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Grant Writing Campaigns

Guidelines for Conducting a Grant Writing Campaign

The grant proposal is one of the most common ways that non-profit organizations solicit donations from foundations, corporations, and government entities.  

Although some charities receive a sizable amount of their revenue from grants, there is a large pool of charities competing for a limited amount of grant funding. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, in 2006 there were 904,313 public charities with 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States. This particular status is important because it allows donors – individuals, foundations, and corporations – to make tax-deductible contributions to non-profits.

 

Whereas there were over 900,000 public charities in 2006, Giving USA determined that foundations and corporations contributed $36.50 billion and $12.72 billion, respectively, in grants to charities in the same year. This is a significant amount, but given the number of charitable organizations competing for these funds, acquiring grants is a challenging task.

A well-structured grant writing campaign will help your organization be competitive.

To be competitive, non-profits must implement an organized grant writing campaign that is based on a sound organizational structure, healthy financial standing, solid program operations, and effective grant writing.  Listed below is information that will help you create a successful grant writing campaign.

Planning

It is important to create a plan that clearly defines how your organization will carry out its grant writing campaign. The plan should include the following components:

• Purpose of the campaign (i.e., general operating support, program support, or capital improvements)
• Types of funders to solicit (i.e., corporate giving programs, family foundations, independent foundations, government agencies, community foundations, etc.)
• Goals
• Timeline of activities

Research

Conducting thorough research and choosing funders whose missions most closely meet your organization’s mission and activities will save time and money, conserve human resources, and decrease the number of declines.  If you are wondering where to search for potential funders, the following web sites might help.

• Chronicle of Philanthropy
• Donors Forum (in Illinois)
• Donors Forum of Wisconsin
• USA.gov
• Foundation Center
• Fundsnet
• Grants.gov
• Minnesota Council on Foundations

Calendar Creation

Once you have identified the most compatible funders, create a calendar or database that includes funders’ grant submission deadlines as well as other important information.  A calendar is one of the most important tools for managing your grant writing campaign on a long-term basis.

Proposal Development

Some organizations develop grant proposal templates that can be sent to different funders.  Since funders have different guidelines and may require different information, the template will not be appropriate for every funder.  It is, however, a good source to use because you will not have to start from scratch with each proposal or application. The following guidelines will help you write competitive proposals.

1. Develop a persuasive grant proposal.

• Take the time and effort needed to write a professional, well-organized proposal.  If possible, do not wait until the last minute to write a proposal, especially if you must rely on others to supply important information.
• Do not fill the proposal with unnecessary information or jargon.
• Develop achievable goals and measurable objectives.
• Make sure the evaluation method is solid and feasible.
• Include documented information about the problem your organization intends to solve such as statistics and case studies. This information will add urgency and credibility to your proposal.
• Make the proposal as short as possible without omitting important details.

2. Do not neglect the cover letter.

• Develop a thought-provoking cover letter that lists the amount of the grant request and summarizes the purpose of the proposal.  
• Use the cover letter to highlight your organization’s success with addressing the issue or to demonstrate the urgency of your request by citing important statistics.  
• The cover letter should be relatively brief (i.e., no more a page ).
• If possible, address the cover letter to the appropriate party.  

3. Make the grant submission process as efficient as possible.

• If you have questions regarding a funder’s guidelines, contact them for clarification.
• Keep copies of documents that funders routinely request such as 501 (c) (3) letters, audits, board lists, budgets, staff resumes, newsletters, and annual reports on file. This makes assembling proposal packages more efficient.
• Maintain a database of statistics, studies, and best practices that clearly define the issues your organization addresses. This information will help you build a strong case for the need for funding. If you update the information regularly, you will be prepared to confidently discuss the issues with funders whether in written or verbal communication.
• Be sure to follow the funder’s proposal requirements and instructions.  Some funders will disqualify applications and proposals if guidelines are not followed to the letter.
• Do not miss the funder’s proposal submission deadline.  It is true that some funders will accept late proposals, but it is not worth the risk.
• Try to complete the proposal package in enough time to send it via regular mail.  It is important to convey your organization’s need and ability to operate efficiently.  Using couriers such as Federal Express is more costly and can portray an image of disorganization.

Relationship Building

It is ideal to create a strong connection with a funder before submitting a grant proposal to increase the likelihood that your proposal will be funded, but relationship building can take a very long time.  If you don’t have a well-established relationship with a funder, contact them to request a meeting.  Some funders will not be open to meeting with you. They may prefer to receive a letter of inquiry or an actual proposal.

Sometimes a decline to fund your proposal can open the door to building a relationship with the funder. So try to find out why your proposal was declined, how you can improve your chances of receiving a grant, and if it is worth it to resubmit your proposal in the future.

Approach the grant writing campaign with patience and determination.

For some charities, grant writing campaigns are on-going.  To be effective, long-term campaigns must be flexible enough to adapt to changing organizational, economic, and funding conditions. Gaining experience and knowledge about the process will help you build and maintain a strong and efficient grant writing campaign.

 

References

CD Publications. Grantseekers checklist.

Hans, Patricia. The foundation game: Unwritten rules. Nonprofit World 5, No. 2: 20.

Hart, Eloise. Writing a winning grant proposal.

National Center for Charitable Statistics. Frequently Asked Questions. http://nccs.urban.org/resources/faq.cfm#general (accessed on May 1, 2009).

National Center for Charitable Statistics. Quick facts about non-profits. http://nccs.urban.org/statistics/quickfacts.cfm (accessed May 1, 2009).

Copyright © 2009 Katherine Williams. All rights reserved.

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