Jennifer J. Writes

Every single day I speak with organizations ready to pursue grant funding for their organization. The idea of requesting and receiving money to support your organization is exciting! And for many, it is needed to take a project from good to great.

Grants are highly competitive-thousands of worthy organizations apply for a pool of money and many will not receive funding. So what can you do to increase your chances of winning a grant? You begin with planning and preparation, also known as grant readiness.

Grant Readiness Checklist

• Have you met your state and federal requirements to obtain you 501(c)3 for your organization? This letter of determination from the IRS is routinely required for a grant application.
• Do you have an engaged board of directors? Because a grant application involves every aspect of your organization, many of your board members will be key stakeholders in the process and must be ready to provide needed information.
• Are you engaged with community leaders? Many grant applications ask for letters of support from leaders outside your organization. They are interested to hear how your organization is making a difference in your community.
• Do you have established partnerships with other organizations in the community? This speaks to your credibility, work, and ability to share resources.
• Can you show measured outcomes of your projects and work? Data is king in a grant application. Numbers, surveys, and case studies are the backbone of a solid grant application.
• Can you demonstrate fiscal responsibility? When you are asking for funds, it only makes sense that the funder would want to see that you are capable of fundraising and managing those funds in a prudent manner.
• Do you have a defined mission statement? Do your activities in your community reflect your mission? Measurable results of your programs that follow your mission are vital in telling a compelling story about your organization.
• Do you consistently fundraise? Funders want to see that you have skin in the game should they award you a grant. If a project will fail without a grant, scale back or fundraise more. Grants should never be considered the sole or primary funding of a organization.
• Are your financial documents current and in order? Part of demonstrating that you are good stewards of the funds you receive is revealed in your balance statement, income statement, and organization budget.

If you are grant ready, congratulations! Let’s talk about the next steps.

If you are not grant ready but want to pursue funding for your organization, schedule a time with me and we’ll get you on the path to grant readiness.