“We are a new organization and have had some difficulty in
getting our first grant.
How can we get to that first ‘yes’?”
Advice:
1. Assess your grant-readiness
2. Create some small successes
3. Prepare/engage your board
4. Make the right case
- Assess your grant readiness: Make sure your financial records are in good order, your 501(c)3 status is in place (or you have a fiscal agent), and you have examined the community need for your work, the likelihood of success with your planned approach and your place within the community. There is money available for sound approaches to community issues, so if you have not had success, consider looking inward and/or hiring a consultant for advice.
- Create some small successes: Are you over-asking? If you are only seeking very large grants you might want to consider starting small. Find a funder willing to give you a small grant for a several-month pilot project of your idea. You can then create success and use the data collected in the pilot to pitch expansion of the idea for larger funding.
- Prepare and engage your board: A board’s role in fundraising or grantseeking cannot (and should not) be underestimated. Healthy organizations have a highly engaged board of directors that is not afraid of asking others for support. Foundation funders are increasingly requiring that board members sign requests for funding, be present at site visits, and financially contribute to the organization.
- Make the right case: Are you seeking money for the right things? Many funders like to fund one-time expenses or “capacity-building” projects that will elevate your organization to the next level. These projects will help your organization build its capacity to meet your mission and do your work more effectively in the future. The reason they like to fund these types of projects is that they are finite. Foundations know that you will not be knocking on their door year after year for the same thing. It is vital that you make the right case; that your proposal clearly demonstrates why the organization needs the money now and how the expenses (if they are ongoing) will be covered in the future.
Find out more about how Grants Plus can help your organization.