant-win guarantees. No commission. No sensitive data needed before the call.