Five Characteristics of High-Performing, Grant-Winning Nonprofits

People like to invest in those they trust, those who align with their goals, and those who have winning track records. Grantmakers are no different.

Nonprofit organizations that are clicking on all cylinders, run amazing, impactful programs, and are positively changing the world one project at a time are what I would call high-performing organizations. Grantmakers love funding high-performing organizations.

There are a few common questions grantmakers will ask to see how if a grant applicant is a high-performing nonprofit:

1. "Tell us about your organization."
2. "Tell us about your leadership."
3. "Tell us about some of your past projects."
4. "How do you measure success?"
5. "What is your mission? What are your goals?"

These questions begin to probe whether or not a nonprofit is high-performing, but many internal organizational changes must be made before true proof of its high performance emerges. After working with multiple high-performing organizations across the country, winning grant after grant, I have found that they all have the following five things in common. They:

1. Have tight internal financial, governance, and operational procedures. High-performing nonprofits run well. The key to running well is having flawless processes in place and writing them down. Do all of these procedures start out flawless? No. They end up flawless because they are written down and refined over time.
2. Are thoughtful about what they do and how they do it. High-performing nonprofit organizations rarely just wing it. They are thoughtful and strategic about their work and approach.?They engage a diverse range of strategic partners and are open to innovative ways to get the work done.
3. Create feedback loops with their team and those they serve. Feedback is a gift, and leadership embraces it regardless of whether it's positive or negative. They employ continuous improvement loops of gaining feedback, implementing feedback, analyzing and assessing what was implemented, and gaining more feedback.
4. Are obsessed with defining metrics of success and tracking program outcomes. Everything from how many pencils they bought last quarter to how many lives were saved is tracked and reported. This helps tell their amazing story and impact on the community. They package their story in amazing annual reports, white papers, and other ways to tell their story.
5. Belong to a tribe of other high-performing nonprofits.? Even if they are not yet high-performing, they are committed to being in rooms and spaces to learn more about how to become a high-performing nonprofit organization.? In fact, one of my favorite grant research brands, Instrumentl, is hosting the FREE Nonprofit Growth Summit on September 12 ! Instrumentl will share five actionable strategies from top-performing nonprofits to implement immediately, provide exclusive access to 12+ resources from nonprofit experts, and connect with a vibrant network of nonprofit professionals eager to collaborate.

Are there any other characteristics of high-performing, grant-winning non-profit organizations? If you are a high-performing nonprofit organization, how did you become a high-performing nonprofit?

-Shavonn

This article has been provided with promotional consideration from Instrumentl.

About Shavonn Richardson, MBA, GPC

Shavonn is the Founder and CEO of Think and Ink Grant Consulting. As a former nonprofit leader and grantmaker, Shavonn has over 20 years of experience delivering practical, real-world advice to nonprofit leaders nationwide.??Shavonn earned the GPC (Grant Professional Certified) credential from the Grant Professionals Certification Institute in 2020 and is a Grant Professionals Association Approved Trainer.?

Shavonn also serves as President of the Grant Professionals Association. Shavonn earned a BBA from Howard University in Washington, DC, and an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

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