Increase your chances of your grant proposal getting funded

Are you a nonprofit organization seeking some funds to implement your projects or programs? Have you been making several submissions to various funding agencies and all you get is … Sorry, you didn’t meet our criteria!

Well don’t lose hope, because this article is going to help you go by the rules and enable you secure that grant.

…. Moving on!

Grant Proposal is your tool for grant request submission. Winning a grant entails a lot of factors and one of the factors is following Grant Application Guidelines!

Grant proposal being a compelling document written to donor or grant makers with the purpose of persuading them to provide you with monetary or in-kind support. This is submitted to donors to review and make decision whether they will fund it or not.

Usually grant proposal writing may take days, weeks or months to prepare. As an applicant organization, you must ensure that what the grant makers or funding agency stated in the guidelines are strictly adhered to.

…..What to do?

As an applicant organization, you need the funder’s most current guidelines, and then thoroughly review them before you begin to prepare a grant proposal. Also review the past grantees funded by same funding agency.

The funder’s guidelines will help you determine if your organization is qualified to pursue the grant award program. Funders organization such as Foundations, Corporations or other grant making agencies, first decides the type of nonprofit agencies, programs and projects that are worth funding and also the geographical areas to reach through their support.

Indeed, funders interest matters so much!!!

Understanding the funders’ interest is key. Funders award grants to help address some unmet community needs in a specified geographical location. They tend to focus more on addressing specific problems or unmet community need.

More so, there are funders who fund general operating support, project implementation, capital support, endowment, and other needs. So, find out the type of support each funding agency can offer. Don’t propose a request that funders are not interested in.

What to do before you commence Grant Proposal Writing?

The first step is to study and review the funder’s guidelines, don’t be in a haste to just apply for any available grant opportunity without taking some time to review the grant application guidelines.

In the guidelines, the funder spells all the requirements involved for a successful application.

It is easy for new nonprofits organizations to pursue every “ Dick and Harry grant openings” in the bid to source for funds without first taking some time to read through the Request for Proposal (RFP) guidelines. Not every grant is worth pursuing. If you neglect the guidelines, it will result to waste of time and resources. You cannot bend the interest of the funding agencies to align with yours. Funders Are The King In This Business.

“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first six of them sharpening my axe.” — Abraham Lincoln

How to know if your organization is the right match for the announced grant opening?

The following questions will guide you to know if you’re fit to submit your grant proposal.

• Is your agency’s mission and purpose a funding priority of the funding agency?

• Does the funding agency fund in the geographical area where your organization is located or where it serves its clients?

• Does the funding agency award grant for what your organization seeks funds for e.g., (Project or program support, general operating support, scholarships, etc).

• Does the amount your organization seeks fall within the range of grants typically awarded by the grantmaker?

If eventually you answer “Yes” to the above questions, Congratulations! It means your organization aligns with that of the funding agency; you’re fit to apply for the grant opening.

Below is an example of organization (applicant organization), ABC nonprofit organization that is seeking $10,000 grant to empower 100 at-risk women in Ohio.

ABC Mission Statement is empowering women through capacity developments and financial support and its target population is economically disadvantaged women.

ABC organization decides to research for grant opening. Fortunately, there is an opening from XYZ Foundation.

XYZ foundation (Funding agency) is focusing on women empowerment covering geographical locations –Ohio, California. The grant amount is within the range of $5,000 to $50,000. The grant supports women that are from low-income communities in the identified locations.

From the example above, you will see that ABC organization, its geographical locations, priority areas, grant amount and the target audience align with the funding agency interest (XYZ Foundation).

So the next step for ABC applicant organization, is to go ahead and prepare and submit a grant proposal to XYZ Foundation.