7 Steps to Strategic Grant Seeking

Author, Phyllis Lewis

Step 1: Decide to be a Strategic Grant Seeker

Before deciding in knee-jerk fashion to pursue a new grant opportunity that is due next week, slow down and begin to see grant writing as a proactive and strategic process. Decide to be a strategic grant seeker. Take a deep breath and think about the grant selection process. Winning grant dollars is a competitive undertaking, and it is becoming even more competitive everyday.

As my husband would say, “do not confuse activity with results”! You can choose to run around and work like a “mad man or woman” for the next week trying to meet a grant application deadline for a grant program that isn’t truly a match for your organization’s goals and priorities or you can begin to approach grant writing as a calculated and deliberate process.

Step 2: Conduct an Organizational Analysis

Look closely at your organizational situation. Identify your organizations strengths and achievements. These might include activities, programs or services considered outstanding, including those that have received:

• Awards
• Special Recognition
• Superior Findings from Studies or Evaluations
• Funder Site Visitations
• Media Coverage

Take stock of staff expertise. What staff skills and talents does the organization possess? Are there areas of weakness in staff expertise or professional development? Inventory strengths and challenges, current services provided by your organization, ans customer satisfaction levels. What solid partnerships exists with community organizations or institutions?

Step 3: Research Current and Upcoming Grant Opportunities

You can conduct your own search for prospective funders. However, this can be a time- consuming undertaking if you do not have prior experience identifying and researching funding opportunities. If you have little or no background in doing such research the Internet is a good place to start. I recommend that more experienced individuals subscribe to funding newsletters and databases. Some resources are without cost. In some cases, it may be even wise to purchase a subscription to a funding newsletter or database.

SmartWORKS offers customized grant research services and utilizes a variety of databases and directories to identify prospective funders. We also publish a free weekly e-newsletter that provides you with the latest information on new funding programs, upcoming grant deadlines, conferences, training, and other relevant information for grant seekers.

Step 4: Investigate the Background, Priorities and Future of Each Prospective Funding Source

It is vitally important that you get to know each prospective funder. Carefully assess the funder’s priorities for consistency with your project idea. Funder preferences can usually be ascertained by reading the funders program purpose, mission, or outcome statement. If you are unclear after reviewing website or print material, calling the prospective funder to ask specific questions is a good idea.

Step 5: Make a Considered Decision to Pursue a Particular Funding Opportunity and Get Board Support

Only after you have thoroughly investigated prospective funders can you make a considered decision about whether to pursue a particular grant opportunity, or not. Grant writing can be very time consuming. When you consider staff time invested in organizing meetings, planning with committees, and writing the grant application, only those grants that stand a good chance of receiving a funding award are truly worthy of the required time and effort.

If you were to record and calculate the costs related to staff and material resources required throughout the application preparation and submission process, you will find that grant writing can be a labor-intensive and expensive activity.

Once you have decided that a particular grant application is worthy of the amount of time and effort required, take action to garner support from appropriate staff and the organization’s board of directors.

Step 6: Get Your Organizational Documents in Order

To be taken seriously by funders, your organizational documents must be in order. You will need to be able to provide an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 501(c)(3) certification to document your organization’s tax exempt status. There are many other documents required by funders including: articles of incorporation, list of board of directors members, organizational chart, annual report, financial audit, and staff job descriptions, and key staff resumes.

Step 7: Design High Quality Programs That Connect With Current Work Efforts

As much as possible, proposed program services should be connected with current work efforts within your organization. When programs are structured to compliment and collaborate with each other, chances for long-term sustainability are increased. It may be desirable for new program services to share joint supervisory or other staff from established programs. This is often helpful in ensuring internal organizational coordination and collaboration.