Nonprofit Characteristics Foundations Seek Before Making Grants

Characteristics of successful nonprofits
“A fully functioning, effective nonprofit organization does not just appear out of thin air,” Herbert said, noting that there are different stages in the nonprofit life cycle: idea stage, startup stage, growth stage and mature stage.

“Ask yourself where you are in the lifecycle continuum” to determine where you are in the process, she advised. Don’t expect to be ready for a grant application if you’re early in the life cycle.