PREPARE YOUR ORGANIZATION FOR GRANT GETTING

Yes, there is grant money out there for your school or non-profit organization however, competition among grant seekers is great, both in the number and the quality of proposals submitted.  So you must work hard to convince grantors that your organization should get the money.  Your level of preparedness in the capital seeking process can make the difference.  Here are some organizational tasks to complete before you can begin to compete effectively for grant dollars.

1.       Assess and prioritize your organization’s needs as well as the needs of your community and constituencies.  Have department heads meet with their staff to brainstorm and compile lists of dreams and true needs.  Conduct written needs surveys of each department.  Also survey community leaders.  Examine your school improvement or strategic plan.  Prioritize the identified needs and develop your funding requests around those needs.  Be sure to match your funding requests to the goals of your plan. 

2.       Create a Statement of Purpose/Mission that addresses your needs in a clear and concise manner.   This statement provides the bedrock for your organization’s efforts. 

3.       Define a Plan of Action – Articulate a course of action to confront your problem area.    Questions to Answer:  What are the goals of the project?  How long will the project last?  Is this a new activity or is this a continuation of a program or project?  How well has the previous project succeeded?  Is this a modification? Why?  What methods and strategies will be tested? How will you evaluate the project, how will you know when you have achieved success?  What benchmarks have you set, what standards will be achieved?

4.       Plan Solid Programs – An organization’s leadership must demonstrate precisely what its plans and strategies are before any proposal will be funded.  You will then be able to anticipate results and present them as evidence of your organization’s credibility to prospective grantors.   Questions to answer:  What is the priority of the project?  How serious is the need for immediate action?  What is the target population?  What are the expected short and long range results?  Will these results help other organizations? 

5.       Develop Realistic Budgets – Grantors care about where their dollars are going.  They want to know what you plan to do with the money and how much your program will actually cost.  Budgeting enables your organization to project both revenues and expenditures.  Questions to answer:  What is the current operating budget of the organization?  What is the anticipated budget for the proposed project?  Will the project continue beyond the funding period? 

6.       Network and Develop Partnerships – The importance of networking simply cannot be understated in the capital seeking process.   You greatly increase your chances of getting in front of capital decision-makers by soliciting an introduction from a contact who knows them.   Collect evidence such as formal endorsements, letters, clippings, records of oral comments, indicating support of your organization by others.   Develop alliances and strategic partnerships with other groups and agencies.  Grantors feel they are getting more bang for their buck when multiple entities are involved in a grant project.

7.       Develop Strong Marketing Materials – Whether you’re looking to finance equipment, expansion, or acquisitions, it pays to create a professional image with all the materials you provide potential grantors. This includes writing professional letters and e-mails, producing brochures, and creating a functional web site.  

For more information about our development services contact Academic and Business Designs today!