Category Archives: non-profit

Non-Profit Executive Directors: Do’s and Do Not’s for Using a Grant Writer

Executive Directors (ED) are busy people. They’ve got a lot to deal with from the day-to-day operational stuff to constant fund raising and donor-cultivation. Most ED’s of large organizations have a grant writer on staff while in smaller organizations the ED may do most of the grant writing.  Some organizations choose to hire an external grant writer and that can create some confusion about the role of a grant writer.

 

Here are a few Do’s and Do Nots for ED’s as I have come to understand the proper use of an external grant writer.

Grant research
Do – Provide the researcher with specific direction on fields of interest, types of funding desired, existing grant maker relationships, level of funding desired, list of information desired for each grant maker.
Don’t –  “Do Nots” in this category are failing to do the “Do” list!

Preliminary phone calls to assess interest
Do – Better to make these calls yourself; but, if you’re going to ask someone else to make them, have a detailed conversation about what it is you want funding for and how you want to provide the services.
Don’t – Ask your grant writer to make these calls simply based on fields of interest.  It will waste everyone’s time and make your organization look unprepared.

Letter of Inquiry writing
Do – Ask your grant writer to write these for you.
Don’t – Forget to read and edit LOI’s carefully before they are mailed.

Grant writing
Do – Ask your grant writer to write these for you.
Don’t – Forget to review, respond, and edit one or more drafts; provide adequate feedback; provide data and a budget; sign all necessary forms; get a copy of the final grant submitted.

Respond to inquiry phone calls from a grant maker
Do – Take these calls yourself.
Don’t – Assume that a grant writer can replicate your ability to sell your mission and close the deal.

Some of the potential benefits to an Executive Director in using a grant writer are:

  • Time savings;
  • Consistent quality in grant applications;
  • Higher funding rates;
  • More applications being submitted; and,
  • Fewer lost opportunities through consistent and timely research.

A grant writer can be a great asset to your organization when used in the proper way; however, the positive impact of hiring a Grant Writer can be minimized by asking them to carry out tasks they’re unqualified for, or by not providing adequate support.

 

Related Posts:
Working with a Grant Writer: You Get What You Pay For
Good Grant Writers are like Wedding Planners

Related Creative Resources and Research Services:
Grant Writing Services
Non-Profit Services

Non-Profit Executive Directors: Do’s and Do Not’s for Using a Grant Writer

Executive Directors (ED) are busy people. They’ve got a lot to deal with from the day-to-day operational stuff to constant fund raising and donor-cultivation. Most ED’s of large organizations have a grant writer on staff while in smaller organizations the ED may do most of the grant writing.  Some organizations choose to hire an external grant writer and that can create some confusion about the role of a grant writer.

 

Here are a few Do’s and Do Nots for ED’s as I have come to understand the proper use of an external grant writer.

Grant research
Do – Provide the researcher with specific direction on fields of interest, types of funding desired, existing grant maker relationships, level of funding desired, list of information desired for each grant maker.
Don’t –  “Do Nots” in this category are failing to do the “Do” list!

Preliminary phone calls to assess interest
Do – Better to make these calls yourself; but, if you’re going to ask someone else to make them, have a detailed conversation about what it is you want funding for and how you want to provide the services.
Don’t – Ask your grant writer to make these calls simply based on fields of interest.  It will waste everyone’s time and make your organization look unprepared.

Letter of Inquiry writing
Do – Ask your grant writer to write these for you.
Don’t – Forget to read and edit LOI’s carefully before they are mailed.

Grant writing
Do – Ask your grant writer to write these for you.
Don’t – Forget to review, respond, and edit one or more drafts; provide adequate feedback; provide data and a budget; sign all necessary forms; get a copy of the final grant submitted.

Respond to inquiry phone calls from a grant maker
Do – Take these calls yourself.
Don’t – Assume that a grant writer can replicate your ability to sell your mission and close the deal.

Some of the potential benefits to an Executive Director in using a grant writer are:

  • Time savings;
  • Consistent quality in grant applications;
  • Higher funding rates;
  • More applications being submitted; and,
  • Fewer lost opportunities through consistent and timely research.

A grant writer can be a great asset to your organization when used in the proper way; however, the positive impact of hiring a Grant Writer can be minimized by asking them to carry out tasks they’re unqualified for, or by not providing adequate support.

 

Related Posts:
Working with a Grant Writer: You Get What You Pay For
Good Grant Writers are like Wedding Planners

Related Creative Resources and Research Services:
Grant Writing Services
Non-Profit Services

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

3 Ways Non-Profits Build Trust with Grant Makers

There are literally tens of thousands of prospective foundations to sift through as you seek non-profit grant funding. Each foundation has its own timeline, guidelines, and fields of interest. All foundations have one thing in common, they look for evidence that your organization is trustworthy before giving you a grant.

New non-profits may find it hard to get their foot in the door with a foundation. Here are three key things to pay attention to that will increase your chance of building trust with foundations so you can secure grant funding:

1) Build it – Build a solid base of local support before seeking grants. I define support as donors, volunteers, and partner organizations.
2) Account for it – Establish an accounting system that would make a CPA proud and then conduct an annual audit to prove it’s as good as you think it is. If you can prove you are trustworthy with small amounts of money, someone might trust you with larger sums.
3) Prove it – By this I mean collect evidence – hard data and anecdotal – to show your programs are working and are appreciated.

If you serve undernourished sea turtles then keep records on how many turtles you take care of this year. A variety of data may be collected such as how many you turned away (if any) for lack of support or how many survive and return to the sea. Ask for written statements from volunteers, take a survey of the community, work with local marine organizations, talk to the media about what you do, join the local Chamber of Commerce, take pictures, and post videos online. Find a volunteer who is a scrap booking enthusiast and let them run wild. You goal is to build a portfolio of evidence that you’re active and effective. Don’t forget to put all this evidence online!

Finding grants for a non-profit organization is a lot easier when you can validate the impact of your programs and prove you are skillful in managing them.

Related Posts:

How is Your Organization’s Governance Equilibrium?
Assessing Results: Are You a Quant or a Qualit?

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Recommendation for Starting a Non-Profit: Plan First – Do Good Second

Non-Profit Consultant and Expert Grant Writer, Derek Link, has more good advice for non-profit organizations that want to flourish:

I get about a call a week from people who have formed a non-profit organization recently and want to find grant money to help them get going. Unfortunately, many of these well-intentioned folks are ill-prepared to turn their good ideas into action. As I begin to ask questions about their organization, they have few answers. What they mostly know about what they want to do is based on speculation and assumptions. I find that they have rarely done any meaningful preparation before filing the paperwork to establish their 501(c)(3) status.

I fear that many these good people will fail at their efforts to start a non-profit because they haven’t done due diligence before what is, in reality, starting a business. If these people came to me before they went to the trouble and expense of starting a non-profit, I would recommend that they complete a business plan for the enterprise first. It isn’t that their ideas are bad; it’s just that they never asked the questions that would tell them if the idea is viable.

It is a huge mistake to think that simply because an idea is worthwhile, that it is also going to generate sufficient money to support a viable non-profit entity. Some of the best non-profits I know are in a continual battle for funding – scraping and scratching to make their budgets balance – even with GREAT results over many years.

Creating a business plan for a non-profit will help people craft a viable model or inform them about the lack of viability of the idea. Mind you, I am not saying that people should not start non-profits; I am simply saying that planning any enterprise before launching into implementation is always a wise course of action.

Here are some key questions that a business plan is designed to answer:

1. Are the services needed?

a. Where are they needed?
b. What exactly is needed?
c. Who needs them?
d. How much service is needed?

2. Who else provides these services?

a. Is there room to compete?
b. Who funds the competition?
c. Where are they and who is served?
d. Where are the gaps in their services?

3. What kind of budget will be needed to get it off the ground?

a. Develop a budget detail.
b. Research potential sources of funding
c. Identify potential partners

These and other important questions about starting a non-profit can be resolved through the planning process. Before paperwork and fees are filed for non profit status, a Board of influential and knowledgeable people should be assembled to help guide the process of founding the organization. One person with a great idea can get something remarkable going that does tremendous good in the world, but without comprehensive planning, a great idea may die on the vine. I think that if more people did sufficient planning, they might find that their ambitions to do good would be better served by being on the Board of, or volunteering with, an existing non-profit organization.

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A free webinar for non-profit boards – The Law
 
A free webinar for non-profit boards: Board Member Roles

Recommendation for Starting a Non-Profit: Plan First – Do Good Second

Non-Profit Consultant and Expert Grant Writer, Derek Link, has more good advice for non-profit organizations that want to flourish:

I get about a call a week from people who have formed a non-profit organization recently and want to find grant money to help them get going. Unfortunately, many of these well-intentioned folks are ill-prepared to turn their good ideas into action. As I begin to ask questions about their organization, they have few answers. What they mostly know about what they want to do is based on speculation and assumptions. I find that they have rarely done any meaningful preparation before filing the paperwork to establish their 501(c)(3) status.

I fear that many these good people will fail at their efforts to start a non-profit because they haven’t done due diligence before what is, in reality, starting a business. If these people came to me before they went to the trouble and expense of starting a non-profit, I would recommend that they complete a business plan for the enterprise first. It isn’t that their ideas are bad; it’s just that they never asked the questions that would tell them if the idea is viable.

It is a huge mistake to think that simply because an idea is worthwhile, that it is also going to generate sufficient money to support a viable non-profit entity. Some of the best non-profits I know are in a continual battle for funding – scraping and scratching to make their budgets balance – even with GREAT results over many years.

Creating a business plan for a non-profit will help people craft a viable model or inform them about the lack of viability of the idea. Mind you, I am not saying that people should not start non-profits; I am simply saying that planning any enterprise before launching into implementation is always a wise course of action.

Here are some key questions that a business plan is designed to answer:

1. Are the services needed?

a. Where are they needed?
b. What exactly is needed?
c. Who needs them?
d. How much service is needed?

2. Who else provides these services?

a. Is there room to compete?
b. Who funds the competition?
c. Where are they and who is served?
d. Where are the gaps in their services?

3. What kind of budget will be needed to get it off the ground?

a. Develop a budget detail.
b. Research potential sources of funding
c. Identify potential partners

These and other important questions about starting a non-profit can be resolved through the planning process. Before paperwork and fees are filed for non profit status, a Board of influential and knowledgeable people should be assembled to help guide the process of founding the organization. One person with a great idea can get something remarkable going that does tremendous good in the world, but without comprehensive planning, a great idea may die on the vine. I think that if more people did sufficient planning, they might find that their ambitions to do good would be better served by being on the Board of, or volunteering with, an existing non-profit organization.

——————————
 
A free webinar for non-profit boards – The Law
 
A free webinar for non-profit boards: Board Member Roles

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Grant Writer Recharged and Writing

Derek, our non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, is back from his vacation and ready to get back to work:

My vac’s and hol’s* are over for now and I definitely feel recharged by the beauty of the Faith Valley where I was fortunate enough to spend a few days. People not from Northern California may think that beaches, surfers, bikinis, and Hollywood are an accurate representation of California. Many people outside California do not know that Northern California exists at all, or if they do, they may think that San Francisco is representative of our little piece of Paradise.

I know it’s probably irrational to let you in on the truth, mostly because you may want to come here to live, thereby overpopulating the place with ATV’s. But I trust your ability to comprehend the value of the place pictured here, and the rarity of being able to experience such an unspoiled environment and to care for it properly.

If you do plan to come visit the places pictured here, please treat the place with the reverence it deserves. By that I mean, pack out your trash, be careful with camp fires, don’t shoot anything, catch and release what you can’t eat, don’t strip limbs off trees to cook marshmallows with, etc. In other words, just be a good human please, and if you don’t, my mother will probably be castigating you publicly in the meadow with a fury known only by the few who have survived it.

Here are a few pictures:

Faith Valley, Alpine County, California, USA – (One of three connected valleys, Hope, Faith, and Charity – Interestingly, this picture looks a lot like the one that Veronica chose for my previous post and strangely, she has never been there!)

A coyote – (Wiley-looking ¿qué no?)

A Faith Valley sunset – (ahhhhh…)

I’ll be using these pics for my desktop background for a month or two so I can quickly go back in my mind to the peace and serenity of that place, the breezes blowing the sage, the Chickadees chattering while busily cleaning insects off the pines, and the screech of the Marsh Hawks chasing away the Bald Eagle who dared to soar through their territory.

Back to grant writing now – and happily so – recharged as only Faith Valley can make me (well, maybe Kauai too).

*Canadian for vacation

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Looking for some rgeat grant writing resources?  Become a member of GrantGoddess.com!

Grant Writer Recharged and Writing

Derek, our non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, is back from his vacation and ready to get back to work:

My vac’s and hol’s* are over for now and I definitely feel recharged by the beauty of the Faith Valley where I was fortunate enough to spend a few days. People not from Northern California may think that beaches, surfers, bikinis, and Hollywood are an accurate representation of California. Many people outside California do not know that Northern California exists at all, or if they do, they may think that San Francisco is representative of our little piece of Paradise.

I know it’s probably irrational to let you in on the truth, mostly because you may want to come here to live, thereby overpopulating the place with ATV’s. But I trust your ability to comprehend the value of the place pictured here, and the rarity of being able to experience such an unspoiled environment and to care for it properly.

If you do plan to come visit the places pictured here, please treat the place with the reverence it deserves. By that I mean, pack out your trash, be careful with camp fires, don’t shoot anything, catch and release what you can’t eat, don’t strip limbs off trees to cook marshmallows with, etc. In other words, just be a good human please, and if you don’t, my mother will probably be castigating you publicly in the meadow with a fury known only by the few who have survived it.

Here are a few pictures:

Faith Valley, Alpine County, California, USA – (One of three connected valleys, Hope, Faith, and Charity – Interestingly, this picture looks a lot like the one that Veronica chose for my previous post and strangely, she has never been there!)

A coyote – (Wiley-looking ¿qué no?)

A Faith Valley sunset – (ahhhhh…)

I’ll be using these pics for my desktop background for a month or two so I can quickly go back in my mind to the peace and serenity of that place, the breezes blowing the sage, the Chickadees chattering while busily cleaning insects off the pines, and the screech of the Marsh Hawks chasing away the Bald Eagle who dared to soar through their territory.

Back to grant writing now – and happily so – recharged as only Faith Valley can make me (well, maybe Kauai too).

*Canadian for vacation

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Looking for some rgeat grant writing resources?  Become a member of GrantGoddess.com!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Deadlines are Like Burritos

Most people work better with a deadline. I find that not having a deadline only means that I re-prioritize my work so that tasks with a deadline get pushed to the front of the list while the tasks without a deadline are always getting pushed aside. Some of those no-deadline tasks are years old. Like the blue spray paint and sand paper I bought two years ago to refinish some folding wooden chairs – which, to date are not sanded or blue.

We recently had a grant with a published deadline, and then – about 72 hours before the deadline – the agency declared that the deadline was being extended indefinitely, but would be reset sooner than later. So naturally, right after breathing a sigh of relief, panic set in.

Having no deadline for a grant is unnatural. It’s like a burrito without a tortilla. A tortilla wraps up all the ingredients together nice and neat, like a deadline wraps all the work up together. A grant without a deadline is just a tostada. It’s a pile of lettuce, cheese, meat, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, all piled up on your desk. What do you do with it? There’s simply no neat, easy way to finish it.

A grant without a deadline is just a mess. It’s narrative that’s never going to be finished because writing is never done anyway. It’s a budget that’s going to be constantly tinkered with because the more you change the narrative, the more you’ll have to change the budget. And, it’s all going to get pushed aside anyway by other emerging deadlines.

I like having a deadline. It gives you something to wrap up your project in, like a canole shell; but I guess I shouldn’t mix my grant-as-food metaphors.

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Related posts from non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link:

Grants Are Like Box Lunches

Some Grants Are Like Peanut Butter

Grants Are Like Sausage

Grants Are Like Donuts

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Don’t Forget! You can learn grant writing online at our Online Learning Center.

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Deadlines are Like Burritos

Most people work better with a deadline. I find that not having a deadline only means that I re-prioritize my work so that tasks with a deadline get pushed to the front of the list while the tasks without a deadline are always getting pushed aside. Some of those no-deadline tasks are years old. Like the blue spray paint and sand paper I bought two years ago to refinish some folding wooden chairs – which, to date are not sanded or blue.

We recently had a grant with a published deadline, and then – about 72 hours before the deadline – the agency declared that the deadline was being extended indefinitely, but would be reset sooner than later. So naturally, right after breathing a sigh of relief, panic set in.

Having no deadline for a grant is unnatural. It’s like a burrito without a tortilla. A tortilla wraps up all the ingredients together nice and neat, like a deadline wraps all the work up together. A grant without a deadline is just a tostada. It’s a pile of lettuce, cheese, meat, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, all piled up on your desk. What do you do with it? There’s simply no neat, easy way to finish it.

A grant without a deadline is just a mess. It’s narrative that’s never going to be finished because writing is never done anyway. It’s a budget that’s going to be constantly tinkered with because the more you change the narrative, the more you’ll have to change the budget. And, it’s all going to get pushed aside anyway by other emerging deadlines.

I like having a deadline. It gives you something to wrap up your project in, like a canole shell; but I guess I shouldn’t mix my grant-as-food metaphors.

——————————

Related posts from non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link:

Grants Are Like Box Lunches

Some Grants Are Like Peanut Butter

Grants Are Like Sausage

Grants Are Like Donuts

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Don’t Forget! You can learn grant writing online at our Online Learning Center.

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Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Preparing for the Grant Writing Process

Here’s some advice from non-profit consultant and grant writing expert, Derek Link, on preparing for the grant writing process and staying focused while you work on your grant:

It is entirely possible that as you read this that you are either taking a break from writing a grant, or that you are seeking inspiration as you prepare to write one. In either case, you are probably experiencing the anticipation of mental engagement with a narrative that becomes a consuming process throughout the narrative creation.

The grant writing process is mentally challenging so it’s wise to prepare yourself before you write and to think ahead about your writing process.

Here are some things I do that may be helpful for you to consider:

  1. Get enough sleep. You won’t get more quality writing done by staying up later.
  2. Eat the right foods. If you’re hungry or spaced out on Twinkies, your narrative may go off track.
  3. Take your normal exercise. Sitting and writing is hard on the body and if you get uncomfortable, it’s harder to write well.
  4. Set up a low distraction, comfortable place to write. No unneeded electronics, no kids chirping for snacks; it’s time to isolate and focus. Use good lighting and acomfortable chair. Have some snacks and beverages at the ready.
  5. Be organized before writing. Nothing is worse than getting into a rhythm on a narrative only to come to a screeching halt because some key piece wasn’t anticipated and is missing and since it is Saturday as you write, there’s no way to get it ‘til Monday.
  6. Set a realistic goal for the day. Know how much you want to complete of the narrative so you feel good about your writing. Finishing the narrative should only be your goal once. ( OK, maybe twice)!
  7. Go somewhere else to read your drafts. Two things I like to do with my drafts after I print one out to review: a) I like to go somewhere else to read it like a coffee shop or outdoors in summer, and b) I like to read it out loud to myself since I often get too close to the narrative to hear it in my head after a while.

Remember the dog in the animated cartoon “Up” that is introducing himself and suddenly a squirrel distracts him? Well you don’t need too many squirrels in your day to take you off-task while writing. Getting ready to write requires that you plan ahead to minimize distractions as much as possible, life happens but the squirrels can sometimes be kept at bay.

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Related Posts:
 
Time Management Tips for Grant Writers
 
Form a Grant Planning Committee
 
Facing the Blank Page
 
Relax….and Tell Your Story
 
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Try our GrantTips iPhone App!
 
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