Tag: funding organization

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.