Results from the Fall 2013 State of Grantseeking survey and their implications for grant professionals

1. The State of Grantseeking and
Its Implications for Grant Professionals
Grant Professionals Association
Conference 2013
Dahna Goldstein
Founder and CEO
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2. Introductions
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3. The State of the Nonprofit Sector
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4. The new normal
Giving USA 2013 Highlights
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5. Service demand is increasing
Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2013 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey
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6. Majority of organizations not able to
meet demand
Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2013 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey
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7. Overall giving is increasing slightly
Blackbaud Index, September 2013 Data
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8. A majority of organizations reported
increased donations
Nonprofit Research Collaborative, Winter 2013
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9. Which is an improvement over last year
Nonprofit Research Collaborative, 2012
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10. And a more significant
improvement over the prior year
Nonprofit Research Collaborative, Late Fall 2011 Fundraising Study
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11. 2012 saw greater giving growth
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12. Organizations’ overall fundraising
success varied by size
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13. …and by issue area
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14. Organizations are feeling optimistic
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15. But they have felt optimistic before
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16. More organizations met their
fundraising goals in 2012
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17. The State of Grantseeking
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18. Government grants are a relatively small
percentage of overall fundraising
Urban Institute, The Nonprofit Sector in Brief: Public Charities, Giving, and Volunteering, 2013
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19. Foundation grants are an even smaller
percentage
Giving USA 2013
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20. Grants are over a quarter of funding for
42% of nonprofits
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21. Mid-sized organizations rely most
heavily on grants as funding source
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22. State of Grantseeking
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23. Government funding has decreased
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24. Foundation assets are recovering
2012 Council on Foundations – Commonfund Study of Foundations
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25. But foundation giving is expected to
stay relatively flat this year
Foundation Center – Foundation Focus 2013
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26. Competition for funder dollars is intense
• “We have seen federal funding be drastically
reduced for human services. We also see a greater
competition for local grants and resources. ”
• “Our challenge is finding additional funding to
reduce dependency on state dollars. ”
• “Due to the economic conditions, fewer funds are
available and therefore the competition for funds is
greater. Our location limits the number of agencies
to apply to, other than the federal agencies.”
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27. Private foundation grants remain the
most frequent funding source
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28. Private foundation grants are the largest
source of total funding
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29. Private foundations were also the source
of the largest grant
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30. The sources of largest grants vary by
organization budget size
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33. Organizations continue to submit
many requests to grantors
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34. …and continue to get grant awards
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35. Organizations rely on different people
to engage in grantseeking activities
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36. Most organizations get grants
under $100,000
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37. Small Organizations
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38. Medium organizations
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39. Large organizations
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40. Grant award sizes stayed the same
or increased
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41. …but that hasn’t been consistent
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42. Organizations submitted the same
number or more grant requests
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43. Which resulted in increased numbers of
grants for 30%
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44. Trends over past 2 years
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45. Service area impacted sources of
largest grant award
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46. 11/21/2013
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47. Organizations face both internal and
external grantseeking challenges
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49. Greatest challenges vary by organization size
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50. Project Streamline, addressed to
funders, identified challenges
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Enormous variability
Requirements that aren’t “right sized”
Insufficient net grants
Outsourced burdens
Trust undermined
Reports on a shelf
Fundraising gymnastics
Due diligence redundancy
Double edged swords
Time drain for grantmakers, too
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51. How does this resonate with your
experience?
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52. Implications for grant professionals
• Economic conditions are not necessarily
greatest challenges, but have a lasting
impact
• Manage relationships with existing
funders
• Don’t assume that this year’s funder will
be next year’s funder
• Address specific guidelines (goes without
saying, but…)
• Speak directly to funder’s mission
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53. Implications for grant professionals
• Impact of government funding
reductions isn’t over
• Diversify
• Focus on basics
• Grant trends can inform strategy and
prospecting
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54. Focus
• On developing and cultivating
relationships
• On grantwriting fundamentals
• On high ROI prospects – and issues
that matter to them
• On net positive grants
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55. Net Grant Calculation
Amount of awarded grant
Total grant cost
Net Grant
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56. Total Grant Cost
Time spent researching opportunity
+ Time spent preparing proposal
+ Time spent
corresponding/communicating/meeting
with funder
+ Time spent on compliance and reporting
ALL
* Cost of salary/salaries of people involved
in process
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57. Total Grant Cost Calculation Starting Points
• Average time spent on grant proposal creation = 27.45
hours (median 20 hours)
• Average time spent reporting = 20.48 hours (median 10
hours)
• Median salary for a development director = $95,631
• Hourly = $55 (assuming 35 hour work weeks, 2 weeks
vacation)
• Over $1,500 to apply for grant, over $1,100 to report
Note: these numbers are for foundation grant
applications/reports (from Center for Effective Philanthropy).
Government numbers are higher.
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58. There is an increased need for grant
professionals
• Experienced grantwriters = higher ROI
• Opportunity for consultants
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59. …but corresponding stress on
ability to pay
• New hires are not in the cards for
many organizations
• Many don’t have the cash flow to pay
consultants
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60. Organizations remain optimistic
about the next six months
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61. A bit about PhilanTech
• Research
• Relationships
• History
• Deadlines
• Reuse information
Find
Report
• Deadlines
• Reuse information
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Apply
Receive
• Tracking
• Requirements
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62. 11/21/2013
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63. “Ugliest” Grant Tracking
Spreadsheet Contest
Go to http://bit.ly/UglySpreadsheet to enter
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64. Questions?
Dahna Goldstein
dahna@philantech.com
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