Author: Jessica Merrell

Denied by a funder? Why that’s a good thing.

Denied by a funder? Why that’s a good thing.

By: Marcy Gardner, WGW Grants Specialist

After spending hours, days, and sometimes weeks working on a grant application, it can be crushing to receive notification that your request was denied, but rest assure, it’s not all bad.

Here are five reasons to look on the bright side:

  1. Invaluable Feedback: 

    When you receive notification that your request has been denied, it opens the door for you to find out why. There’s no harm in reaching back out to the funder and asking for feedback. Was there something specific you requested that didn’t align with their mission? Was there a glitch in the format of your proposal? Did you go over a character count? Take their feedback and use it to your advantage during the next grant cycle. Your proposal will be that much stronger and your chances of receiving funding undoubtedly increase. It also shows the funder that you’re persistent. Most organizations don’t reach out for feedback, so this already sets you apart. Persistence can speak volumes about you and your organization.

  2. Establishing a Relationship:Even if it’s to notify you that your request was denied, you’ve now established a relationship with the funder. Most often, funders do not notify you if your proposal was rejected so you’re already a step ahead if they took the time to notify you — consider this a good thing! Relationships take time to build and you’ve now laid the foundation.
    Talk with the Team: With every rejection, comes room for improvement. If the funder does not provide you with feedback, consider your own team members. Send copies of the proposal to members of your team and ask them to send you feedback. Were the program details specific enough? Were your impacts measurable? Could the budget have been tighter? Was the need expressed urgently enough?
  3. Open Invitation:When you reach out to the funder to gather feedback, you could also invite their trustees to visit your organization in-person and see your programs in action – if it geographically makes sense, of course. Words can be moving, but seeing the impact of your organization firsthand can make all the difference.
  4. Investment in Time:Remember… grant writing is an investment. The time it took to write the proposal, get rejected, reach out for feedback, and reapply next year with a stronger proposal — it’s an investment in time that could pay dividends for years to come. When you receive discouraging news, keep this reminder at the forefront of your mind.

5 Simple & Impactful Ways to Wrap Up 2020

Congrats, if you are reading this, you survived 2020!  That in and of itself is a significant accomplishment after this unforgettable year.  Let’s take advantage of the last days of the year to set 2021 up for success.

Wishing you peace, health, happiness and success,

The Team at WGW

5 Simple & Impactful Ways to Wrap Up 2020

 

  1. Prepare your team for the end of year giving

Turn team fatigue into a drive for success! End of year giving is a sprint to the finish line. We all know what it feels like to be at a stopping point, channeling every ounce of energy to bring your best for the final moments of 2020! What your team needs now are preparation and motivation. 

Test Online Giving Systems with your “Donor” hat on! If it is tedious, frustrating, or confusing for you, make the change now before you go live to your donor base. Make your online experience quick, seamless, and to the point. Emails and web pages with too many words, and lots of scrolling will get overlooked.

Storytell Impact With Examples, our pro-tip is to tell donors exactly how their money will be used. Up your game by sharing this messaging with compelling visuals, heartfelt testimonials, and clearly defined giving levels and impact. Get more by Tailoring your “Ask” for specific groups of potential donors. Know who you are trying to reach and think about how you would best communicate with them. Diversified messages resonate better when soliciting a broad donor base.

Video Project Gallery | O,Miami 

 

  1. Write a short statement about your organization’s current mission, how you plan to fulfill it in 2021, and who you impact by fulfilling your mission. 

Think about why your organization exists in the first place. Remember how you felt when you founded or joined the organization. What were you passionate about, what emotions came up, what inspired you? Use those thoughts as a starting point to craft an emotional, creative, and descriptive case for support. Don’t be afraid to re-educate your audience about your cause, share stories about your mission and impact, and reveal why it’s essential to fulfill now. 

For example, It’s easy to say that a food bank exists to provide food for resource-strapped individuals, and lack of food is an obvious problem that needs a solution. But, why was any given food bank founded in the first place? Who saw the problem and were so inspired and equipped to handle it? Assume that no one understands your work. 

Prepare yourself to justify your cause and mission to an outsider clearly and compassionately. Draw out their curiosity and interest them into a deeper dive into your unique solution to the problem. Tell stories that make connections and lead to building relationships with your donor base. 

Think of a parallel example in the business world. Airbnb in the midst of the pandemic took their company public and are storytelling their way toward a brighter future! “I can’t control the stock price, but I can control the story,” said Brian Chesky, 39, Airbnb Founder.

Now is the perfect time to re-ignite your leadership by remembering your mission statement and rethinking whether it’s still current and relevant. Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that the problem you address is obvious to an outsider.

Here are some of our favorite examples:

Global Theatre Project Artistic Director Statement

About | Invisible Children 

 

  1. Clean up your databases by doing an NCOA screening with USPS! 

With businesses closing, people moving, change is the new normal. Be proactive by taking a look over your donor and funder databases for outdated or updated information. Do this before the hustle and bustle of the new year leaves you with little down time. 

Ever heard of NCOA screening? Neither did we until we read this link on the USPS site and learned more!

 

  1. Rethink Everything (that is actually important)!

Connection: We are going back to the basics in seeding authentic human connection wherever possible. Everyone is craving some level of connection in 2021. Now is the time to take any insights gained while under lockdown and make them real. 

Leadership: Great leadership is the key to starting 2021 strong. The question on everyone’s mind, “Where do we go from here?” It can only be answered by those who have clarity, resolve, and fearless dedication to succeeding against the long and uncertain road ahead. 

Space and Programming: People will be meeting for higher purposes, such as guidance, personal growth, and culture. Draw people out of their shells by fostering human connection, deep collaboration opportunities, and moments of discovery and inspiration. Start your year by finding fresh ways to create meaningful experiences, and a community will follow. 

Work-Life Balance: It’s no longer a balance; it is a blend—the goal being a harmonious ocean-like ebb and flow. Home-life and work-life need to blend organically, moving through productivity waves with the occasional surges of uncertainty and an overall flexible work vibe. Be open to boundary-pushing productivity shifts and embracing this new work/life dynamic.

  1. Schedule a Year-End Day of Gratitude

Don’t underestimate the power of gratitude! It is easy to pass over all of the “wins” gained throughout a year – the goals achieved, the lives changed, the great memories enjoyed – and this particular year, it would be acceptable to do so. 

During this time of enormous shifts, we all have deep and meaningful takeaways.  Sharing these moments of gratitude now, while the future is still so uncertain, shows leadership, reflects empathy, and most of all, makes people feel something. The great words of the late Maya Angelou reminded us that “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

Take a day alone, reflect on your wins. Reflect on the moments in your year. What made you smile, what made you cry, and what filled you with laughter? All of these moments have held meaning for you and likely for your donor base. 

Share these reflections with your team as you all prepare for the year-end and repeat the same exercise. You might be surprised at what you have accomplished throughout 2020 and what you have to be grateful for. Countless studies (including one from Haaavaard) show that the power of gratitude can change your brain, make you happier, boosts your immune system, improves your relationships, and makes you more productive. 

Take this activity as a first step towards fostering a culture of gratitude for the year to come. Allow this exercise to empower your leadership outlook and reinvigorate the impact you have on your community in significant ways. 

Want to take it a step further? Document and visualize your gratitude list. Create a list of 10-15 people you want to reconnect with / cultivate and send them an informal recap of all you have achieved this year! Paying your gratitude forward indeed doubles the impact! 

Need some feels? 

Alicia Keys – Good Job | Cover by One Voice Children’s Choir 

Owning Your Freedom | Example of Relatable Storytelling

Choosing Your Year End | Charity Water Sampling Choice and Gratitude

 

Where to Research Grant Opportunities

Moving through the maze of grant opportunities can be a daunting challenge. There are so many organizations, with varying criteria, and new opportunities pop up all the time. Anyone who has worked on grants knows it can take as much time to research eligible grant applications as it can take to apply for them. It’s important to keep an eye on new opportunities as the reward can be well worth the search. Here are some tips to help you find the right grants for your organization.

Think Local… Like, really local.
Start with your board. Many organizations neglect to tap into the networks of their boards. Your board members are probably some of the people most connected and loyal to your organization, who volunteer their time, talent, and treasure. They want to be helpful. Many board volunteers sit on other boards and committees. When is the last time you asked if they knew of any opportunities?

United Way and other community funders. Most people think of the United Way and similar organizations as only conduits for workplace giving. However, many of these community fundraising organizations have open grant cycles bi- or semi-annually. These nonprofits can also spearhead efforts to organize volunteer time or in-kind support that can benefit your organization.

Kiwanis Clubs, Rotary Clubs, and other community membership groups. These local affiliation groups, and ones like them, are made of community members dedicated to making the world a better place. Many of the older, more established clubs have foundations, restricted to funding initiatives in the communities in which they were established.

Look to your Peers. Yes, we all do it! Look at websites, annual reports, and social media to see which foundations have given to your peers. And even though it might seem counter-intuitive, meet with other fundraisers and grant writers to see if they have any ideas. Most funders do not give multiple years in a row to the same applicant. Many times your peers are more than willing to share their success with you.

Local Nonprofit Affinity Groups. Local membership and professional development groups such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals, nonprofit education centers, and others, will boost grant opportunities from time to time. Membership sometimes required.

Regional, county, and statewide.
Community Foundations. Whether city, county, state or regional, community foundations are comprised of charitable giving funds established by generous donors. The community foundations collect fees and draw from their endowment to create pools of available-to-spend grant dollars. Most have open grant cycles 2 or 4 times a year.

Corporative Giving. Who are the largest corporate employers in your region? Many businesses who have made their money in your community have foundations or giving programs to give back to the community. Check their websites for foundation information, and if so, check their 990s for previous grant history. Don’t see any mention? Try to find their marketing/public relations contact and inquire.

Think digitally… the future is here to stay.
The internet has given us so many tools to make our lives easier. There are many industry tools to research opportunities, though all have an associated membership cost. Two of WGW’s favorites are Foundation Directory Online and GrantScape.

Foundation Directory Online. Who remembers when the Foundation Directory was a book? Now the resource is online, with information on thousands of funders, including corporate foundations and U.S. federal agencies, updated weekly. Filters and search tools give you access to grant histories which means you can spend a lifetime seeing the types and amounts of grants awarded, all with a few clicks!

GrantScape. According to its website, GrantScape is the largest and broadest grants opportunities database available. In addition to its search functions, GrantScape also has workspace functions that can help you manage, track, and analyze your opportunities, as well as set up alerts for new grants opportunities.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the possibilities! Williams Grant Writing (WGW) has the team, time, skills, and systems in place to act as your grant writing partner. WGW can help you research funding opportunities, review draft applications, apply for the grant funding, and help you stay on top of reporting and deadlines. WGW has a proven track record of connecting nonprofits to funding. Contact us today to see how we can help!

What Do Reviewers Look for in a Grant Application?

Despite increased efforts from foundations and funders to simplify the grant application process through FAQs, information sessions, and webinars, there still remains an air of mystery around reviewing grants.  So, what can you do to help your submission stand out?  Here are some items to consider before you submit your application.

Consider: Is your proposal realistic?  Have you thought the program through?  Is it a new program your organization is taking on, or are you doing the work already?  Will your program actually address the challenge?  Does your budget align with your project narrative? Lastly, are your outcomes possible, and can they realistically be evaluated?  Grant reviewers will be able to notice if you have padded the budget, or conversely, not allotted enough room in the budget to accomplish something.  Be honest, accurate, and direct about what you intend to do with the money if you receive it.

Read and follow the application guidelines.  Don’t start off on the wrong foot by incorrectly following submission guidelines or failing to answer the prompts accurately.  Make sure you are responding to exactly what is being asked of your application.  Re-read the questions and re-read your responses.  Then, do it again. Ask a colleague to read over your proposal to make sure you are following all direction.

Attend the informational webinar, phone call, or in-person session.  If your schedule allows, attend the information session related to the grant. This shows the funder that you are interested in the opportunity and dedicated to being as prepared as possible with your application.  While generally not a component in the scoring process, grantmakers will notice who participated in a listening session.

Before writing, take time to understand your audience.  As with all writing, it’s important to consider who you are writing for.  Do you know the history of the funder or this grant opportunity?  Have you researched previous awardees to see the types of programs funded?  Do you know how the funder reviews grants – a panel of staff reviewers grading your application or community volunteers?  Is your funder concerned with local or national initiatives?  Check the guidelines again for context clues to help you determine your audience and voice.

Provide Clear and Concise Responses.  Grant writing is a delicate balance of writing descriptively but also keeping it specific. Stay focused—you are writing to solve a problem, not convince the funder about your organization’s value. Reviewers want to know you are knowledgeable and prepared to do what you are proposing to do.  Telling a story can help illustrate you know the landscape and are ready to respond to it with your program.  Make sure to provide relevant details whenever possible and support your proposal with data or direct quotes.  In the end, is your response convincing?

It’s the job of a program officer or grant reviewer to steward their employer’s resources wisely.  It’s also their job to give funding to the organization that can convince them their program is the best way to address a challenge.  Help grant reviewers see you as knowledgeable, capable, and responsible, and success will follow.

Williams Grant Writing (WGW) has the team, time, skills, and systems in place to act as your grant writing partner. WGW can help you research funding opportunities, review draft applications, apply for the grant funding, and help you stay on top of reporting and deadlines. WGW has a proven track record of connecting nonprofits to funding. Contact us today to see how we can help!

 

Cultivating a Grantee-Funder Relationship

Establishing a direct connection and even an ongoing relationship with a funding organization is crucial for grant success. Relationship-building can take time, persistence, patience, and authenticity on your part. Like any relationship, balance your communication to not only gauge the funder’s interest in your impactful services, but also show how your interest in their funding priorities could lead to great partnerships together.

Establishing a direct connection with a funding organization is crucial for grant success. Here are 5 steps you can take to build a stronger relationship:

• Follow them on social media. This is possibly the simplest action you can take towards staying informed regarding a funder’s activities and letting a funder know you are interested.

• Add them to your mailing list. Consider adding the CEO and chief programs officer to your annual report mailing list. If the funders you are looking to deepen relationships with are local, send them invitations to events. The more times and different ways the funder becomes aware of who you are—the better.

• Play Six Degrees of Separation. Establish if anyone in your organization has connections with a funder. If someone from your board, staff, or constituents knows anyone who works at or is connected to the funder, find out if they get you an introduction or put in a good word?

• Letter of Introduction. If the funder is local, even regional, call and ask for an introduction meeting. Even if they do not accept unsolicited applications, send a letter with materials to introduce your organization. Explain how you connect with the foundation’s giving interests. Respect their boundaries, and do NOT ask for money. Instead, consider asking how the foundation selects who receives its grants.

• Do your research. Always research a foundation. Respect their process. Be confident that you are a good fit for them and vice versa. Be ready with talking points, and show you’ve spent time learning about them. Just like donor cultivation, make sure you are not always asking for something when communicating with a funder.

Funders prefer to speak to organizations directly. It provides an opportunity to establish an ongoing relationship, and – if the funder is open to it – it is a step towards developing trust, which will result in an increased likelihood of funding. Follow a funder’s contact instructions – always. If the grantmaker has not stated any preferences, it generally is safe to pursue a relationship with them.

Remember, relationship-building requires more than just persistent asking. Make sure to share your organization’s successes and show interest in their programs, too.

Williams Grant Writing (WGW) has the team, time, skills, and systems in place to act as your grant writing partner. WGW can help you research funding opportunities, review draft applications, apply for the grant funding, and help you stay on top of reporting and deadlines. WGW has a proven track record of connecting nonprofits to funding. Contact us today to see how we can help.

The Elephant in the Room: Grant Writing as Fundraising

There are many blogs, books, and conferences devoted to nonprofit fundraising. Topics, such as direct mail best practices, making “the ask,” and getting your board on-board, have been dissected again and again.  Yet, how honest are the conversations around fundraising coupled with grant writing?  Compared with the personal, relationship-based nature of appealing to individual donors and meeting face-to-face with local businesses for financial support, fundraisers can feel overwhelmed when also expected to research and write grants on top of their other responsibilities. When everything’s a trade-off, should your fundraiser spend their time grant writing? Or is their energy better spent cultivating relationships and stewarding donors? Here are a few considerations when debating the best use of your fundraising team’s time.

Grant writing is unique and requires a special skill set. Grant writing is vastly different from other types of fundraising and other types of writing.  The process is often solitary, reflective, and inward-focused. A strong grant application should be clear and concise, making sure to answer questions directly, with little-to-no niceties.  Simple, detail-driven, transactional grant writing is oftentimes in stark contrast to the friendly nature of a fundraiser who interacts with donors.

Grant writing is a process, with a system and deadlines. Maybe not the first or second time you apply for a grant, but once you’ve applied for enough grants, a good grant writer develops a system.  How is your system working for you?  Do you have a system? Large foundations have entire teams to monitor grant deadlines and reporting.  Smaller organizations with limited resources may find it difficult to systematize grant writing while balancing other fundraising activities.

When successful, the real work starts. When the grant is awarded, you and your organization must administer, track, and report on the grant funding.  There is typically more demanded on an organization when funding comes as a grant, so fundraisers must have the system in place to concentrate on the reporting.

Making the case for outsourcing your grant writing. Contracting your grant writing to an outside team frees staff to focus on what matters most: your mission and your donors.  Professional grant writers will write more objectively about your program and have the tracking systems in place to handle researching new grant opportunities and reporting once grants are obtained. What are you waiting for?

Williams Grant Writing (WGW) has the team, time, skills, and systems in place to act as your grant writing partner. WGW can help you research funding opportunities, review draft applications, apply for the grant funding, and help you stay on top of reporting and deadlines. WGW has a proven track record of connecting nonprofits to funding. Contact us today to see how we can help.

Staying Ready to Apply for that Dream Grant

If You Build It, They Will Come:
Staying Ready to Apply for that Dream Grant

Most of the time, working for a nonprofit means juggling competing deadlines, lack of resources and time constraints … all while fulfilling your important mission to do good work in your community. It can feel overwhelming to have inadequate planning time to get ahead and stay ahead of critical projects.

However difficult it may seem, planning is essential to success. So, schedule planning time on your calendar, turn off distractions and notifications for an hour or two, and compile your grant writing toolkit.

With a little prep work, you can get and stay ready for funding opportunities by organizing just a few commonly-asked-for grant application items. Because many funders are turning to online portals where you need to enter text into text boxes, it makes sense to organize your materials for easy copying and pasting of information. In Williams Grant Writing’s experience, there are six items most funders want to see to consider funding a program:

1. IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter
2. List of Board of Directors and Senior Management
3. List of 3-5 Highest Paid Employees and Salaries
4. Current Organizational Budget
5. Itemized Budget for Project
6. List of Other Funding Sources Associated with Project

Having these items ready-to-go will make those last-minute application deadlines easier to make.

Of course, compiling these 6 items is just the first step. WGW can help you research funding opportunities based on your programs and location, review draft applications, apply for the grant funding, and help you stay on top of reporting and deadlines. We have a proven track record of connecting nonprofits to funding. Contact us today to see how we can help!