A donor is demanding instant results from their grant. How do you navigate their high expectations?

Remember that a grant is not about money but about a relationship or partnership to do something together that you could not do apart. They provide funding and you provide skill, expertise, volunteers and staffing as well as your connection to the community the grantor is aiming to benefit. Do not neglect the relational work necessary to build a quality partnership. Contact the funder before applying. Work to connect deeply. Make sure you share the same values. Not only will this help you win the grant but it helps you make certain you can work together. Do not accept money for promises you know you cannot keep. Do not accept money from a funder who will not listen to your updates with understanding. Underpromise and overperform.

I think it's always important to stay curious, why are they demanding instant results now? Is that a change from what they were asking in their grant guidelines? They may be facing various internal pressures of their own, from their Board members to major stakeholders. I would use my relationship with the designated Program Officer to try to get more of the "inside scoop" about this directive, and if possible, provide some interim impact data, with the caveat that so much of human services work takes time to truly see results, and invite them to join the journey along with you.

It is useful to present data to the donor as well as any evidence from the literature regarding how long it takes to produce results in a specific area. It is also critical to submit a draft performance monitoring plan (PMP) with indicators and targets with the technical proposal and after the project award has been made, submit a final PMP and obtain donor approval.

One thing I found helpful is not to over promise. You want to be careful not to tell a donor you can do the impossible. You can only do what is within the limits of time money and ability.

Keep the donor involved in the process of their expenditure and let them know where their donation stands. They may be able to leverage external parties and keeping them involved is a great way to keep them engaged for further donations. It is important, though, to establish a barrier between the donor and the internal control process so that it is clear why internal control processes have to be in place to guide donor funds to donor goals.

It's important to establish open, two-way dialogue up front to understand the reporting needs, and also to manage expectations of what is and isn't possible. Always consider bringing a program leader into the dialogue, too. By setting up this understanding early, trust is built and expected outputs and reports can be met. Once submitting a report, always ask for feedback. Any learnings are beneficial.

This can be very different depending on the program funded. However over communicating often puts funders at ease. Share a list of dates they can expect an update. Those updates can be specific numbers, photos, anecdotes - anything to show the organization is working toward the goal.

The grantor agreed to the timeline when awarding your grant (assume donor means grantor). Since the grantor wants faster results, you can request more funding if it allow you to create quicker results, change the KPIs to reflect the request, or return the funding (minus costs of work performed). When you use our funding model, each activity and the funding needed to achieve the outcomes are fleshed out. That information is used to draft your grant proposals. If you followed the RFP and can perform the work, stick to the agreed-upon timeline. Always inform a funder if adjustments need to be made; it happens. EX: In-person training couldn't occur during the COVID shutdown, but virtual training could. Illustrate how you adjusted to the change.

It will also be important to educate the donor about the typical timelines for achieving results by providing examples of projects that illustrates the time it needed for meaningful impact

Progress reports can be formal or informal. A quick email with an anecdote or photo one week, followed by a more formal status report a week or two later, and an invitation to tour or observe the next week can go a long way in helping a donor feel included, appreciated, and confident.

Progress reports are crucial- consider sending the donor a bi-weekly update on key milestones and an opportunity to see behind the scenes, including timelines, shared folders with plans, architectural drawings, whatever is appropriate for your project. When you are wondering, lean toward transparency and communication- they are the currency of trust.

Effective communication with a donor is very important. Ensure regular and timely submission of reports (Both Narrative and Financial). Address concerns raised by the donor as this helps build trust.

Offering periodic reports even if the results are not yet visible is essential. Keeping the donor informed can help manage their expectations and demonstrate accountability

At the beginning, have a through-line outline with the dates of benchmark progress points. As challenges arise, adjust expectations and update these progress points accordingly. Sharing this with your team and stakeholder(s) (if appropriate) at the beginning and when making adjustments allows everyone to be informed before, durning, and after each challenge that arise.

Any interruption from reduced staff capacity (long holidays, vacations) to a natural disaster should not be assumed. Open communication is critical, along with some idea for the grantor about how these are manageable. In the case of a natural disaster, all bets may be off for a project and for shortterm communication, but the earliest opportunity for contact with the grantor is essential. Major interruptions may or may not have workarounds, or they may be subject to act-of-God or force majeur clauses in a contract. Discussion of the nature of the interruption and if it prevents continuation is crucial, and it needs to occur at the earliest possible time.

It is important to explain the complexities involved, including challenges and necessary steps that take time. This helps to Foster understanding and patience. And if there are any preliminary successes or positive indicators, they need to be shared to help build confidence in the projects direction

My business work includes field assessments and project implementation. Inviting a representative of the grant to visit the field or office setting provides live observation of activities. Otherwise, livestream video with narration might substitute, or a recipient may shoot video to display online or send to the grantor. Be sure to identify the date and the activity at the start, along with any people in the video who are familiar to the grantor. One goal is to help the grantor feel a part of the work, along with understanding the processes and progress. Another is to build and maintain trust that the goals and objectives are being met in a timely way. The video record also allows in-house evaluation and review.

It is important to always encourage the donor to engage with the organization through site visits, meetings with beneficiaries or involvement in events. This can help them see the impact of their support firsthand

One thing I've found helpful is sceduling bi-weekly/monthly calls with the donor, to provide regular updates and discuss issues/challenges/ideas. It establishes trust and enhances transparency. Don't be afraid to talk about things that did not work. As everyone is super busy, it is quite common that these meetings are the first ones that get cancelled, but insist on having them. In the long run they really pay out.

Agency grants often have quarterly and annual progress reports and scheduled monthly communications by video. With that in mind, any granting entity - a person or a nonprofit - deserves frequent progress reports, whether regular (quarterly, annual) or infrequent, based on the grantor's preference. Reports consist of a narrative with "milestones": specific task progress or completion, A supplemental report is more visual, with graphs, photos, screenshots, and other evidence of progress and completion. A major heading or a one- to two-sentence caption summarizes the activity. Captions should tie the activity back to the narrative page or section Visuals should credit the original and secondary source for any outside materials.

One thing I find helpful in ensuring the high donor expectations of results are met is to ensure you develop a strategy which aligns with what the grants objectives are and put up a structure which will support the strategy set up