Preparing Your Organization for Successful Grant Applications

Organizations seeking grant money often wonder what they have to do to look good to donors. It is a common mistake to just write proposals without adequate preparation. Your success depends on how well you meet the donor’s expectations. What donors expect to see when reviewing your grant application is not far-fetched. The two basic questions the donor asks here are: Who is applying? What qualifies you to apply to an identified donor?

Know your organization

The proposal writer must have a great understanding of the organization for which s/he writes. The history, vision, and mission statements of such organizations must be common knowledge. It is easy to copy such information into relevant sections of the proposal. This is not always a good practice as this information may be outdated. Such information as history should be updated frequently. The vision may remain constant, but not the mission. When such changes are made, they have to reflect in proposals.

Get a copy of my Book; Fundraising Proposal for Beginners

Do your research well

Proposal writers must be up to date with information about their organization. Thus, adequate efforts must be invested in researching your organization’s past, present, and possible future. Research assists the writer in presenting the best picture of the grant-seeking organization to the donor. In other words, organizational research entails studying previous reports of the organization as well as interacting with older staff, especially if the writer is not the founder of the organization. Sometimes, it is the little details we tend to overlook that may give us the required edge over our competitors. The other way we can know our organization better is by conducting organizational assessments to determine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the organization. Some common tools that can be used to achieve this include the SWOT Analysis, PESTLE Analysis, and the Organization Capacity Assessment Tool.

Why qualifies your organization to apply for grant money?

Evidence must be readily available to show the organization’s competencies. The competencies must align with the skills required to implement the project for which you are seeking donor support. For instance; If you are a civil engineer; it would seem unusual if you want to do a project on Exclusive Breastfeeding or Autism. The donor is befuddled by such a proposition and causes your proposal to be thrown out. If the Civil Engineer is a trained Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA), then he must de-emphasize his Civil Engineering background and emphasize his training and experience as a TBA. Organizations may have multiple work areas and then, it becomes important to refer to only relevant experiences and skills. Mention other competencies in passing.

 

Documents every organization should have

There are a number of documents relating to organizations that the proposal writer should have at hand and a considerable knowledge of. These documents include the following:

• Financial status, including most recent overall organization budget and individual program budget.
• Staff: (full-time, part-time, volunteers) number and qualifications (brief biography), background, and strengths and job descriptions.
• Board members.
• Past activities, Annual Reports.
• Vision and mission statement.
• Certificate of incorporation.
• Organizational chart.
• List of all current funding sources.
• Strategic plan.
• Policies and procedures (financial, human resources, engagement, child protection, travel, procurement, etc).
• Organization’s history.
• Current programs.
• The community (stakeholders analysis reports).
• List of existing formal linkages and partners.
• Recent needs assessment reports.
• Program evaluation reports.
• Recent publicity (news clippings) and;
• List of awards, the indication of community support.

 

Get a copy of my Book; Fundraising Proposal for Beginners

Project-Specific Documents:

• Project Proposal/Plan: A detailed plan for the specific project you are seeking funding for.
• Project Budget: A comprehensive budget for the proposed project, including a breakdown of costs.

Legal and Compliance Documents:

• Tax-Exempt Status: If applicable, documentation proving tax-exempt status.
• Audited Financial Statements: Comprehensive financial reports audited by a certified accountant.

Partnership and Collaboration Documents:

• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Letters of Support: Documents indicating collaborations or partnerships with other organizations or stakeholders.

Monitoring and Evaluation Documents:

• Monitoring and Evaluation Plan: Details on how the organization plans to monitor and evaluate the success of the project.

Capacity-Building Documents:

• Staff Development Plan: Information on how the organization invests in the professional development of its staff.

Additional Supporting Documents:

• Case Studies or Success Stories: Real-world examples demonstrating the organization’s impact.
• Media Kit: Additional publicity materials, press releases, or media coverage.

Recent Updates and Changes:

• Recent Achievements or Changes: Any recent awards, recognitions, or changes in leadership that showcase the organization’s current status.

Remember, the key is to tailor the documentation to meet the specific requirements of the grant application. Always carefully review the grant guidelines to ensure you include all the necessary documents and information requested by the funding organization.