Hey Reader,

A common piece of advice that you’ve probably heard in the grants world is, “Don’t save your budget for last.” And I wholeheartedly agree on that, because there are so many elements of the budget that take time to develop and ensure alignment with your proposal narrative. But, you know what I hear less often (but should)?

Don’t wait until you have the award to start thinking about grant management!

Grant management should be at the forefront of proposal development. Here’s why: you’ve laid out the need for your program, described the program plan, and highlighted your organization’s track record. You’ve even described your goals and outcomes, but as you begin to write the evaluation section, you realize that the details are muddy. Maybe they’re too broad because you don’t know what tools your team is using to track information. You’re asking yourself, “Do we collect more than surveys?” “Can we actually measure what we say our outcomes are?” and as the questions keep bubbling up, you realize that your team doesn’t have a clear plan for the what, why, and how you are evaluating in your program.

Alternatively, maybe you don’t realize any of this while developing your grant application. You submit it and then learn that your application was declined. One of the most common sections that grant reviewers point out as being weak in grant proposals is the evaluation section. Grant reviewers can spot unrealistic or underdeveloped evaluation methods from a mile away. So you want to make sure that you are truly considering all that will go into ensuring your program outcomes are tracked and measured effectively.

And often, a grant proposal is awarded, but now, you’re faced with reporting, and your team hasn’t been collecting any of the things you described in the proposal.

Want to avoid those “oh, sh*t” moments in the grants process?

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Here’s what you can do:

✅ Involve your team

Discuss your expected outcomes with your team to make sure everyone’s on the same page about what data needs to be collected. And on that note, make sure it’s data that matters to your mission and program, not just to check a box for a proposal.

✅ Plan for the unexpected

Make a plan for how you’ll handle any adjustments if unexpected things happen (like you don’t get all of the funding needed).

✅ Stay consistent

Keep your metrics consistent from application to application for your proposed program. Again, metrics should align with the program, not just fit the grantmakers' requirements. Measure what matters.

✅ Use systems

Set up a system to collect and track your data. Whether it’s a spreadsheet or a CRM, decide what the most important data points (demographics, # of participants, # of participants who completed the program, etc.) are and make a plan to collect that data at intervals that make sense to your team. This can be bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly.

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How do you approach grant management for your organization? Reply to this email and let me know. I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Grantseeking!

~ Tiffany