You're managing a grant project. How can you keep donors engaged and interested from start to finish?

In terms of federal and state grants, you will find that the government agency with oversight responsibility will want to engage you as grant administrator and maintain ongoing communication. The key for you is to make sure you do not communicate too much or too little. This means it is prudent to engage the agency staff assigned to your grant before you have even commenced the project being funded and get a clear picture from them on what is acceptable in terms of communication. You will find in almost all cases that they are very clear and informative on the level of communication they will welcome, and the protocols to follow in the communication.

Something I found very useful was visualizing the potential impact of their donations, the number of people expected to benefit from the funded project and how it is going to touch their lives positively.

Sharing periodic progress reports, preferably visualized not narrative reports is a good way to keep donors updated, it is always better to keep it simple and to the point.

Be cautious here that you let the donor drive the frequency of these updates and/or meetings. Monthly updates may be more than a small, family foundation made up of volunteers can manage. And that level may also get lost in the sea of communication that large, national level funders receive. Customize the frequency and content for each funder to ensure you're not overwhelming them (or not providing them frequently enough to meet their expectations/interests) and sharing content relevant to their interest in your project.

Involvement is important, but it needs to be in the right way. They are making a philanthropic donation and trusting you to use it in the way it was intended and in the way that works best for your organization. Don't be afraid to have the conversation - they might want their employees to spend the day volunteering at your site or in your program, but that might not be possible for whatever reason. Be able to offer an alternative and be open about why is doesn't work for you. Good relationships are based on trust, honestly and respect.

In almost 20 years of nonprofit fundraising, I've never had a donor respond negatively to the communication of a setback or change in the project. But I have seen them do so when that communication didn't happen and they heard about it from someone else. Like any relationship, communication is critical. Setbacks and changes are part of the process. You can plan and anticipate all day long. When the rubber meets the road, things will probably look different and funders understand that. But you have to tell them.