Ask for the relevant official communication or confirmation and retain the material submitted on your behalf. A private checklist is not itself an agency decision.
Verify the event behind the progress label
Distinguish preparation, submission, a request for more information and an actual decision. Make sure the applicant can supply accurate answers and review official requests rather than relying entirely on a summary that hides the underlying record.
Retain the original payment confirmation and compare it with the notice or instruction received. Follow the current official instructions and keep copies of all communications and submitted records. A dated copy of the official program page and its questions and answers, read personally rather than relayed. Preserve official notices, payment records and the authority of the person acting for the sponsor. Clarify who supplies personal and corporate evidence, who receives official notices and who must act on deadlines. A private schedule should not be treated as government confirmation that vetting has succeeded or that the gift has been requested. Verify official directions immediately before sending funds and retain a receipt naming the sender, recipient, amount, and date.