Anatomy of an RFP — What Funders Are Really Asking

An RFP — Request for Proposals — is a funder’s invitation to apply. It can be two pages or two hundred. Either way, it contains the same essential information, and learning to read it systematically is one of the most important skills you’ll develop.

What “RFP” Actually Covers

The term RFP is used broadly. Depending on the funder, you might see:

RFP (Request for Proposals) — A formal solicitation, common in government and larger foundations
RFA (Request for Applications) — Same thing, different name, common at NIH and other federal agencies
NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity) — The federal government’s standardized term
Funding guidelines — Foundations that accept proposals on a rolling basis often publish guidelines instead of formal RFPs
LOI (Letter of Inquiry) — Some foundations ask for a brief letter first, then invite full proposals from a shortlist

Regardless of the format, they all answer the same questions: What do we want to fund? Who can apply? What do we need from you? When is it due?

The Sections You’ll Find in Most RFPs

Program description and priorities

What the funder wants to accomplish and what types of projects they're looking for. Read this section carefully — it tells you what to emphasize in your proposal.

Eligibility criteria

Who can apply. Organization type, geographic restrictions, budget requirements, prior experience. Check these first — if you don't qualify, nothing else matters.

Funding information

How much money is available, expected award range, number of awards anticipated, funding period (one year, multi-year). This tells you what scale of project to propose.

Application requirements

Exactly what you need to submit — narrative sections, budget forms, attachments, letters of support. Each item is a checklist item that must be addressed.

Evaluation criteria

How applications will be scored. This is the scoring rubric, and it should directly shape how you write your proposal. If 'organizational capacity' is worth 30% of the score, your proposal should devote proportional attention to it.

Submission instructions

Where, when, and how to submit. Portal login, file formats, page limits, font requirements. These details are absolute — a proposal in the wrong format or after the deadline doesn't get reviewed.

Timeline

Key dates — application deadline, review period, notification date, start date. Some RFPs include dates for Q&A webinars or letters of intent.

Reading Between the Lines

The written RFP tells you what funders say they want. The scoring weights, question specificity, and mandatory-versus-optional distinctions tell you what they actually prioritize. Allocate your writing effort accordingly.

The written RFP tells you what they say they want. Here’s how to read what they really want:

Look at the scoring weights. If innovation is worth 10% and organizational capacity is worth 30%, they care more about whether you can actually deliver than whether your idea is novel. Allocate your writing effort accordingly.

Note the specificity of questions. When an RFP asks for “a brief description of your evaluation plan,” they want a few paragraphs. When they ask for “a detailed evaluation plan including instruments, data collection methods, analysis approach, and reporting timeline,” they want pages. Match the depth to the ask.

Check for mandatory versus optional elements. Some requirements are labeled “required” and others “if applicable” or “optional.” Required elements that are missing are often automatic disqualifiers. Optional elements that are included show thoroughness.

Pro tip

Read the FAQ. If the funder publishes FAQs or responses to applicant questions, read every one. They often clarify ambiguities that aren’t in the RFP itself.

How AI-Native Tools Change RFP Analysis

Traditionally, reading an RFP means printing it out (or scrolling through a PDF), highlighting requirements, and manually building your response plan. For a 30-page federal NOFO, that’s an afternoon of careful reading.

Purpose-built AI grant tools can process the full document and do the heavy lifting — identifying every requirement, mapping evaluation criteria to proposal sections, flagging ambiguities, and comparing the RFP’s language against the funder’s past grants. You still decide how to respond. But you start from a structured analysis rather than a blank notepad.

In Grantable

In Grantable, you can upload or paste an RFP directly into a conversation. AI reads the full document, extracts every requirement (explicit, embedded, and implied), maps evaluation criteria to the sections they affect, and flags anything ambiguous. The result is an organized picture of what the funder is asking — in minutes instead of hours.

Check your understanding

An RFP's evaluation criteria weight 'organizational capacity' at 30%, 'program design' at 25%, 'need statement' at 20%, 'evaluation plan' at 15%, and 'innovation' at 10%. Where should you invest the most writing effort?

Key Takeaways

RFPs come in many formats but always answer: what, who, what do you need, and when
Evaluation criteria should directly shape how you allocate writing effort
Reading between the lines — scoring weights, question specificity, mandatory vs. optional — reveals what funders truly prioritize
AI excels at extracting and organizing RFP requirements so nothing gets missed

Next Lesson

Not every RFP deserves a proposal. Next, let’s build a framework for the go/no-go decision — when to invest your time and when to walk away.