This Chairperson’s Timeline Checklist is designed to manage the gap between the December 31st deadline and the April announcement. Since the Advisory Board is likely made up of busy professionals, this keeps the momentum going so no one is rushing at the last minute.
🗓️ Chairperson’s Post-Deadline Roadmap (Jan–April)
Phase 1: The “Weight-In” (January 1 – January 15)
Goal: Filter out applications that don’t meet basic requirements.
- [ ] Audit Submissions: Ensure all applications received by Dec 31 are complete (Tax IDs, contact info, budgets).
- [ ] Disqualify Incomplete Apps: Send a polite “Incomplete Application” notice to those who missed key documents.
- [ ] Digital Folder Setup: Organize the “Finalists” into a shared folder for the Advisory Board to access.
Phase 2: The “Sparring” (January 16 – February 15)
Goal: Individual review by the Advisory Board.
- [ ] Distribute Scorecards: Send the digital Scorecard to every Advisory Board member.
- [ ] Assign Homework: Give each member a specific number of applications to “Deep Dive” into.
- [ ] Mid-Month Pulse Check: Send a friendly reminder to the board members to ensure they are scoring as they go.
Phase 3: The “Consolidation” (February 16 – March 10)
Goal: Chairperson synthesizes the data.
- [ ] Collect All Scorecards: Ensure every board member has submitted their grades.
- [ ] Apply the Formula: Calculate the weighted averages for each applicant.
- [ ] Identify the “Top 5”: Flag the clear winners and the “borderline” cases that need a group discussion.
- [ ] Advisory Board Meeting: Hold a 1-hour call to discuss the Top 5 and reach a consensus.
Phase 4: The “Championship Round” (March 11 – March 31)
Goal: Present recommendations to the Board of Directors.
- [ ] Draft the Summary Report: Finalize the Chairperson’s Recommendation Summary (the one we built earlier).
- [ ] The Board Meeting: Present the Advisory Board’s findings to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
- [ ] Final Vote: Secure the Board’s signature on the approved funding amounts.
Phase 5: The “Victory Lap” (April 1 – April 15)
Goal: Public and private notification.
- [ ] Send Award Letters: Email the winners their Grant Agreements.
- [ ] Send Regret Letters: Email those who were not selected this cycle.
- [ ] Public Announcement: Post the winners on the Jackie Kallen Foundation website and social media.
- [ ] Press Release: (Optional) Draft a short press release highlighting the total impact of the 2026/2027 cycle.
Chairperson’s Secret Weapon: The “April Reveal”
To make the April announcement feel special, you could suggest the Board hosts a small “Champions Breakfast” or a Zoom webinar where Jackie Kallen herself welcomes the new grantees into the foundation family.