Top 10 Tips for Grant Funding 

Making Sure Your Nonprofit is Grant Ready

In today’s world of nonprofit grant funding, competition is stiff. Overall, available grant funding has greatly diminished and organizations must use every accessible resource to their advantage.  A grant writing service can assist you in obtaining grants and ultimately grant funding, but you must do everything in your power to adequately prepare.  Melanie M. Swift, MNM, Director of Nonprofit Services for CharityNet USA, has prepared a list of the top 10 things your nonprofit must have well established prior to the commencement of a grant funding campaign.

Mission- Know your mission in and out. Be prepared to describe your organization’s specific mission and know how you work each day to fulfill that mission. Be sure your mission statement reflects your purpose, your unique method of delivery, and your organization’s core values.

History- What inspired your organization’s founding? What have been the major milestones since? Has your organization received any recognition for its efforts? Be able to provide success stories to demonstrate your capabilities.

Funding- How have you sustained your organization thus far? Who are your major contributors? How do you fundraise? It is extremely important to funders that potential grant funding recipients be able to demonstrate past fiduciary responsibility.

Need- Can you show that there is really a significant need for your organization’s programs within the community you serve? Research statistical data on the problem you address as well as the degree of other efforts being made to combat the same problem.

Governing Capabilities- Are you able to promote members of your board or staff as responsible, knowledgeable, nonprofit professionals? Be prepared to describe their education and experience. Convince me that they are competent leaders.

Objectives- Know the difference between a goal and an objective.  You must be able to provide targeted, measurable objectives! Identify objectives that are realistic and attainable, which is a necessity in order to receive grant funding.

Methods- Do you really know, step-by-step, how you will meet your objectives? Are you aware of everything and everyone that will be involved, down to the smallest detail? It is essential that the questions of Who-What-When-Why-How be answered for each proposed activity.

Evaluation- How will you evaluate the success of your proposed project? Take the time to develop a scientific plan for evaluation that describes who will be involved, at what intervals, and what costs will be incurred.

Sustainability- You must think past the grant award period. Exactly how will you continue to fund this project once the grant funding runs out? Funders seek out projects that will exist into perpetuity.

Budget- Learn to develop a precise line item budget. Know the difference between an operating budget and a project budget, and learn how to allocate your administrative costs within each program. This activity requires significant board involvement.

Melanie M. Swift, MNM, Director of nonprofit Services for CharityNetUSA will be conducting a FREE Webinar: “Making Sure Your Nonprofit is Grant Ready” Wednesday February 29, 2012.  This seminar is the first in a series on grant funding  given by Ms. Swift, and one you do not want to miss:

Join us for a webinar on making sure your nonprofit is “grant ready“. If you are you getting ready to apply for a grant or even thinking about it, then you can’t miss this opportunity to learn more about grant funding.

Our Director of Nonprofit Services Melanie Swift will lay out the steps involved in the strategic preparation for undertaking a grant campaign, so you’re prepared for the legwork that goes into getting grant funding.  Sign up now for the FREE webinar CLICK HERE Learn the importance of a clarified mission and vision, an existing tax exemption, a strategic plan, a qualified Board, and a unique method for service delivery. In addition, discover the power of forthright financial information.

If you would like more information on the full range of services offered to set up and service a charity, foundation or church please contact ChurchNetUSA by visiting CharityNetUSA or by calling, toll FREE 1.877.857.9002.  Please follow us on Twitter and Like us on Face Book to receive free daily tips and tricks as well as notification of our FREE Award Winning Webinar series!