Helping you help others.
Helping you help others.
what do you knOW ABOUT grants?
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Everybody want grants, but do you need grants?
Granting and grant writing is an entity to itself. Most people think (A) it's quick; (B) it's easy; and it's (C) its free money that will solve all your nonprofit problems. Nothing is further from the truth.
Two NPM blogs that need to be read before reading are: "The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions" and "I am a Grant Writer: Don't Go After Grants". If you NEED grants, then you don't need grants. You should want grants for bonus projects or as a little boost to your nonprofit. Any nonprofit looking for grants, needs to read this entire page, and if you're good with it, give the Nonprofit Marketplace a call so we can help.
The Nonprofit Marketplace Grant Writing: "The Process"
Get to know you
You don't hire a grant writer and just say "go". This is a relationship. I work for you. I need to know your goals and aspirations. What are your current needs? Your future needs? Signing a contract then here we go, is not a successful strategy. This needs to be personal.
Your Obligations
A grant writer is only as good as the information provided. As the grantee, you will need to have some basic items ready to upload - a list of board members, budgets, your 501c3. NPM will provide you with a checklist of common needs and numbers to be successful.
Grant Research
Then NPM spends hours checking on foundations that would be a good match. What do they fund? When do they fund it? Do you need an LOI first? What is the average gift amount. Lots of time goes into this step!
Submit
Then we submit... and wait. Some foundations accept apps on a rolling basis. Some accept them once per year. Some foundations send a rejection letter, most do not. What you just submitted might not be reviewed for six months...but we keep on submitting.
Review
Once a grant is completed, it is sent to the customer to review (the goal is 10 days in advance). Are we saying the right things? Do you see any errors (while spell and grammar checkers are used, another set of eyeballs is good). This document represents your organization, so you need to feel good about it.
create Grant Calendar
A grant calendar is then created. This is a living document and will tell you when things are due with a hard date or a rolling date. The goal of NPM is to have a completed grant to the customer two weeks in advance. NPM will usually go six-months out at a time.
The Reality of "just writing a Grant"
Are you Grant Ready?
Prospecting: Finding grants
Do you need this grant?
Before you start chasing those grant dollars, let's get real about what "grant ready" actually means. (Take this grant readiness quiz) It's not just having a great idea and crossing your fingers – it's about having your nonprofit house in order from top to bottom. Do you have a 501(c)3? Have you had the 501(c)3 for at least three years?
Do you need this grant?
Prospecting: Finding grants
Do you need this grant?
All grants need a lot of consideration by your nonprofit. Too many times, nonprofits will chase the money, not knowing the full breath of the grant and invariably hurting their chances for future grants.
Does the grant fall squarely within your mission? What is the reporting like? Grants are more than money; they are responsibilities to who you serve.
Prospecting: Finding grants
Prospecting: Finding grants
Prospecting: Finding grants
At The Nonprofit Marketplace, we don't just throw darts at a board and hope something sticks. NPM digs deep into foundation priorities, government funding cycles, and corporate giving patterns to find the grants that are actually a good fit for your mission – not just the ones with the biggest dollar signs.
Applying for grants
Prospecting: Finding grants
Prospecting: Finding grants
The process of applying for grants is long and grant writing is often based on the size of the award. A $1,000,000 federal grant will take a lot more time to write than a $10,000 corporate grant. You are going to have to trust the grant writer and give the tools they need to succeed for you.
The Grant Timeline: Why Good Things Take Time
The Grant Timeline: Why Good Things Take Time
The Grant Timeline: Why Good Things Take Time
Let's be honest about something right up front – if you need money next month, grants aren't your answer. The grant process is a marathon, not a sprint. Understanding the timeline can save you a lot of frustration (and help you plan way better).
The Reality Check: 6-18 Months is Normal.
Governmental Grants
The Grant Timeline: Why Good Things Take Time
The Grant Timeline: Why Good Things Take Time
Government grants aren't just longer applications – they're a completely different beast. We're talking 100-page applications, strict compliance requirements, and timelines that stretch 12-18 months from start to finish. The paperwork alone can make your head spin.. But here's the kicker – when you win a $500K federal grant, it's worth e
Government grants aren't just longer applications – they're a completely different beast. We're talking 100-page applications, strict compliance requirements, and timelines that stretch 12-18 months from start to finish. The paperwork alone can make your head spin.. But here's the kicker – when you win a $500K federal grant, it's worth every headache. Just don't expect it to be quick, easy, or anything like that foundation grant you wrote last month.
Results
The Grant Timeline: Why Good Things Take Time
Be prepared for what is expected
At The NPM, we don't just write grants – we win them. With over 20 years of nonprofit experience and a proven track record of securing more than $20 million in funding, we've turned grant writing from a shot in the dark into a strategic advantage.
Ready to stop hoping and start winning? Let's talk about turning your mission into funded reality.
Be prepared for what is expected
The Grant Timeline: Why Good Things Take Time
Be prepared for what is expected
The Nonprofit Marketplace recently worked with a client that had no grasp about how grants work.
If this was in a court, my own client would be a "hostile witness". Why? Because foundations ask for a lot of stuff, personal stuff about your business (actual itemized budget, your 501(c)3, articles of incorporation) and my hostile witness
The Nonprofit Marketplace recently worked with a client that had no grasp about how grants work.
If this was in a court, my own client would be a "hostile witness". Why? Because foundations ask for a lot of stuff, personal stuff about your business (actual itemized budget, your 501(c)3, articles of incorporation) and my hostile witness didn't want to give any of it up. Know that if you plan to have successful grant application, as the grantee, you will have to give up some of your personal info
Grants received by the Marketplace
Grant Writing
This is the bread and butter of the Nonprofit Marketplace.
The rural Boys & Girls Clubs that the NMP staff ran for 20 years, thrived because of grants awarded having written over $15M in grants in really small communities.
Presently NPM is up to $20M is grant awards!
WE CAN DO THAT FOR YOU.
The Nonprofit Marketplace can handle all your grant writing as well as providing other grant services... just make sure you understand the process and are grant ready.
Going into any grant writing, you need to realize grants are a gamble, sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't. Grant writers should not work on a contingency basis or a ‘success fee' as it is considered unethical. In some states, it might violate state, federal and foundation funding guidelines. If a funder discovers the grant writer was paid a percentage of the grant award, at the very least you’ll likely lose the grant.
The Nonprofit Marketplace are members of the Grant Professionals Association.
Proud Member of the Grant
Professionals Association