1. In the last case, grantmakers have only one chance at a first introduction, and that’s very often when grant seekers enter your grant application process. Will the moment be a heartwarming meet cute or a bucket of red flags? Will the right people and nonprofits feel a connection, or will you instead attract bad fits for your mission?
2. Grantmakers have only one chance at a first introduction, and that’s very often when grant seekers enter your grant application process. Will the moment be a heartwarming meet cute or a bucket of red flags? Will the right people and nonprofits feel a connection, or will you instead attract bad fits for your mission?
3. If you’re not drawing the right grant seekers in good numbers, you may benefit from auditing your process for attracting and selecting them in the first place.
4. Since your grant application process is the first impression many grant seekers will develop of your organization, you’ll want to put your best foot forward and make certain that everything is clean, clear and efficient.
5. In short, your grant application process affects the quality and quantity of your applications.
- Get rid of any unnecessary or repetitive questions in your information requirements.
- Align the application process to the size of the actual grant.
- Set the right expectations for the size of the grant.
- Make things easier for the grant seekers wherever you can.
- Design a process that filters out unfit applicants along the way.
- Ensure that all communications are transparent and clear.
6. The gist here is that the best overall process for grantmakers and grant seekers is one that is streamlined and tailored to both parties’ goals. While there’s no magic solution for bringing in the right grant seekers and nonprofits, your process can help to narrow the field and attract the organizations you eventually wish to fund.
ESTABLISH CLEAR GRANT GUIDELINES
1. The organizations you’re supporting have incredible demands on their time: these nonprofits are often working on very tight budgets to make huge impacts in their community, often with high stakes and lots of people counting on them to get the job done.
2.They don’t need to add deciphering your materials to their long list of to-dos. When crafting your materials:
- Do your best to avoid jargon and just go with clear, direct language.
- Spell out your organization’s philosophy around grantmaking and include a list of recent organizations you’ve funded.
- Share any specific areas you’re interested in funding this cycle.
- Also clarify areas that you won’t consider funding. This context will be helpful for grant seekers and will help filter the right people through to the application.
3. Specific grant guidelines will guide (the right) applicants through your unique grant application and review processes. These guidelines will also help your board and staff make final funding decisions. They’ll also inform the general public and the broader philanthropic community about your mission and principles.
4. Your grant guidelines should specify:
- Areas of geographic focus
- Procedures for applying for grants
- Program areas (e.g. education, health, etc.)
- Types of grants offered (e.g. matching funds, direct grants, etc.)
- Grant reporting requirements
- Types of support offered (e.g. technical assistance, operating expenses, etc.)
- Different types of organizations supported
- Restrictions on grant funding
- Acceptance of solicited vs. unsolicited proposals
5. Starting grant seekers off with plenty of clear and concise information is a critical part of your grant application process.
6. Besides saving time and resources for your team, it can do much the same for grant seekers, making space for a deeper focus on community impact.
USE TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE AN INTUITIVE, EFFICIENT PROCESS
1. Your technology platform should streamline the application process and put those well-thought-out grant guidelines into practice.
2. An effective solution will help you attract and select the right grantees by guiding them through your application process and arming your team with the information and tools needed to make the best possible funding decisions.
3. Montana’s Department of Commerce’s Indian Country Economic Development Program gained 3 weeks of staff time, saved $3,400 per grant cycle, and received a 20% more applications each grant cycle after deciding to streamline their process with grant software.
AVOID BAD MATCHES
1. Next, avoid bad matches with grantees who don’t meet your requirements—before you waste anyone’s time.
2. Eligibility screenings can quickly help determine if a grantee meets the grant’s requirements (such as nonprofit status), saving time for applicants and reviewers.
LEVERAGE YOUR DATA TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS
1. Many funders have learned that better grantmaking in the future is the result of learning from past results.
2. Digging into the data and analyzing the outcomes is the first step in understanding past results to inform future action. There are even whole fields of study, such as improvement science, popping up to address this core challenge in the philanthropic community.
Source: https://blog.submittable.com/grantmaking-best-practices/
