Stewardship: The Most Important, But Underrated Strategy in Grant Writing

Building relationships is important.? Relationship building is essential in both personal and professional lives.

In our personal lives, we keep in touch with friends, families, and loved ones.? We care about what our loved ones are doing and how they are doing.? We stay connected to our loved ones by spending time with them, keeping them updated on what is happening in our lives, and being ready to support each other if needed.

When it comes to building professional relationships with funders, the same types of engagement apply.? At Think and Ink Grant Consulting, we call this stewardship.? Stewardship is the process of staying engaged with a funder and keeping them updated on your progress and organization long before submitting a grant.? We apply the concept of stewardship as an ongoing management of relationships with current funders year-round.? To attract and build relationships with new funders, we call this relationship cultivation which is different from stewardship.

Many nonprofits overlook the importance of stewardship, and understandably so.? It’s HARD work.? Stewardship is a long, deliberate process that, among all the busyness of running a nonprofit, can fall to the waste side.??

Not focusing on stewardship is akin to the following:

You:? Hey, “Funder,” can you give me $100,000?

Funder: (Nervously) We’d like to consider your request; however, we don’t know much about your organization.? Can you fill us in on some of your work?

You:? Well, I’ve been busy - sorry I haven’t kept you in the loop. We really need to reapply for this funding and can tell you all about our work in our proposal.? We’ll be sure to submit it by the deadline.? Thanks!

Versus….

You: Hey, John/Jane Doe.? We were so grateful to have had an opportunity to attend our last fundraiser.? We’re also thrilled you received our Annual Report.? Thank you for your feedback during our last quarterly meeting on the program we’re considering launching next year.? Your insight was beneficial, and we’ll incorporate your feedback into our programming.

Funder:? Great!? It was wonderful connecting with you during our last quarterly meeting.? Thank you for putting these 15-minute quarterly meetings on our calendar to keep up updated on your work.? It was great to see your impact on the community as shown during your fundraiser.? I enjoyed hearing the stories of those you served.? I had a chance to share the experience and photos of the event with my colleagues. Thanks again for the invite.? I couldn’t stay long, but I am grateful for the time I could spend.? I am glad the feedback on your programming was helpful.

You:? Yes, your feedback was constructive.? We see there is an open RFP with a deadline within the next six months.? Based on your feedback, we would like to submit a proposal to support our updated programming.? Please let us know if there have been any updates on how your foundation is looking to engage the community this year.? We look forward to submitting a proposal aligned with your goals.

Now, many of you may be reading this and maybe saying, “I shared our updates via our reports.? Do I also have to engage in the process of stewardship?”? My answer to this question is yes.?

Completing reports correctly and on time with a current funder is important. However, regular communication with current funders will help better position your organization for additional funding. It is key to take advantage of the low-hanging fruit of being re-awarded with an existing funder (if possible) versus seeking new funding.

-Shavonn

____________________________________

About Shavonn Richardson, MBA, GPC

As a former nonprofit leader and grantmaker, Shavonn has over 20 years of experience delivering practical, real-world advice to nonprofit leaders across the country.?She is one of only 17 Grant Professional Certified (GPC) grant professionals in Georgia.?Shavonn serves on the Board of Directors of the Grant Professionals Association and is a Sustainer member of the Junior League of Atlanta.

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 earned a BBA from Howard University in Washington, DC, and an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

Learn more by visiting our website: www.thinkandinkgrants.com