Communications are one of the most visible aspects of any grant programme. The guidelines applicants read, the emails they receive, the decision letters they get, and the post-award communications that shape their relationship with the funder — all of these affect applicant experience, application quality, and the sector's perception of the funder.
This guide covers best practices for grant programme communications at every stage of the grant lifecycle.
Programme launch communications. When a new round opens, clear launch communications — describing what's available, who can apply, how much, and by when — should reach the organisations most likely to be eligible. Don't assume that eligible organisations will find the programme; actively communicate to the networks, sector bodies, and intermediaries that reach your target applicants.
Guidelines and eligibility information. Application guidelines should be complete, clear, and available before the round opens. Applicants who need to check eligibility or plan their applications before the deadline need time to do so. Vague, incomplete, or late guidelines generate unnecessary enquiries and disadvantage applicants who don't have existing funder relationships to rely on.
Pre-application questions. Many applicants have questions before they apply — about eligibility, about whether their project fits the programme, about specific requirements. A clear contact channel for pre-application questions — and responsive, helpful answers — builds applicant confidence and improves application quality.
Webinars and information sessions. For complex programmes or programmes targeting organisations without grant-writing experience, information sessions (live or recorded) that explain the programme and answer common questions level the playing field and reduce low-quality applications.
Acknowledgement of receipt. Automatic acknowledgement when an application is submitted confirms that the application was received and helps applicants know they don't need to follow up. A clear reference number allows applicants to track their application.
Incomplete application notifications. If the online system allows early notification of incomplete applications — before the deadline — this reduces the number of applications that need to be rejected for incompleteness and creates a better applicant experience.
Timeline reminders. As the application deadline approaches, a reminder communication to applicants who started but haven't submitted helps reduce missed deadlines for partially completed applications.
Technical support. For online application portals, a clear route to technical support — for problems with the system, file uploads, or account access — should be communicated to applicants.
Assessment timeline updates. Applicants who submitted don't know what's happening during assessment. Communicating when applicants can expect to hear — and notifying them if the timeline changes — is basic good practice that many programmes neglect.
Request for additional information. When assessors need clarification or additional information from applicants, how this is communicated matters. Requests should be specific (what exactly is needed, why), through a consistent channel, with a realistic response deadline.
Status updates. For long assessment processes (more than 4-6 weeks), a brief update — "your application is currently in assessment; we expect to notify applicants by [date]" — maintains confidence and reduces status enquiry volumes.
Successful applicants. Decision communications to successful applicants should:
- Confirm the grant amount approved (which may differ from the application amount)
- Explain any changes to the approved scope or conditions
- Outline next steps (agreement execution, payment timing)
- Provide a contact for questions
Unsuccessful applicants. Decision communications to unsuccessful applicants are one of the most neglected and most important aspects of grant programme communications:
Generic decline letters ("thank you for your application; unfortunately we had more applications than funding available") without any specific feedback are a significant failure of funder accountability to the sector.
Agreement execution. Clear communication about the grant agreement process — what the grantee needs to sign, how, by when, and what happens next — avoids delays in getting grants moving.
Payment notifications. When payment is made, notification to the grantee — with the date, amount, and payment reference — allows grantees to reconcile their bank records and confirms that the grant is underway.
Milestone and reporting reminders. Automated reminders before milestone and reporting deadlines — with enough lead time for grantees to prepare — reduce late submissions and the follow-up work they generate.
Programme updates. For grantees in multi-year relationships or active programmes, periodic updates about programme developments, learnings from across the portfolio, or sector news relevant to their work build the relationship and demonstrate the funder's ongoing engagement.
Recognition and celebration. Celebrating grantee achievements — sharing impact stories, recognising programme milestones, acknowledging significant outcomes — builds relationship and provides applicants and the public with a positive view of what funded work can achieve.
Results publication. Publishing the results of each funding round — who was funded, for what, and how much — is standard practice for transparent funders. This helps the sector understand the funder's priorities, helps applicants calibrate future applications, and demonstrates accountability.
Programme learnings. Sharing what the programme learned from a round — about what strong applications look like, about emerging themes across the portfolio, about challenges applicants are facing — contributes to sector learning and positions the funder as a thoughtful partner.
Programme changes. When the programme changes — new eligibility criteria, new priorities, new process — communicating changes clearly and with adequate notice is basic courtesy to applicants who plan their applications around programme parameters.
Grant programme communications should be:
Plain language. Clear, direct, and free of jargon. If an applicant has to read a sentence three times to understand it, rewrite the sentence.
Respectful. Applicants are investing significant time in applications. Communications that acknowledge this investment — rather than treating applicants as supplicants seeking charity — build better relationships.
Honest. Funders who communicate honestly — including when the news is bad, when they've made mistakes, or when the programme is changing — build more credibility than those who manage communications for perception rather than accuracy.
Timely. Communications that arrive when they're expected, and when they're useful, are more valuable than those that arrive late or at the wrong point in the process.
Tahua provides automated communication workflows — acknowledgements, status updates, decision notifications, and reporting reminders — that make it easy to maintain professional, consistent communications throughout the grant lifecycle.