Believe it or not, a grant writer’s future performance should not solely be measured by said grant writer’s past success rates.
A grant writer’s success depends on a multitude of factors, including the grant writer’s ability to discover appropriate funders that are a good fit for an organization, overall organizational grant readiness, the quality of the documents and materials requested by the grant writer, and a wealth of other factors.
Ultimately, the success of a grant writer depends on whether or not the organization that person is writing grants for is building donor relationships and program credibility.
Reviewing A Grant Writer’s Work
Not only does a grant writer’s success rate depend on their professional skills, it also depends on if the organization is actually ready and prepared to submit proposals in the first place.
Factors that influence the ratio of proposals include:
– Has your organization set realistic goals for achievement?
Some nonprofits ask a grant writer to submit a large number of proposals each year using the “shotgun approach.” This means that the grant writer would submit the same generic proposal to a large number of funders in order to save time. The success rate for this approach is likely to be low because it lacks proper research and cultivation.
– Does your organization have strong programs that meet a clear need in the community you serve?
You can’t submit a grant proposal without offering a compelling solution to a well-documented, well-researched community problem. If you can prove that your organization meets a clear community need, your grant proposal has a much greater chance of being funded.
– Is your organization seeking general operating, endowment, or start-up funding?
These grants are usually tougher to get than program funding.
– Is your organization structurally and fiscally sound?
Even the best written grant proposal can be rejected if the funder has critical questions about the organization’s ability to carry out the extent of work described in the proposal.
– Does your organization’s Executive Director and board support the grant writer by participating in cultivation and stewardship of funders?
Cultivation of funders from the top level of your organization is essential for success.
– Is your grant writer involved in your budget-making process?
Very often, a grant writer is asked to bring in a specific amount of revenue based on the needs of the organization’s budget, rather than on what is reasonable and actually possible. Getting a grant writer involved in the budget development process from the start, an organization can set realistic and achievable revenue targets and avoid a budget catastrophe later in the year.
Denials are More Common Than You Think
No grant writer (even the expert) receives every grant they apply for, and the reasons for failure vary from writer to writer. While badly written proposals rarely get funded, sometimes a denial has nothing to do with a grant writer’s skill.
1. A lack of organization/funder fit…
Grant prospect research is essential to preventing this issue, though sometimes this is due to a lack of information provided by the funder. This can also occur when a prospect researcher fails to thoroughly read and understand the guidelines provided by said funder.
2. The organization wasn’t grant ready…
Organizations should always conduct a grant-readiness self-assessment before paying a consultant to write a grant. Grant readiness means being prepared by having all potential attachments that might be requested, organizational and program line-item budgets, program descriptions, data related to program performance and outcomes on-hand and readily accessible. The best grant writer in the world still wouldn’t be able to write a compelling application without comprehensive, detailed information about the program or project on the agenda.
3. The funder was interested in the project, but the application missed the mark…
It is so important that you contact a funder prior to applying. Oftentimes, there are so many other captivating applications that have been received during a grant cycle, that by the time yours is received, the decision is said and done. Contacting a funder may save you plenty of time if they let you know that you might be better off waiting to apply during the next cycle!
AscendNBS wants to be your grant writing ally for social change. Contact our team at [email protected] or 210-610-2440 to learn more about how our power and expertise can help you advance your mission and services. Visit us at Ascendnbs.com to learn more.