As a grant writing consultant, I naturally have many nonprofits asking me how to access grant money. While their passion and the good things they're trying to do for the community always inspire me to want to help them, the plain truth is that there's not much I can do if they're not yet “grant ready.”
So, what exactly does one have to do to be deemed grant ready? It's actually a combination of factors. First, it always helps to start with the basics. This would include already having a 501 (c) (3) designation, a Board of Directors composed of community representatives, an annual budget with a variety of income sources and detailed financial statements. The inclusion of correct and forthright financial information cannot be underestimated.
Grant funders also look at the uniqueness of the organization. Are they providing a service no one else in the community is offering? And, more importantly, is the service needed? Evidence of that need should be documented and shared with the grant funder. They want to know that they're investing in a project that's benefiting the community as a whole and having a positive impact.
Speaking of community impact, it's not exactly about how many people the organization is assisting but it is necessary that there's enough of a need to warrant an expensive project. And, is there proof of the difference that the project is making? This takes a strong evaluation component in the grant proposal and a competent staff to administer it.
While in my blogging you will often see me repeat the mantra that writing grants isn't rocket science, it does take more than just piecing an application together. The organization itself is responsible for the legwork that goes into getting the grant funded. Becoming grant ready is well worth the effort and the organization stands to profit greatly from that effort.
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written by Kirsten Bullock, April 21, 2011
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written by Kurt Bradley, April 20, 2011
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written by Sandy Rees, April 20, 2011
Experience is golden, right?
Sandy Rees
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written by Gayle L. Gifford, ACFRE, April 19, 2011
I like to say that grants success is 80% the advance work and about 20% the proposal. That's not scientific, but between cultivating relationships, doing really good work, developing strategic alliances, really understanding what the funder is trying to achieve, that proportion feels about right,l don't you think?
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This is so true. I've been working with a NP for 2 yrs. They recently decided to "change direction" programmatically. Its like starting over w/ me pulling teeth. I've actually started writing down an even more detailed list of what needs to go into grant prep, additional components from what you have here, as I deal w/ several deadlines the past couple of weeks.
I completely agree that prep is 80% & the proposal is 20% if an organization really wants to get funded!
Thanks for the entry!