Module 1: Reading a NOFO Like a Reviewer

The most important skill in federal grant management is understanding how reviewers score applications — before you write a single word.

This module teaches you how to read and analyze a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the document that tells you everything about a federal grant: who can apply, what the money is for, how much is available, and exactly how your application will be scored.

What Is a NOFO?

A NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity) is the official announcement a federal agency publishes when it has grant money available. You might also hear it called an FOA (Funding Opportunity Announcement) or RFA (Request for Applications) — they all mean the same thing.

Think of a NOFO as the complete instruction manual for a grant. It tells you:

Who can apply — Are tribal governments eligible? What about tribal nonprofits?

What the grant pays for — What activities and expenses the agency wants to fund

How much money is available — The total pot and the range per award

When to apply — The deadline and any pre-submission steps

How your application will be judged — The exact criteria reviewers will use to score it

Every federal grant has a NOFO. No NOFO, no grant. Learning to read one carefully is the foundation of everything else in grant management.

How a NOFO Is Organized

Most federal NOFOs follow a standard structure. The exact section numbers vary by agency, but the information is always there. Here's what to expect:

Section I: Program Description

This section explains why the grant exists — what problem the agency is trying to solve and what kind of projects it wants to fund.

Read this section to answer: *Does our work align with what this agency is looking for?*

What to look for:

The stated purpose and goals of the program

Priorities for this funding cycle (agencies often shift focus year to year)

Any mention of tribal governments, Indian Country, or Native communities as a target population

Section II: Award Information

This is the money section. It tells you:

Total funding available — How much the agency has to give out across all awards

Award range — The minimum and maximum per award (e.g., "$100,000 to $500,000 per year")

Number of awards — How many grants the agency expects to make

Award period — How long the grant lasts (e.g., 3 years with annual continuation)

Why this matters: If your project costs $2 million and the maximum award is $500,000, you either need to scale down or find additional funding sources. If only 5 awards will be made from 200 applicants, competition is intense — your application needs to be extremely strong.

Section III: Eligibility Information

This section defines who can apply. Read it carefully — applying when you're not eligible wastes everyone's time.

Key things to check:

Eligible applicant types — Does it list "federally recognized tribal governments"? "Native-serving nonprofits"? "Tribal organizations as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304"?

Tribal set-asides — Some grants reserve a percentage of funding specifically for tribal applicants. This significantly reduces competition.

Tribal priority — Even without a set-aside, some agencies give priority points or preferential review to tribal applications.

Cost sharing requirements — Does the grant require you to match a percentage of federal funding with your own money? Tribal governments are sometimes exempt from matching requirements — look for language about "match waivers for tribal applicants."

Section IV: Application and Submission Information

This section covers the logistics: what forms to fill out, what documents to include, how to submit, and the deadline.

Critical items:

Required forms — Usually includes SF-424 (the standard federal application form), SF-424A (budget), and sometimes additional agency-specific forms

Required documents — Project narrative, budget justification, logic model, letters of support, organizational capacity statement

Page limits — Many agencies impose strict page limits. Exceeding them can disqualify your application.

Submission method — Almost always through Grants.gov, which requires registration (more on this in Module 3)

Deadline — The exact date and time. Federal deadlines are firm. Late applications are rejected — there are almost no exceptions.

Section V: Application Review Information — The Most Important Section

This is where the agency tells you exactly how your application will be scored. This is the section that separates strong applicants from everyone else.

Section V typically contains:

Review criteria — The specific categories your application will be evaluated on (e.g., "Need for Project," "Quality of Project Design," "Adequacy of Resources")

Point values — How many points each criterion is worth (e.g., "Need for Project: 20 points," "Project Design: 35 points")

Sub-criteria — What specifically reviewers will look for within each criterion

Here's the key insight: Your application should be structured to directly address every criterion in Section V, in the order they appear, for the point values they're worth. If "Project Design" is worth 35 points and "Need Statement" is worth 20, spend more space and effort on project design.

How Different Agencies Score Applications

Not all agencies score the same way. Understanding the differences helps you calibrate your application.

Point-Based Scoring (HHS, Education, ANA)

The most common approach. Each criterion has a specific point value. Reviewers assign points and write comments justifying their scores.

Example (ANA Language Preservation):

With point-based scoring, you know exactly where to invest your writing effort. A 35-point criterion deserves roughly 35% of your narrative space.

Narrative Review (BIA)

BIA often uses narrative-based evaluation without explicit point values. Reviewers assess applications holistically and rank them.

How to handle this: Even without point values, BIA NOFOs still list criteria. Address each one systematically. When there are no points to guide emphasis, give each criterion roughly equal treatment unless the NOFO signals that one is more important (phrases like "particular attention will be given to" or "of primary importance").

Percentage-Weighted (HUD)

HUD sometimes weights criteria by percentage rather than points.

Example:

Program Design: 40%

Community Need: 25%

Organizational Capacity: 20%

Budget Reasonableness: 15%

The math is the same as point-based — allocate your effort proportionally.

Tribal-Specific Sections Every NOFO Reader Should Check

When you're reading a NOFO as a tribal applicant, these are the sections and phrases that matter most:

Tribal Eligibility Language

Look for explicit mentions of:

"Federally recognized Indian tribal governments"

"Tribal organizations as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304"

"Alaska Native villages or regional/village corporations"

"Native-serving nonprofits" or "organizations primarily serving Native Americans"

If the NOFO doesn't mention tribal eligibility at all, check Section III carefully — you may still be eligible under broader categories like "local governments" or "nonprofits."

Tribal Set-Asides

Some grants reserve a portion of funding specifically for tribal applicants. This is a major advantage. Look for language like:

"X% of total funding is set aside for tribal applicants"

"Tribal competition" or "tribal track"

"Separate review panel for tribal applications"

A tribal set-aside means you're competing only against other tribal applicants, not against states and large nonprofits.

Tribal Priority Considerations

Even without a formal set-aside, some agencies give tribal applicants priority. Look for:

"Priority points for serving tribal communities"

"Applications from tribal governments will be given priority consideration"

"Bonus points for projects located in tribal areas"

Match Waivers

Federal grants often require "cost sharing" — you put up a percentage of the total project cost from your own funds. Many agencies waive or reduce this requirement for tribal governments. Look for:

"Tribal governments are exempt from the matching requirement"

"Cost sharing is not required for tribal applicants"

"Match requirement may be reduced for tribal governments upon request"

Exercise: Analyzing a Real NOFO

Here's how to practice what you've learned. Choose any active NOFO from Grants.gov or your GrantsPath search results, then work through these steps:

1. Find the NOFO — Download the full NOFO document (not just the Grants.gov synopsis)

2. Locate Section V — Find the evaluation criteria and scoring system

3. Map the criteria — List each criterion and its point value in a table

4. Calculate emphasis — Determine what percentage of your narrative each criterion deserves based on its weight

5. Check tribal sections — Identify any tribal eligibility, set-asides, priority points, or match waivers

6. Identify unknowns — Note anything in the NOFO you don't understand (we'll build on this in Module 2)

Take your time with this exercise. The ability to quickly dissect a NOFO is a skill you'll use for every grant application you ever write. It gets faster with practice.

Key Takeaways

A NOFO is the complete instruction manual for a federal grant — read it before deciding to apply

Section V (evaluation criteria) is the most important section — it tells you exactly how your application will be scored

Structure your application to mirror the scoring criteria, in order, weighted by point values

Always check for tribal-specific provisions: eligibility, set-asides, priority points, and match waivers

Different agencies score differently (points, narrative, percentages) — adjust your approach accordingly

How GrantsPath Helps

GrantsPath's NOFO Criteria Extraction tool automates the Section V analysis described in this module. It reads a NOFO and extracts the evaluation criteria, point values, and sub-criteria into a structured format you can use to plan your application.

Understanding what the tool does — and why — makes you a better judge of its output. The extraction is a starting point; your knowledge of the NOFO is what turns it into a winning strategy.

Related guides: NOFO Analysis · Grants 101

Reading a NOFO Like a Reviewer