How to Get Grants Without Chasing Them

The most common mistake of a non-profit organization that seeks grant donors is to tweak their organization to fit into the funder’s specifications.

Most of the time, a non-profit organization finds it hard to locate grant donors that are clearly interested in their cause that funds their geographic location, and will really donate to their mission. When the search for a perfect funder becomes too difficult, non-profit organizations tend to wait for any grant available which can be interpreted as similar to their organization, but is not focused exactly on what they do. Commonly, an organization will wait for and seek available grants and try to adjust to fit into the grant’s specifications. This can be expensive on the part of the organization since it does not guarantee that the proposal will be approved.

To be able to successfully find a grant donor that will fund your project, you must first know specifically where your organization is geared. Also, you need to be specific on your target issues or cause, the benefits that can be gained, and who will benefit from your project.

The key to find a donor that will actually give is to know the art of prospecting and how to do it right. Prospecting is the art of locating a grantor that will fund your project. Time and continuous effort must be spent to locate donors that are more likely to give to your organization, than those that are not.

Plan it out

Before applying for a grant, make sure that you know and understand the real need in your geographic area. Locate grant opportunities that will really get funded. After understanding the need, prepare in advance your timeline, set of activities, expected results, the target audience, and the standards on how you will evaluate the results.

Write an honest, complete, and easy to read proposal

Some organizations prefer hiring a grant writer or a consulting firm to do the prospecting. But ordinary people can look for prospective donors and create proposals without the aid of writing companies. Usually successful proposals are home-grown and written by one of the members of the organization.

In writing a proposal, be honest and precise in providing necessary information. Remember that donors are well-educated with the issue or problem they are passionate about and know which services and programs will work best. Therefore you must let them know that your organization have the capacity and the “know-how” to conduct the activity.

A proposal must not be generally written. The needs must not be overstated. A good proposal must be:

• Tailored to reflect the organization’s philosophy and interest.
• Realistic and self-explanatory.
• Able to communicate the need to be addressed.
• Able to educate donors about your project and activities.
• Well documented to support your arguments.
• Not exaggerating results.
• Specific and precise in stating ideas.
• Able to provide a specific breakdown of expenses and costs to be incurred during the project.

Conduct a thorough research

Conduct a research on funders, corporations, and specific institutions who give grants. Donors provide grants for a specific cause or issue that has great appeal to them. Often, they give donations to a certain community or population that they value.

Try to list down the names of foundations that provide donations to organizations working and serving in your region; those that give to causes or issues that your organization is addressing; and those with a proven history of giving to other organizations that are similar to yours. Make sure that the requirements of your prospective donor fit your cause without the need for adjustments.

No grant donors are exactly the same. Donors sometime require other supporting papers, so it is best to familiarize yourself with their requirements.

Be grateful of refusals and rejections

Although most non-profit would rather receive grants than refusals, treat rejections as blessings. Remember that during your research, you have identified them as potential grant donors. Even if they decline your application, they are still potential donors with which you can apply in the next giving cycle. If you get rejected, you can always ask the donor why your proposal got rejected. This allows you to fully understand the donor and provide you with a better opportunity of getting the grant in the next giving cycle. Remember: you can always apply again.

Manage the grants received

Use the provided grant effectively. Make sure that each spending is according to what you have stated in your proposal. Track the progress of the program, keeping a detailed record of your beneficiaries and their feedback on the program. Provide an end of grant report whether the donor requested for it or not. This will assure that the donation they have given you was properly spent and provided results.

It is important that the executive directors do not lose hope in seeking funding for their projects. There must always be persistence and dedication in finding grant donors that are interested in non-profit organizations that are doing the same work as you do. You must remember that there are millions of donors in United States. The one who’s willing to give to your initiative may just be around the corner waiting for your grant proposal to be handed to them.