There’s a grant for that!

I am approached regularly by people who ask, “Can you write me a grant?” Some are current nonprofit leaders, some are aspiring nonprofit founders and others are current or aspiring entrepreneurs. They all have an idea and an expectation – someone, somewhere will give them money for their idea.  It’s almost like Apple’s 2008 slogan "There's an app for that” or bet yet, their 2010 slogan "There's an app for everything".

People come to me thinking not only “there’s a grant for everything” but getting a grant for anything is as easy as going to the App Store℠ and hitting download. If only!

There is a process for securing a grant and it starts with something that unfortunately too many prospective grantees are not -- grant ready.

Here are some questions to help you to determine if your organization is grant ready:

·     Has your organization secured the 501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the IRS? Though this is not a requirement for all grantmakers, most grantmakers will not provide funding to a nonprofit without a valid 501(c)(3) status determination letter from the IRS.

·     Have we determined specifically why we are seeking a grant?  Most grantmakers giving is guided by specific priorities and areas of interest. Additionally, many limit how their support can be used. Grantmakers may have limits such as populations served, geographic boundaries, and types of expenditures. 

Here are examples of key questions to which you should have answers before pursuing a grant:

Who will we serve? What is the demographic profile(s) of your target population?

Where will we serve? Community? City?  State?

How will we serve? What will be your program delivery model?

Why are we offering the program?  What evidence do you have that your proposed program is needed/wanted? What outcomes or impact do you expect to achieve?

What is our budget? Answering the previous questions will assist you in developing your budget.

Whether you plan to engage a professional grant writer or to prepare grant proposals internally, you should know and understand the grantwriting process. That’s why I am offering a Grantwriting 101 webinar on Saturday, February 23 at 1:00 pm (EST) and Wednesday, February 27, at 3:00 pm (EST). I’ll provide a step-by-step review of the standard sections of the grant proposal; do's and don'ts; and tips on how and when to communicate with grant makers.You can still register here.  Register today!