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A free evaluation plan for your grant application
Most federal applications, and many state and foundation ones, score the evaluation plan. Many expect an independent evaluator to be named. If you are applying, we will write the evaluation plan with you at no charge. If the grant is funded, we serve as your external evaluator at the amount budgeted in the application. If it is not funded, you owe nothing.
What you receive before the deadline
- An evaluation plan written to the announcement’s scoring criteria
- A logic model
- A performance measures table with data sources, methods and timeline
- An evaluation budget and budget justification
- A letter of commitment and an evaluator biographical sketch
- A review of your goals and objectives, so they are measurable as written
We are a mixed-methods practice, so the plan shows reviewers both how you will count results and how you will explain them. The design draws on everything we do: surveys, focus groups, interviews, observations, needs assessments, qualitative and quantitative analysis, data management, data visualization and final reporting in multiple formats. Reviewers can tell when an evaluation plan was written by people who do the work.
How it works
- Send the funding announcement, your project summary and your deadline.
- We hold a 30-minute call to understand the program and the data you can realistically collect.
- You receive a first draft of the evaluation plan and logic model, usually within five business days.
- One round of revisions with you and your grant writer, then final documents in the format the application requires.
What evaluation usually costs
The evaluation budget is written into the application, so it is paid from the grant and not from your operating funds. Typical ranges:
- NSF Advanced Technological Education projects: generally between 4 and 10 percent of direct costs (EvaluATE).
- SAMHSA announcements: the FY2026 announcements we reviewed score data collection and performance measurement at 15 to 20 of 100 points and require a named evaluator as key personnel. Older announcements capped this spending at 20 percent of the award; the FY2026 ones we read state no such cap, so check the funding restrictions in your own announcement (SAMHSA detail).
- AmeriCorps State and National: grantees at $500,000 or more a year must arrange an external evaluation (45 CFR 2522.710); the budget follows the design.
The right number is the one that matches the evaluation the funder is asking for. We size it to the announcement, not to a percentage.
Grant writers
If you write applications for several clients, we can be your standing evaluation partner: one call per announcement, evaluation plans and logic models delivered on your timeline, and a named evaluator for every proposal that needs one.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. Writing the evaluation plan is how we earn the evaluation work if you are funded. There is no invoice if you are not.
Does naming you in the application satisfy our procurement rules?
Often, but not always. Many organizations may contract with a consultant named in the approved application. Others must still document a competitive selection above certain dollar thresholds. Check your procurement policy early. We will supply whatever documentation you need, including scope, qualifications and cost basis.
We already have a grant writer.
Good. We handle the evaluation plan and coordinate with your writer so the goals, objectives and measures line up across the narrative.
How much notice do you need?
Three weeks before the deadline is comfortable. One week is possible for most announcements. Inside one week, ask.
Where do you work?
Remotely, with organizations across the United States. Site visits are budgeted into the evaluation when the design calls for them.
What kinds of programs?
Our experience is extensive in health care, suicide prevention, post-traumatic stress and depression, veteran support services, first responders, domestic violence, human trafficking, missing and murdered Indigenous women, child support services, pregnancy and postpartum services, and recidivism and other prison-related support services, among many others.
Send us the announcement
A link to the funding announcement, a few lines about the project and your deadline are enough to start.
Every inquiry is confidential. We never sell or share your information. Privacy policy.