A guest post by Meredith Noble of Learn Grant Writing
What if your nonprofit’s newest program, the one you most struggle to find room for in the budget, was fully funded for the next year?
What else could your organization accomplish with this breathing room? How much time would you save on fundraising, or what could you do with the funds that would otherwise go to that program?
Grants unlock growth for nonprofits through this beneficial ripple effect.
However, grant seeking also has its challenges, and you might feel held back. After all, it takes time and know-how to win grant opportunities.
As a newcomer, you can set yourself up to exceed your expectations with some easy first steps and fundamental practices. We’ll share three get-started grant writing tips that benefit nonprofits of all sizes.
1. Learn how to prioritize grant opportunities.
As you explore grant directories, you’ll start finding exciting grant opportunities. They may stand out for several reasons, like their dollar values, the funder’s clout, or their alignment with your proposed project.
If you’re comparing a few grants, do not blindly commit to the one that feels the best based on just one of these factors.
To choose grant opportunities like a pro, you need to effectively compare and prioritize them. After all, you have limited time and resources to apply for funding. Give yourself the best shot to make your hard work count!
Take the time to compare potential grants based on three key factors:
- Alignment. How closely will your proposal satisfy what the funder is looking for?
- Competition. How many other nonprofits are likely to apply for this grant? Is the funder very well-known or more locally active?
- Efficiency. What’s the return on investment (ROI) you’ll get from applying, i.e., is the grant’s dollar value literally worth the time you’ll spend working on the proposal?
There’s no exact science to grant prioritization. You’ll need to strike a delicate balance based on your organization’s priorities. Remain aware and mindful of these factors and your nonprofit’s needs. Don’t neglect this process—you can’t get your time and hard work back once you’ve put a proposal together!
A note on grant ROI: When considering the potential ROI of a grant, you’ll first think about the funding itself, the primary return on the work you invest. Grants offer other benefits, too, like grant writing practice, new connections with funders, and building your track record.
You may apply for a lower-value grant to tap into these secondary benefits. This trade-off can help you overcome your learning curves, and that’s fine! Just understand your rationale so that you can effectively advocate for why you need to keep pursuing grants later.
2. Gather your critical documents, then write fast.
Grant writing has many moving pieces. It’s easy to get bogged down in the volume of information that some funders request. This tip will help you keep moving forward confidently.
First, identify what you’ll need outside of the sections of the proposal itself. Grant applications typically ask for several other attachments, like:
- An official Resolution from your board
- Risk assessments for your project
- Details about relevant partners
- Letters of support from peers
- Data appendices to back up claims
- Copies of up-to-date IRS documents
Gathering these materials can take a while. When was the last time your board did something quickly? Get the ball rolling early on Resolutions and anything else that requires their sign-off.
Other materials can be gathered throughout the grant writing process, assuming you have a clear schedule and deadlines in place (more on these next). You’ll also need data and stories to bring your proposal to life. Use what you have on hand, remembering that you can add more later.
When you have what you need to write a solid first draft of your proposal, get started and write it quickly. We’re talking in a day or two. Focus on the core narrative of your proposal and shape it according to the funder’s specific requirements.
Then, after writing your first draft and ensuring it aligns with the requirements, go back to expand it. Reinforce the logical connections in your arguments. Add details, data, and stories that better illustrate your plans.
Next, have a peer proofread the proposal and check for any issues or improvements. Finalize your draft, attach the supplemental documents, submit it, and take a breath.
3. Bolster your logistical skills.
The meat and potatoes of grant writing consist of choosing grant opportunities and drafting proposals. What about everything else you use to cook your meat and potatoes? The stove, seasonings, and utensils are not the most fun parts of your recipe, but you can’t really make a satisfying meal without them!
Tons of back-end logistical skills go into grant writing success. The best grant writers are master communicators, project managers, and organizers.
- Communication. Host a kickoff meeting for the grant to review what’s needed from whom and when. Then, host regular check-ins or establish a schedule for email-based progress reports along the way.
- Project management. Clearly assign specific elements of the grant application to individuals and provide deadlines. Create schedules or calendars that compile all the moving pieces into a coherent whole leading up to the final submission deadline.
- Organization. Ensure your team has the tools to easily share files and collaborate on documents. Establish specific file naming conventions and save locations.
As you begin grant seeking, don’t cobble a process together as you go. Be intentional. Managing and keeping your funding after winning a grant hinges on these same skills, so you really can’t afford to neglect them.
There are many resources and tools available that can help you build more organized and sustainable internal practices for grant writing. Grant writing courses that cover the entire funding lifecycle are often a wise investment for teams that want to sustain this revenue source.
Meredith Noble is the co-founder of Learn Grant Writing, an online membership for those building their careers in grant writing. Her book, How to Write a Grant: Become a Grant Writing Unicorn, is a bestseller for nonprofit fundraising and grants. Her expertise has been featured in NASDAQ, Forbes, Fast Company, Business Insider, and other top publications. She has secured over $45 million in grant funding, and her students have secured over $627 million – a number that grows daily. If Meredith’s not biking or skiing in Alaska, she can be found curled around a steaming cup of green tea and a good book.
