5 Tips for Handling Online Grant Applications

Yesterday I finished and submitted not one but two online applications. More and more funders are going “green” and are requiring that their grant funding requests be submitted online. I applaud this effort. It makes it easier for the grant writer in general, and it really does save trees. I have made so many paper copies of “snail mail” grant proposals that I wish all funders would go to online grant submissions.

However, there are some tips I’d like to share for managing the process to make sure everything goes smoothly with your online grant submission:

1. Make sure that you read all instructions in the application well before the deadline. This allows you to plan ahead and to gather all the information you’ll need to fill out the application properly. It’s really best if you can complete everything and submit the grant application in one session if possible.

2. Make sure that you create your narrative and all other information in a notepad or Word document first, then cut and paste into the fields in the application. Never fill in the fields directly and hope that they are saved, because sometimes they do not get saved! I found that out the hard way yesterday when I went back to an application that was supposed to have been “saved” online. It was not there! Fortunately I had already created and saved most of the narrative in a Word document, but I did lose a bit of other information that had to be recreated. That’s a time waster

3. Try to submit the application at least a few days ahead of the deadline. That way if you run into submission problems, which can happen, you have time to contact a live person to help you. Problems can happen especially when there is a rush of online “traffic” of others trying to submit their applications all at the same time.

4. Make sure that you answer all of the questions thoroughly and that you haven’t missed any of the fields. One of the applications that I filled out yesterday specifically stated that one of the things they are looking for when they rate the applications is that all of their questions are answered. You would think this is a given but it is not always done by grant seekers. When you answer the questions properly, it helps you be one step ahead in the process.

5. When you finally finish and are ready to submit your online grant application, make sure that you see a message telling you that your grant was submitted successfully or something similar. One of yesterday’s grant submissions appeared to have been submitted, but I didn’t see the Thank You message. I went back and saw in tiny letters that one of the budget categories that I had left blank needed a “0″ to be considered complete. Don’t let a small mistake like this cost you a successful online grant submission!

A New Paradigm for Determining Sustainability

I attended an eye-opening seminar last week by Nonprofit Finance Fund. The Director, Jessica LaBarbera, began her presentation called Money and Mission: Managing in a Changed Economy by stating: “Nonprofit is a tax status, not a business mode.l” This is such a revolutionary concept because I see so many nonprofits trying to do too much with too little money, and always thinking that being a nonprofit means having to live in a constant state of poverty. I am not advocating for overspending or cushy perks necessarily, but at least create budgets that adequately reflect the real costs of operating your programs. This happens time and time again, in an attempt to get as much bang for the buck as possible, but in the end it leaves programs underfunded and staff overworked and exhausted.

In the for-profit world, no one thinks anything of paying enormous overhead for products every day, but nonprofits are expected to build little if anything into their program overhead. This has been a pet peeve of mine for some time, because so many grantors will not pay for salaries or overhead. How are you supposed to run a program without staff?

Nonprofits must find ways to not only build adequate overhead into their program budgets, but must also find ways to convince funders that funding program staff is a worthy use of their funds. This will mean changing the conversation.

Nonprofit Finance Fund also offered valuable ways to determine if nonprofit programs are truly sustainable or if they are eating up valuable resources. Two important questions to ask are: who are your local competitors and how are they affecting demand for your program and, why is your organization the best nonprofit to offer your programming in your particular market. Too many times, nonprofits keep doing the same thing year after year and wonder why it’s more difficult to get funding for those same programs. Taking a hard look at the programs in the above context can offer illuminating insights into whether your programs are really sustainable and whether they should continue or not. The Nonprofit Finance Fund definition for program demand is: a combination of reliable sources of funding who are willing to pay full cost to run the programs on an annual basis. Do your program’s funders meet that definition?

Also extremely useful was the Program Profitability Analysis matrix: rating your programs based on whether they fit your mission and their dollar contribution to the organization, or fundability. Ideally the best programs will have high dollar contribution as well as high mission alignment.

I will be writing more blog posts about this topic because so much useful information was offered. And I highly recommend visiting the Nonprofit Finance Fund website for more information on their consulting services.

My Belated New Year’s Resolutions

Although we are halfway into the first month of 2011, I still haven’t written down my resolutions for my life this year. I finally decided there is no time like the present and I’d like to share them with you:

1. Blog More! Since my last post was on June 11, 2010, this goes without saying. But I do have an excuse, our 3rd child was born on June 24, 2010. But now that he is almost 7 months old I am going to make a commitment to blog at least once per week, and ideally 2-3 times per week. How does Tuesday and Friday sound?

2. Connect More! I am planning to spend more time with my family, and to really focus and not multi-task while I am with them. This means I am going to stop checking my email when they are talking to me! And although I love, love love social media, I have really found what energizes me is connecting in real life with people I have met online. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity in 2010 to meet some wonderful people, such as @ergeekgoddess, @AnaRC, @mlackey, @CatalinainLA, @LatinaLeader, @JesSofiaValle, @sdbargainmama and many others. They have been inspirational to me.

3. Share What I Know! I have decided that this is the year I am going to share what I know about being a home-based grant writer with moms like me who would like to work from home. I feel so blessed and grateful to be able to do this work and not have to leave any of my three babies in full-time day care. It’s all been possible because I have been able to do contract grant writing on a part-time basis from my home. My new program is called MomGrantWriters and I will be launching it in early February…please be on the lookout for it!

4. Take Inspired Action! This is reflected in the above goal, but more than anything else I am going to make this a year to make things happen. It won’t be perfect, but taking action will be my goal this year. This goal is inspired by one of my fave people, @MariSmith. She always picks one word as her inspiration for the year, and she inspired me to pick two words: inspired action!

5. Cook More! Actually I am moving toward being a vegan, and this will require learning how to cook differently. I already enjoy eating more healthy food, but this year I am going to learn how to cook this kind of food. And another related goal is to get my family to eat more healthy foods as well.

Here is a to a great 2011 for all of us!

5 Secrets to Successful Grant Applications

1. Know your potential funder!

This is so crucial when you are getting started with your research on potential funders.  Subscription databases are a great place to start, but just a quick Google search will usually bring up their website.  Make sure you peruse it thoroughly to get a feel for their interests and “hot” buttons.  Also check to see if they are participating on any social media sites.  If they are, make sure to Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter.  This can give you a chance to interact and get “insider” information that is usually not available on their website.

2. Read the guidelines carefully!

This is a step that many people skip and this leads to their downfall!  You must read the guidelines with a fine tooth comb to make sure that you are eligible for this particular opportunity, when is the deadline, if any, what are the required proposal components and attachments, etc.  Also pay particular attention to the language they use when they are discussing what they want to fund, because you will want to reflect this language back to them.  Using their language will not only push their “buttons” in a good way, it will show them that you did take the time to read the guidelines carefully, which can’t help but make a good impression.

3. Make a powerful case for support!

Make sure you have done the relevant research on your topic and that you have all the latest statistics, both national and local if available.  This can make your case for support much more powerful.  Also try to include any relevant case studies or testimonials from clients who have been helped by your programs or services.  Letters of support are great to include from notable leaders in your field, but make sure they are personalized to each particular grant proposal, not general unless that is what is requested.

4. Be as clear as possible!

Make sure that you don’t use jargon particular to your industry in your grant narrative, or if you do, take the time to also include descriptions in terms that a lay audience can understand.  You can’t assume that the reader will know anything about your topic.  Also don’t use acronyms or abbreviations unless they are very well known to the masses. It is very annoying for reviewers to have to go back to your first abbreviation to remember what you are talking about!

5. Don’t forget the little details!

Before you submit your grant application (make sure to have it ready at least a few days before the deadline if possible!) ask someone else to review your grant application before you send it off.  Ask them to review not only for content but for errors as well.  You’d be surprised what your eyes don’t see since you are so close to your subject.  Also pay attention to how many copies they require, if it’s a hard copy application.  If it’s an online submission, which more and more funders are allowing, make sure you know what time it’s due on the deadline and what kind of attachments are required.  Sometimes funders want the entire application submitted in one PDF file, so make sure you have the capability to do that ahead of time.

I hope these grant tips were helpful to you.  If you would like to experience a complimentary 30-minute grant strategy session, please contact me at lisa@thegranthunter.net and I’d be happy to arrange a session for you.

I am so glad to report that my women’s networking group, North County Women in Networking, held a very successful fund Video 25raising auction and luncheon yesterday at the Lake San Marcos Country Club. We had more than 50 people in attendance bidding on a huge variety of amazing, donated items. This is our biggest fund raising event to raise money for scholarships for deserving women students at California State University San Marcos.

Thanks to everyone’s support, we raised $3,900, which is $1,300 more than last year!

Here is a listing of just a few of our generous donors:

Blue Flair Photography

Robek’s Juice of San Marcos

LA Fitness of San Marcos

Jimbo’s San Diego @JimbosNaturally

Expression XL Lash Extensions

Valley Center Floral

HGTV Sue

Andrea Littlejohn Transformational Coaching

Enchanted Cottage Del Mar

Cenote Grill

Thank you to the Fund Raising Committee, all the donors and the attendees for making this a super-successful event!

Lisa

It’s all about relationships…

I have two thoughts for my blog post this week…which have to do with building relationships for successful grant writing and fund raising. On Monday of this week I had a special grant proposal to drop off. Usually I mail them in before the deadline but this one needed some last-minute work over the weekend and fortunately it was due on Monday and I could take it to their offices myself.

When I got there, someone else was dropping off a proposal. He started chatting with me and it turned out that he was a member of a local family foundation. He was turning in a proposal for another organization which he volunteers with. We ended up talking about our programs and found that we had several causes in common. I got his contact information and agreed to follow up with him. His sister was there also so I was able to chat with her as well. Perhaps it will turn into a collaborative relationship!

I also found out that a grant proposal that I had submitted to his foundation may not have even gotten into his hands because it probably wasn’t presented to the board for their consideration. Now I might have another chance to submit again, which is a golden opportunity. I would’ve never found this out otherwise.

The lessons that I learned from this serendipitous encounter?

1. Always take the chance to engage with people you meet in chance encounters, because you never know who they might turn out to be!

2. Always try to make personal connections with potential funders if you possibly can. You might not have the opportunity to run into them in person as I did, but at least pick up the phone if you have a phone number or send an email. Any personal contact that you can make before submitting a proposal can help to start a relationship and pave the way for a successful grant proposal.

3. Don’t just sit in your office typing out grant proposals! Get out there and try to network with funders in your area. You won’t meet them if you are always in your office!

Enjoy your weekend!

6 Steps for Grant Writing Success in 2010

It’s not too late to plan for a successful 2010. I think there are many things that non-for-profit organizations and NGO’s can do to help ensure grant writing success:

1. Take a step back; focus on your core competencies, what it is you do best. Make sure that the programs and services you are seeking funding for are viable and serve a well-documented need in the community. When you are seeking funding, it helps tremendously to have a track record of success, meaning you can demonstrate successful outcomes or at least that you are on track for success in the future.
If you have peripheral programs that are taking resources away from your more successful programs, consider cutting or reducing their scope. This will allow you to focus on the things that you do best, which will be more likely to lead to success.

Are there others with whom you can collaborate? This is a buzz-word for many funders now, who have started to encourage collaborative proposals to get the biggest bang for their buck. This can take some time and effort but could lead to a more competitive proposal and more potential sources of funding. Many funders are requiring collaboration to be competitive.

Also, if you didn’t send year-end stewardship reports, now is the time to send those reports and thank you letters to those who HAVE funded your programs in 2009. It doesn’t have to be long, just a short letter highlighting your accomplishments and showing how their support has made a difference. I can’t stress enough how much value can be gotten from developing relationships with existing and potential funders. It can make or break you in your fund raising efforts.

2. Once you’ve determined that you have the most successful programs in place and explored potential collaborations, it’s time to start researching viable funding sources. This can be done on the internet or at your local library or Center for Nonprofit Management. Also you need to determine when you need the money and when the funding source will make a decision. Try to find sources that have a variety of deadlines so that you have a chance of securing funding sooner rather than later.

3. Armed with a list of potential funding sources, thoroughly read the guidelines and start crafting proposals that follow the grant guidelines to the letter; make sure they are persuasive and well-thought-out; and are concise and to the point. Usually it’s not a good idea to include items that are not specifically requested, such as videos or brochures.

4. If possible, connect with someone at the funding source before you submit a request to make sure they are still accepting requests or to see if their guidelines have changed. Also if they are open to questions, see if you can discuss your project with them and what they think of it. This isn’t always possible but if so make the most of it. Developing relationships with potential funders is a key piece to your success.
5. Make sure that you submit the grant proposal ahead of the deadline if there is one. Send it certified mail or return receipt so you know that it was received in the funder’s office and for proof that you have met their deadline.

6. Follow up with them if you haven’t heard in a reasonable amount of time. And even if they say no to your proposal, ALWAYS send a thank you note. This could help you if you decide to apply again. The people who work at foundations are people too, and they like being treated with respect.

Please watch this space for more tips for grant writing success!

American Association of Grant Professionals Southern CA Conference

I had the opportunity to attend the AAGP Southern California Conference this week at the California Endowment in Los Angeles . This was an excellent training and networking opportunity. We had several speakers who shared their wisdom with AAGP members, who are grant writers and development staff from nonprofits organizations throughout the country. The AAGP has added 5 new chapters in Southern California just this year alone. I am excited to be the Treasurer of the new San Diego chapter, which was recently formed. We will meet next on January 21, 2010.

The first speaker at the conference this week was Fred J. Ali, President and CEO of The Weingart Foundation . He offered his thoughts on the future outlook for charitable giving, asserting that he doesn’t see charitable giving levels improving until 2012. This is why I believe it’s so important to have a well-thought-out plan in place for your efforts to secure grants.

Next we heard from Ann Ronan, a professional grant writer who has been very successful in securing grants for healthcare and human services. Her company is called GrantRight . She shared insights and tips for independent grant writing consultants who are looking for ways to make their businesses be successful. She encouraged us to run our consulting practices like a business.

Gail Vertz, CEO of AAGP, presented the lunch plenary and shared her plans for growth for the organization in 2010. She believes that in the near future, all grant professionals will be required to have attained the GPCI or Grant Professional Certification. I plan to sit for this certification exam at my next opportunity. I think it is a great opportunity to show grant writing is a true profession and that we are concerned with standards and best practices.

Finally I attended a social media for nonoprofits presentation from David Gershwin of Cerrell Associates who shared an overview of social media strategies for nonprofit organizations and professionals.

A Lot of Interest in Federal Grants for Nonprofits and Businesses

I have been hearing so much about federal grants this year that I have been making special efforts to learn all I can about them to provide the best service to my grant-seeking clients. The federal government is pumping money, lots of it, into new programs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This affects nonprofit organizations as well as businesses who are looking for federal funds for their programs. While I primarily focus on securing funding for nonprofit organizations, several potential clients have come to me asking for assistance in securing grant funds for their business ventures.

Yesterday I attended a seminar sponsored by Connect, a San Diego-based organization whose mission is to foster collaboration and innovation in the business and scientific development arenas in San Diego. The La Jolla Conference on Accessing Federal Funding was attended by more than 200 grant seekers and featured speakers including Tina Huth, Founder and Managing Director of R&D Business Solutions LLC, John Watson, Professor of Bioengineering at the von Liebig Center at UC San Diego; Mary Ann Beyster, President of the Foundation for Enterprise Development, and Alan Rubin, Director of Federal Government Relations, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC. They gave information about how to apply for these federal funds.

I was especially interested in learning about the SBIR and STTR programs, which is the Small Business Innovation and Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants programs, respectively.

This is a program that is administered through the US Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Technology. These programs were designed to ensure that the nation’s high-tech sector businesses are included as a part of the federal government’s research and development initiatives. Eleven federal departments participate in the SBIR program, and five participate in the STTR program, awarding more than $2 billion in grants to high-tech businesses. I think this could be an excellent source of funds for businesses in the San Diego area. The specific goals and objectives of the SBIR Program are:

1. To stimulate technological innovation;
2. To use small business to meet Federal R/R&D needs;
3. To increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal R/R&D; and
4. To foster and encourage participation by minority and disadvantaged persons in technological innovation.

The next solicitation for grants is for the US Department of Transportation, which is due on November 16. One of the available programs is being solicited by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
for Transportation System Performance Measurement Using Existing Loop Infrastructure projects.

The SBIR is having their national conference in Reno, NV next month, Nov. 2-5.

Several people at the Connect event highly recommended attending the national conference for people who are serious about obtaining SBIR/STTR funding. There will be the chance to interact directly with SBIR program managers and to ask questions and receive feedback.

Since other more traditional funding sources, such as foundations and corporations, are pulling back their funding levels this year and possibly even into 2010/2011, I highly recommend investigating the possibilities for federal funding since that’s where the money is right now!