By: Lara Ruggles
I’m going to let you in on one of my personal pet peeves about grant applications - I will never understand how so many funders don’t think through the consequences to potential applicants of putting a grant deadline right after a holiday. Some folks will execute a successful plan to complete their application before the holiday, and others, my past self many times included, will find themselves working right through the holiday despite their best efforts to the contrary. I’d be lying if I said I’d never wished a constant cascade of minor annoyances onto anyone involved in making the decision to put a grant deadline immediately post-holiday, and I know I’m not alone in this. However, when it comes to grant applications, changing the deadline or the funder’s approach to the application or reporting process all count under “things out of our control”, and what we CAN control is our own approach to completing an application and planning ahead. Moving into 2025, let’s make a resolution to change the things that ARE within our control, getting our planning systems streamlined so we find ourselves hitting “submit” before the holiday weekend, and enjoying our extra time off along with everybody else. Here are a few “do’s” and “don’ts” to get you started on a successful year:
DO: Include specific grants and grant application timelines in your development plan, and create a grants calendar at the beginning of the year with not only deadlines for the opportunities you already know about, but dates to begin working on your narrative, have a first draft done, and share a final draft with your team for review ahead of deadline.
DO: Create a shared folder with documents that are frequently requested by funders as part of grant applications. This can include financial documents (such as 990s, W9, profit and loss statements, and a projected budget for the current or next fiscal year); information about your board and staff (such as demographics, names and job titles, and how often your board meets); and a copy of your 501(c)3 letter.
DON’T: Invent a brand-new program for a grant application due two weeks from now (unless it is a federal grant, which is often specific for program development, and even then take more time than two weeks). Program development and implementation requires careful planning and a longer runway than a grant cycle, and I’ve seen important details and whole budget categories get missed - and programs fail - because not enough time was taken to develop them before a grant application was due, and implementation was attempted too soon in order to try to achieve outcomes in time for a reporting deadline. Don’t make this mistake - participants will suffer, and the organization will suffer in the long term, as a result.
DO: Take the time to develop a grant application “kit” for each program for which you plan to apply for funding. This should include detailed long-form answers to common grant questions such as what the intended outcomes of your program are and how you’ll measure them; who you partner with and how those partnerships work (ie. which partner is responsible for what actions); logic models; program budget; and program descriptions that are so clear, funders will be able to envision what your program looks like in operation from start to finish. Make these descriptions longer than they will usually need to be - you can always copy and paste the sections most relevant to each grant opportunity, and it’s better to have too much to work with than not enough!
DON’T: Underestimate the power of a clear and detailed program description. I worked with a client last year who got feedback on a grant application for which their organization was not awarded funding. The funders said they wanted a much clearer picture of exactly how the program worked, how long it took each cohort to complete it, and what participants would experience along the way. With this in mind, we had multiple meetings where I asked questions about the program until I felt like I understood each aspect of it so well that I could communicate it in detail and with precision, and we submitted a new application for the next grant cycle. This time, the application was awarded a $300,000 grant to expand the existing program!
DO: Assess the cost and benefit to your organization of applying for a grant. How complex is the application? How many hours do you estimate it will take to write the narrative and gather all the requested documentation? How much reporting does the funder require after the fact? And if the application is going to be a big lift in all of those areas, is the grant amount large enough to render this time well spent? If the answer is no, then…
DO: Pass grant opportunities on by - even if it seems like the perfect fit for your program - if the costs to your organization are greater than the potential benefit. Said another way…
DON’T: Apply for a $2,000 grant that’s going to require significant reporting on outcomes. It’s just not worth it. It will cost your organization more than the funding amount to get the reporting done.
DO: Be clear about the roles each of your team members will play in getting the application ready to submit. Who is getting the grant budget ready? Who is responsible for evaluating outcomes and submitting reports? Who is writing the narrative? Who is gathering the supporting documentation? If you’re working with a consultant, who is responsible for answering any questions about programs and operations that they may have? Don’t wait until your team is in the thick of it to figure out the details and assign clear roles!
When you’re able to implement these practices consistently, you’ll be setting yourself up for success in grant writing. This doesn’t just mean getting the grant - it also means avoiding burnout and unnecessary extra stress, and being ready for what’s around the corner. Making an investment in setting up effective systems and processes now can save you time, headaches and anxiety later. In 2025, last-minute panic is out. Good planning is in. The next time we face down a grant deadline right after a holiday weekend, may we all think, “no problem - I planned for this,” and find ourselves hitting that “submit” button in plenty of time to enjoy our vacation days.
Comments