What's the secret to a successful nonprofit grant writing program?

1 Know your goals and needs

Before you start looking for grants, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what you need to get there. What are your organizational goals and priorities? What are your specific project objectives and outcomes? How much money do you need and how will you spend it? How will you measure and report your impact? Having a well-defined and realistic plan will help you identify the most suitable grant opportunities and write compelling proposals.

2 Research and cultivate funders

Not all grants are created equal. Some may align perfectly with your mission and vision, while others may have different expectations and requirements. You need to research and cultivate potential funders that match your goals, needs, and values. Find out what their funding priorities, criteria, and deadlines are. Learn about their past and current grantees and their feedback. Establish and maintain relationships with them through phone calls, emails, newsletters, and social media. Show them that you understand and respect their mission and goals, and that you can offer them a valuable partnership.

3 Write clear and persuasive proposals

Once you have identified and cultivated your target funders, you need to write clear and persuasive proposals that showcase your nonprofit's strengths, needs, and impact. Follow the funder's guidelines and instructions carefully, and tailor your proposal to their specific interests and expectations. Use clear and concise language, avoid jargon and acronyms, and provide evidence and data to support your claims. Highlight your unique value proposition, your competitive advantage, and your sustainability plan. Demonstrate how your project aligns with the funder's mission and goals, and how it will make a difference in the community or the world.

4 Manage and track your proposals

Grant writing is not a one-time activity. It is a continuous process that requires management and tracking. You need to keep track of your proposals, their status, their deadlines, and their results. You need to follow up with funders, acknowledge their responses, and provide any additional information or documents they request. You need to organize and store your proposals, your research, your budgets, and your reports in a secure and accessible way. You need to use tools and systems that help you manage and track your grant writing activities efficiently and effectively.

5 Evaluate and improve your program

Finally, you need to evaluate and improve your grant writing program regularly. You need to measure and analyze your outcomes, your successes, and your challenges. You need to collect and review feedback from funders, staff, partners, and beneficiaries. You need to identify your strengths and weaknesses, your opportunities and threats, and your best practices and lessons learned. You need to use this information to improve your grant writing skills, strategies, and processes, and to adjust your goals and plans accordingly.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?