Hey Reader!

It’s the start of summer and for some nonprofits that means slowing down a bit to reflect and prepare for the fall. For others, this is the season where you’re in the thick of things with summer camps, apprenticeships, strategic planning, outreach, and more. No matter which state of activity your organization is in right now, I hope you get time to decompress and set yourself up for a lower stress remainder of 2024.
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Nonprofit staff and educator burnout are real. And it’s causing a dramatic workforce shortage with over 50% of nonprofits attributing the workforce shortage to burnout according a 2023 survey from the National Council of Nonprofits. Creating processes that help to save time is one small way for you and your organization’s staff to feel less stress-y, at least when it comes to grant seeking.

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Personally, I’m big on planning ahead to give myself a time buffer. I don’t like last minute anything (except maybe cancelled plans that allow me a night in with the pups!) So I want to share with you two things I love to do to get prepared to start the grant process. These tips work for communications too, as you’ll see…

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First, get organized

Create a folder system that makes it easy to access commonly requested documents you’ll need to apply for grants or that are frequently used to reference when developing your communications. These items can include your 501(c)(3) determination letter, your IRS 990, audited financial statement, W9, list of board members that includes their affiliations and email addresses, your organization’s annual report, and resumes and bios of key staff and board members, you name it! By gathering all of these documents in advance and putting them all in one place, you reduce the amount of time spent trying to locate them each time you apply for a new grant.
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Make a plan to update this file at least annually coinciding with a milestone that makes sense for you such as when your organization publishes your annual report, financial documents, new board appointments, or the start of a new fiscal year (Hello, July 1!). If your organization’s folder system feels too unwieldy to tackle this project alone, start by creating a folder of shortcuts with the documents you’ll need to reference frequently. I’ve also taken a page from my classroom days and developed a “hyperdoc” with links to the files I need handy.

Then, develop a Universal Grant Application

The best time to prepare for a grant submission is now. Rather than waiting until a submission window opens to begin preparing your narrative, start by preparing a Universal Grant Application. Some people call this a master grant template, a case statement, or boilerplate language. No matter what you call it, the purpose of this document is to create a compelling proposal for your organization’s program based on the questions commonly asked by grantmakers. It’s a great tool that you can repurpose to use for multiple grant applications, website copy, social media, and more content.

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But, please note that I’m not talking about merely copying and pasting, and clicking the submit button. You will need to adapt the language to align with the grantmaker’s priorities and the specific application questions, but you don’t need to start from scratch every single time. After completing several grant applications from multiple funding sources, you’ve probably noticed some trends. Here are five common grant questions/items I see commonly requested in grant applications:
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5️⃣ What is the problem your organization is proposing to address and for whom?

You’ll want to clearly communicate the need your organization has identified and the target population you’ll serve.
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4️⃣ What makes your organization well-suited to address this problem?

Often you’ll be asked to provide an organizational overview and provide evidence of your organization’s qualifications. This might include qualifications of key personnel or describing past projects your organization has implemented and managed. Don’t forget to highlight what makes your organization and program model unique in addressing this need.

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3️⃣ How do you plan to address the problem?

In your proposal, as you speak to your plan, create a clear image of the timeline of activities, and outline your goals and objectives. Describe relevant partnerships that allow you to further carryout your mission.

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2️⃣ How will you know if your program has been successful?

Be clear on what outcomes you expect to achieve and how you will measure these outcomes.
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1️⃣ How will you continue to program beyond the funding period?

Of course, it’s important to address the sustainability question from a financial perspective, but it’s also important to consider how your organization will anticipate and plan for other key factors that can disrupt your program such as staff turnover, community buy-in, mission drifting.

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Do you already have a grant go-to folder system in place or a universal grant application? Want my support creating these items for a lower stress grant process? Book a Discovery Call with me here and let’s chat.

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