Qualifying Grants Readiness
Today's post brought to you by an AI-bot. Not written by it, but the idea was inspired during a brain-storming session with ChatGPT. Don't worry. We only drained one river basin in Minnesota. I'm sure that won't have any lasting effects on the local ecosystem.
Everybody wants to dive into grants head-first, but it's important to have a clear grants strategy first. Grants strategy is part of what we in the Biz call "Grants Readiness." Grants Readiness is part of a larger thing I like to call "Having your stuff together." It's a bit informal. LinkedIn doesn't like that kind of language, and it may turn some people off. That's ok. Nonprofits in general are often informal until you get to the United Way, Red Cross level, and even they can be a little informal.
Let's look at three things nonprofits can do to improve their chances of winning that grant long before setting fingers to keyboard.
3. Examine Your Board
Do they raise funds? Are they involved in planning? Do they head up programming?
What do they do? What role do they play?
If all they do is serve as moral support, what you have is not a board. That's a group of friends. Friends are great. But they're not a board. Boards serve a specific function within a nonprofit. Believe it or not, it's not just an item on a checklist. We can and will do an ENTIRE article on boards and board health. Your board's health plays a big factor in winning a grant.
There have been grants I refused to apply for because my client's board just was not engaged enough. Translation: They did not donate to their own nonprofit. They did not raise funds. They were unresponsive to the Executive Director. Yes, the E.D. serves at the pleasure of the board. Great. But the Board needs to do its job too. Yes, board members are volunteers. Yes, we all have jobs.
Am I being unfair? No. You said it. Board members are volunteers. If you don't have time, you don't have to be on a board. That's ok. Go ahead and focus on your commitments and come back when you can focus on the nonprofit. We'll be glad to have you when you have more time.
2. Develop Your Grants Calendar
Here's where hiring a grant-writer like me is a plus! I happen to love organizing things. It's the diagnosed OCD-er in me. (No, seriously) For each client, I research a list of potential grants that align with their values and mission. Then I create a calendar of due dates spanning the year and fill it with the grants I've chosen along with each grant opportunity's foundation of origin, contact information, application method, etc. I learned this method from my esteemed mentor.
Whatever method you choose, whether a spreadsheet or an Instrumentl subscription, make sure you're keeping up with those due dates and contact names/numbers. You'll need the latter for thank you notes.
Sidebar: Always send thank you's! Even if you get a decline. It's always nice to send a note. It's even a good idea to send potential funders your newsletter or impact report long before your application so they're familiar with your work.
This article's getting a little long. Time for a Zombocom break.
Ah. Better.
1. Establish Clear Goals
Know first and foremost what you want to fund and why. This step is two fold.
A. Have an essential program or objective in mind that needs the funds.
Think: Why do you need a grant? Obviously, your nonprofit needs money, but what will you be using the money for specifically? Do you need $5,000 or $3,500? If you really need $10,000 why are you applying for 5? Ask for 10! If this grant maxes out at 7, that's fine. Ask for 7. Don't be afraid to ask for the maximum. They'll give you less, and that's ok.
Now, if your budget is $50k, and you ask for $25k, that may be a problem. But you can probably get away with asking for $10k. Some places give an average $10k grant. One of my clients made $10k on one of their first-ever grants.
B. Do not "chase" funds by creating a program solely to apply for a grant opportunity.
For example, if you see a grant for an animal shelter, but your nonprofit only provides spay/neuter services, don't come up with a capital campaign to build an animal shelter out of thin air just because you want a million dollars for your nonprofit. That's not how this works. That's how we get mission creep. Growth is one thing. If a shelter is the natural, logical next step for your organization, and the nearest animal shelter is three towns away, go for it. Otherwise, stay in your lane.
That's all I have for you today. I hope today's article was helpful. Feel free to sound off in the comments with your own tips and tricks. Thank you for reading and have a lovely day.
Today's dad joke:
Dogs can't operate MRI machines. But catscan.
See you next time!
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