Strategies for Grant Seeking Success
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Getting the grant is more than just writing a good proposal. We outline the 6 important strategies to get your proposal funded.
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Strategies for Grant Seeking Success
- 1. Beyond Grant Writing Strategies for grant seeking success Gayle L. Gifford, ACFRE President www.ceffect.com
- 2. Grants and contracts are a fairly important share of nonprofit revenues
- 3. There are many sources of grant funding
- 4. Strategy 1.Be known, and be known for the societal change you make
- 5. Strategy 2:Strategy 2: Learn how decisions are madeLearn how decisions are made
- 6. Strategy 3:Strategy 3: Build relationships thatBuild relationships that mattermatter
- 7. Strategy 4:Strategy 4: Follow trendsFollow trends & find donor value& find donor value in your programsin your programs
- 8. Strategy 5. Plan AheadStrategy 5. Plan Ahead
- 9. Strategy 6: Write the best proposal
- 10. Questions?
Editor's Notes
- Brief introduction: Just a taste of topic Not about proposal writing per se, though will touch on at the end. About all the other things that go into being successful in grant seeking.
- There are various ways to slice nonprofit revenues. This one comes from the 2000 Nonprofit Almanac in brief. Of the philanthropy percentage, 12% foundations and 4-6% corporations. It attempts to get a better understanding of government funding.
- Types of funders that make grants include: (Ask audience) Private foundations, both professionally staffed and family foundations Community foundations, which though they are public charities, act like foundations Government, municipal, county, state, federal and other divisions Other public charities (United Way, World Wildlife Fund, etc.)
- Reputation matters Talk about being a pacesetter here Results matter. Funders want to fund more than good ideas. They want to fund organizations and leadership that has a history of having an impact on a problem, if changing society. It is also important to develop communications that makes the decision-makers aware of your organization and what it is doing. You need to be recognized for your leadership. To be known as a pacesetter.
- At professionally staffed foundations (include community foundations here), work with program officer who make working with the head of programs make initial screening recommendations, then to Foundation head then to trustees. Not good to do an end run around program staff, even if you have influence with trustees. At family foundations, trustee group, usually families, who make the decisions. At some, have a professional program officer, but usually the foundation director, if they have one, is more of a high level administrator At corporations, it depends. Usually there is a senior management team that makes the decisions, upon recommendation from the head of community relations or charitable giving or whatever the position is called. Sometimes, that individual has a great deal of decision-making power. National or international companies with sites in various locations may also allocate money to various regions or countries and put decentralize some decision-making. In government, again, the process can take many forms. Often there is some type of panel that reviews proposals and assigns points on some system that is disclosed to you in advance. That panel recommends upward to a department head or some other senior person. Federal earmarks. Need to understand the degree of political influence and also portfolio needs (talk about BayWorks or See Me Share My World) Other public charities (or religious organizations), again, need to understand the process. Is it a program staff member? Director of the organization? Board of Directors? Why is this all important?
- With your funders With your colleagues Carry you through an unclear proposal... To get that phone call asking for more information Tell Save the Bay Restore America’s Estuaries Story Who gets notice of grants pending. Ask for stories... Money follows you from organization to organization (Mary Reilly)
- Follow the trends Institutional funders what Newness, so you have to find it. Could be incorporating new issues into existing programs (e.g. health or environmental studies into your ESL program) Offer new audiences for donor portfolios (USAID and See Me Share My world) Know your donor’s worldview (left/right/center foundations. Foundations have biases: grassroots, advocacy, social change, entrepreneurship, etc) Bundle projects for maximum impact (reorganization at STB, Explore the Bay, BayKeeper Create a campaign framework or use creative naming: No child left inside , Young Heroes Offer institutional challenges to your most loyal friends Find hidden value (e.g. latrine programs as gender equity programs... )
- Amount of time to funding decision can be very long Long range plans & budgets –help seize opportunities Long term funding relationships Anticipate changing problems, upcoming trends Establish or identify industry needs
- Be succinct Speak in a language that the funder understands Be logical: from root causes to activities to promised outcomes Know best practices Be clear on your theory of change Focus on results