Hank Rosso, the founder of The Fund Raising School at Indiana University, made the obvious point that, “You can raise a lot more money through organized fund raising than you can through disorganized fund raising.” What he was getting at was that the fund raising processes of an organization must be well thought through and well planned. He advocated for a total development plan— and the grant seeking efforts of nonprofit organizations must be an integral part of the total development plan.
Grant writing comes at the end of a process that begins with strategic and operational planning. Trying to write a compelling proposal for funding without the proper foundation in planning is disorganized fund raising and is not likely to lead to success.
The strategic approach to grant writing depends on three key organizational strengths: planning, commitment to excellence, and outstanding service.
Strength 1: A meaningful planning process.
The strategic plan must communicate a clear, compelling vision that is shared by all the major constituencies including the board and staff; establish measurable organizational, programmatic, and financial goals and objectives; include the strategies that will be used to achieve the goals and objectives; and specify how progress will be monitored, evaluated, communicated to stakeholders, and used to improve services. The operational plan flows from the strategic plan and specifies annual goals, objectives, and strategies for each program and service area, including fund raising. The budget identifies the cost of the resources necessary to implement the operational plan and identifies the sources of revenues, including donors and grants.
Strength 2: A demonstrated commitment to excellence in governance and management.
The board is actively involved in governance and fundraising, is well aware of the programs and services of the organization, advocates for the organization in the community, and holds the leadership accountable. The management team possesses the expertise to lead the organization, presents a professional image of the organization to the constituents, and solicits feedback on programs and services. The organization has effective policies and fiscal controls in place.
Strength 3: An excellent record of providing outstanding programs and service (for which there is a demonstrated high demand and need).
This requires a committed and qualified staff, careful data collection, and reporting of measures of evaluation and achievements. When these strengths can be documented, the grant writer will have the internal information necessary for writing grants.
The next step is research. The grant writer will search for grantmakers interested in funding the types of programs and services offered by the organization and will review information from their web sites, annual reports, application guidelines, and prior giving history to identify prospective funders. As the research continues, it results in a list of likely funders including their interest areas, average grant amounts, application deadlines, previous grants to the organization, contact information, and any other helpful and relevant information. Finally, place the best matches on a grant seeking calendar, identify the strategies that will be used for each funder, and make sure information from the calendar and strategies are included in the operational plan and budget.
Remember, plans and budgets are not static documents. They can (and should) be reviewed and revised periodically. As the needs of the organization change, the needs for grant research and grant writing will change as well. If the organization has effective planning processes, strong leadership, and provides outstanding service, grant writing efforts are more likely to be successful than for organizations that do not have these strengths.
About the Author:
Maggi LeClair helps organizations establish and strengthen their grant-seeking ability. She is motivated by her belief that the nonprofit sector is vital to the economic development and well being of communities. Not only do nonprofit organizations provide the same economic development benefits as other small businesses, but they impact the lives of the people and families they serve for years to come. Maggi has provided leadership for and managed all phases of proposal development processes and systems at two community colleges. Since 1998, she has facilitated proposal development resulting in $15 million in funded projects. Her Web site (www.leclaircs.com) is a terrific resource for information about grant writing and provides information about her services and workshops.
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