I was speaking with a grantmaker, the Executive Director of a small community foundation, about the grant applications he receives. He said that by and large, the applications he reads from smaller nonprofits without a paid grant writer are rarely fundable. Why is that? Is it the work they’re doing, or is it the way they’re presenting it to the grantmaker?
Couching your ask to a funder is a learned skill. Remembering to always put the needs of the people you serve above the organization’s needs is paramount. But also, the skill is in getting away from talking too much about tactics and strategies, and more about results, and the change your program idea would make in the world.
Thinking like a funder, sitting in their seat, putting on their hat – these are flip little sayings, but they go deeper than just being little quips. It means that, to funders, their mission is the most important thing. Just like to you, the non-profit, your mission is of the utmost importance, so too is the mission of a grantmaker their North Star.
Can you/your non-profit help the funder achieve their mission, or get closer to it?
If you can — if you make a good match and your program is a clever way to make headway towards your common mission — then that’s what your grant application needs to convey. Your grant app is your opportunity to identify the need you both want to see filled, and then tell that funder the innovative way you’ve come up with to meet that need. Tell them what results you expect (use data to show proven results from similar attempts others have made), how the time is right for YOUR answer to the need, how your org is the best-suited outfit for the job, and how you will be good stewards of their money.
In short, show them in your grant app that you are a good investment. Because honestly, they are considering you an “investment,” a (hopefully) worthwhile gamble, something to place their faith in and take a chance on. They want to hear how your work is aligned with their goals and that backing you is the best investment they can make.
If you can do that, you will have a competitive application. Applying for a grant is a competition, after all. Your app has to beat out all the other apps that funder receives in order to get the funding you seek. And they receive a lot of applications. It’s tough to rise to the top. But if you think like a funder, consider their perspective, and tell them clearly how your common missions will be fulfilled, then your app has a much better shot.
Good luck, all grant applicants!
