Beginner Grant Writing For Small Non-Profits: Chapter 1 Getting Organized
The key to sustainability for most non-profits in the correct diversification of funding. While the exact percentages may fluctuate each year, seeking funding from private, corporate and government grants can be a worthwhile endeavor. I have worked with many non-profits who worry they do not have the time or resources to invest in this kind of work. While that is understandable with some grants being very labor intensive and being awarded funding is not guaranteed, it IS worthwhile to take some time researching to see if there are grants that are cost-effective and worth your time.
This is always step one: RESEARCH! Not only is this step one, but it is a step you will constantly be doing. Never stop researching! I encourage clients who are embarking on this in their own, to make sure that this is a long-term project for an employee. A 10% project, if you will. Whenever you have down time, research grants that may be a good fit for your organization.
What Are You Seeking Funds For?
Whenever you sit down to do research, ask yourself: What am I seeking funds for? Is it for the organization as a whole? Or is it for a specific program/general operating/technology? Once you have a clear vision of what it is you need funding for, think about the different components of this program/organization/etc. This includes demographics on the impact of this work (region, racial, gender, age and financial demographics, etc) and the topics it may touch upon (eg, education, environmentalism, arts). Once you have this list you will have a better sense of the scope of grants you may be applicable for.
For example, if I am working for a client who is seeking funding for an arts exhibition I could submit applications only for grants that fund visual arts exhibitions. OR if I know that this art exhibition will also be offering free interactive workshops to school age children, I could potentially apply for additional grants that fund arts education or other youth oriented foundations.
The major takeaway: Think about the work you do as a whole, and it will open more opportunities!
(*It should be noted that you should not simply add aspects to your program or organization just to seek additional funds. This very rarely ever works out in the short term. Instead, if you are considering adding components like education, do the research and think about how such programming could occur organically and in line with your mission. More on this subject to come.)
How To Find Grants
If you are a small organization and you are beginning to research potential funders, you may find yourself directed online to services that promise you amazing lists - but for a fee (ugh). Be wary of these, as they most often contain information you can easily gather in a couple hours for free!
So how do you find grants? I typically start by searching similar non-profit organizations online and looking at their donor page. Do they list Foundations that have awarded them funding? These are the types of Foundations to begin compiling in a list as potential fits for your funding needs. As someone who works regularly in the arts, I also like to save programs from performances and events I attend so I can look up the organizations that have either provided sponsorships or grants. I keep this list of potential grants in a spreadsheet and fill in all important information:
Sample of Grant Pipeline
I call this document my Grant Pipeline, and it is a great way for me to easily share updates with my clients and with the Board of Directors. This "Master List" is a one pager I can easily print out for meetings so everyone can see the big picture of the grant writing strategy and the status of various grants.
By using a spreadsheet, you can also break down the report further with various tabs.to separate grants by program or project. Depending on how elaborate your organization's programs are, this may be beneficial so you can better group specific grants that fit each targeted program (i.e. Perhaps one program is applicable for education grants, and a different program you produce is applicable for environmental grants).
One service/resource I would highly recommend if you are searching for grants is the Foundation Center. The Foundation Center is a wonderful resource both in person and online. I highly encourage you to take the time to go through their articles or to sign up for a workshop. If a subscription to their database is in your organization's budget, it may be worth it - just know that it is not a necessity to get your grant writing program off the ground.
Creating A Work Plan
Now that you have a list of grants that you are a good fit for - How are you going to get this all done??? This is where a work plan and a checklist is a great idea.
Grants are notorious for being detail oriented work and may consist of various components. While the Grant Pipeline is a great document to share with co-workers/clients/Board Members, I typically create a second internal document with a work plan. This is a document where I can be a little bit "messier" and write out all components of the grant, add notes or even notate who on the staff is working on what (I have worked in offices where they prefer to break out the responsibilities for a grant with a project lead overseeing it all)
Now that you have your list of grants and a pathway to completing them, you are ready to start writing and building your relationship with funders! Stay tuned for Chapter 2 where we delve into this...