GETTING GRANTS: Strategy & Planning
PART ONE – Know Your Organization & Community
Needs Assessment: knowing the “why” of your work:
The United States Census Bureau
Find macro or micro data profiles for states, counties, tribal areas, congressional districts and more. Topics range from education, to health, housing, employment to name a few. You can create data maps and tables to insert into grant proposals. The map function is a concise way to share complex or stunning information.
The Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas offers this toolbox with examples at the end of each section.”
A free data collection platform for needs assessment and evaluation designed for all global community contexts.
Strategy: Why Will Funders Select Us?
Because we know what we are doing: Theory of Change
The theory of change is a document map that explains the purpose of an organization or a program in a snapshot. It is also used to focus the action of many contributors and then concisely communicate the plan of action in grant proposals.
Because we are accountable - Key Performance Indicators
Key performance indicators are used for both internal and external organization performance accountability. These are different from outcome-based indicators used in programs. Some funders, such as corporations or the European Union, use KPIs as part of their required policy goals that they achieve through grantmaking to nonprofits. An example is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Do we inspire confidence and trust? Non-profit leadership
Funders look closely at the organizational maturity and leadership of an organization as stewards of a potential grant investment. Are Boards involved and donating toward the organizations they lead? Are they involved in fundraising? Does the board reflect the communities they serve?
How to manage the Board and leadership’s growth
This life cycle of an organization shows what funders are looking at for potential growth opportunities or pitfalls.
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Assessing Non-Profit Capacity
This website is the result of a comprehensive scan of resources intended to help both funders and grantees understand whether an organization is healthy. You can download the Guide to Organizational Assessment tools and the Database of Organizational Capacity Assessment Tools to select what you need for your situation. The most important step is to get started. Knowledge is power.
PART TWO – where can I find grants ?
News
The industry periodical for professionals in fundraising.
Forum of Regional Associations of Grant Makers .
The Forum serves grantmakers, but many of the regional associations who belong maintain online, searchable databases describing their members, available to subscribers or through local libraries. Search the forum’s website or try ‘regional association of grant makers’ and your state to find out whether there is a useful directory for your area.
Council on Foundations
While the primary audience of the Council on Foundations is funders, their website has many resources for grant seekers as well, including information about the different types of private foundations. The “Community Foundation Locator” can help you discover community foundations in your area. Find it under “Resources” in the Community Foundations section of the website.
Stanford Center Philanthropy and Civil Society
Strategically, it’s important to know how everyone thinks when there is an exchange of resources. The Center publishes a free online newsletter for students, scholars, and practitioners about the philanthropy ecosystem. They also publish the Stanford Social Innovation Review Journal.
Funding sources
INTERNATIONAL
The international industry news source for professionals who work in the international space and who also have to fundraise through grants and contracts, also called tenders in Europe. They have international funding and job announcements as well.
Government funders
A single electronic entry point for accessing grants from all twenty-six federal grantmaking agencies. It provides a unified process for finding and applying for all federal grant opportunities.
Provides easy one-stop access to all online U.S. federal government resources, including government grants information.
See who has been funded for federal grants for potential partners, competitors, or those who might be cycling off and creating new competitive opportunities.
Private funders
You can research how funders allocate their funds by reading their tax 990 tax forms. Funder websites and social media can tell one story and then the tax forms will reveal what is happening behind closed doors. Also, only 10% of charitable organizations have websites, though tax filings are required for everyone.
Candid conducts research, and provides analysis, training, and resources on philanthropy in the United States and around the world. The Candid website includes IRS Form 990s, statistics, and an excellent Frequently Asked Questions section on all aspects of nonprofit organizations and fundraising, including where to find sample proposals.A Nonprofit Collaboration Resources section includes a database of real-life examples and resources on how nonprofits can collaborate. The website provides subscription access to the Foundation Directory Online and FDO Professional database, but the latter is also available for free at all library Cooperating Collections. GuideStar is an online searchable database of foundations and corporate giving programs in the United States, compiled by the Foundation Center and updated weekly. It includes IRS Form 990s. Your local library system may also provide free access to this resource.
A searchable online database of foundations and corporate giving programs, updated daily. Especially useful features include listing funders’ board members and their relationships with other boards and the option to set up automatic updates on funders you’ve identified as good prospects. Artificial Intelligence tools are available to help with search and writing.
An online funding resource that provides access to information on U.S., Canadian, and international grantmakers as well as state and federal grants and loans. Members receive a weekly electronic newsletter with national and regional grant opportunities and a monthly electronic newsletter with grant information for nonprofit organizations working internationally. Available by subscription or in some public libraries.
PART THREE – Plan, Write & Submit Competitive Grant Proposals
These resources give you tips for proposal elements such as needs assessments, project description, collaboration, evaluation, budget, and relationship management.
An overview of great grant writing by the M J Murdock Trust
One of the great summaries of the grant seeking process.
Tips for planning and submitting a grant
Tips and best practices checklist from the Grant Professionals Association.
Candid Introduction to Proposal Writing tutorial
A video introduction to learning grant writing for those who need to start with visual learning before reading a book.
National Science Foundation analyzing the budget section (video)
A video introduction to learning grant writing for those who need to start with visual learning before reading a book.
Resources
NIH Grants Proposal Process Including the Review Process
This is the gateway to NIH (National Institute of Health) funding.
Great information on the does and don’ts of grant seeking that can apply to anyone.
Positioning for Success
Links and tips for how to build your research funding career including how to get on a review panel which is one of the best ways to build a resume and build your skills and networks. There are links to various research granting agencies.
Peer Review Demystified British Version
Take a look inside the grant review process with a British researcher.
Writing
A common critique by grant proposal reviewers is a lack of clarity of ideas and writing. Many people have never had a class on the basic mechanics of how to structure a sentence, paragraph, or whole piece of writing. This resource plus others from the University of Arizona Writing Lab can help your ideas come forward.
A Guide for Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
This guide will help you to know when and how to use these techniques. Citation and third party verification of claims made in a grant proposal is critical for demonstrating your knowledge and that you aren’t pulling information out of the air. Some funders score the quality of the citations, such as with research grants.
Includes links for MLA and APA formatting and style plus tips for avoiding plagiarism.
Artificial Intelligence and Fundraising
Artificial Intelligence, Grant Writing, and Ethics
The Grant Writers Certification Institute wrote this position statement on the role of artificial intelligence and grant writing.
Artificial Intelligence Tools for Nonprofits and Grant Writing
Mighty Ally put together this resource list including links to design, writing, video, image creation, website + comms, social media, audio, and strategy AI tools.
Grant making and Artificial Intelligence
This blog post How Will Funders Respond to AI-Generated Proposals by Neema Iyer, a former Practitioner Fellow of the Digital Civil Society Lab at the Stanford PCS, highlights important questions, issues, and opportunities for funders and fundraisers in the new era of AI.
Podcasts for Nonprofits
Giving Done Right Podcast.
https://givingdoneright.org
NIH Podcast
https://report.nih.gov/admin/node/782
Blogs for Nonprofits
Candid Funder Blog
https://blog.candid.org
Books for Nonprofits
The bestselling guide to nonprofit planning, with proven, practical advice Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations describes a proven method for creating an effective, organized, actionable strategy, tailored to the unique needs of the nonprofit organization. Now in its third edition, this bestselling manual contains information about the value of plans, specific guidance toward business planning, and additional information about the strategic plan document itself.
The Matrix Map—a powerful tool for nonprofit strategic decision-making Nonprofit sustainability lies at the intersection of exceptional impact and financial viability. The Sustainability Mindset offers nonprofit professionals and board members a step-by-step guide to move your organization towards this intersection. As outlined in the bestselling book Nonprofit Sustainability, “The Matrix Map” is an accessible framework that combines financial and programmatic goals into an integrated strategy. In this next-step resource, the authors detail a rigorous process to develop a meaningful Matrix Map and engage leadership in setting an organization’s strategy.
Impact & Excellence: Data-Driven Strategies for Aligning Mission, Culture and Performance in Nonprofit and Government Organizations , Sheri Chaney Jones, 2014 John Wiley & Sons
Learn to identify, capture, and utilize impactful data for organizational transformation Impact & Excellence is the culmination of a four year research study into the most successful data-driven strategies for today’s non-profit and government organizations. The book focuses on five strategic elements to success based on proven principles, with solutions that are easy to implement and often lead to sweeping change. Each chapter includes discussion questions and action items to help leaders implement key concepts in their own organizations. Included with purchase is access to the Measurement Culture Survey, which, will allow readers to access a free benchmark report.
Praise for Building Nonprofit Capacity
“A central question for leadership is to identify where, and when, to focus organizational energy, and that is where Brothers and Sherman’s book comes in. Changing organizations is never easy, which is why managers need the right set of maps and tools—like this one.” — Jon Pratt, executive director, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Professional Development for Grant Writers: Certification
Grant Professional Certification Institute
The Grants Professional Certification Institute is dedicated to measuring and promoting competency and ethical practices within the field of grantsmanship. The GPCI accomplishes its mission through the identification of grant professionals who display outstanding expertise and ethical practices as measured by a psychometrically valid and reliable assessment tool. An effort to define high ethics paired with a valid professional endorsement began in the early 2000’s in response to percentage-based pay schemes, finder fees and other unethical practices by grant writers. Late night infomercials promised “free government money with grants.” In response, guidelines for ethical practice and an exam to demonstrate competency were developed to assure non-profits that when they hire grant writers they will receive sound council.
RESOURCES
