I can’t tell you enough how important it is that nonprofits take advantage of the current grantseeking environment. There are so many new openings for first-time grantseekers to get grants, especially from bigger funders.
But I still see these 4 misconceptions holding nonprofits back from applying.
Misconception #1: You can’t get a grant in the first 3 years of operation.
This one simply isn’t true for all grantmakers and all grant opportunities. There are many grantmakers looking for new, small, grassroots organizations that do the exact type of work you’re doing.
You just have to know how to find them. I’m not saying that you can open your doors and then go after a $100k grant that year.
What you can do is start querying grantmakers, submitting LOIs and grant apps, and building relationships. You never know what could be your nonprofit’s big break.
I’ve seen many of my own grant writing students do just that, even in the first few months of operation. And the benefits of pursuing the right grants for your new nonprofit are huge.
Let’s say you are a small, struggling nonprofit. You are running on an annual revenue of $50,000 and just can’t grow your services while you’re struggling to make ends meet for your existing work.
But then you get reach out to a local community foundation and after some real grant writing work and relationship building, they award you with a $10,000 grant.
Of course, this opens you up to providing more of the services you currently provide and perhaps allows you to expand your offerings. You finally feel like you can at least breathe easy for a few months.
The impact of that grant doesn’t end there, though. The publicity that comes with a grant of that size puts you on the radar of other nonprofits that may want to partner with you on projects. Plus entirely new segments of your community may want to become volunteers, members, or even beneficiaries of your organization. You might even catch the attention of other grantmakers.
Here are some databases on COVID-19 related funding:
And here’s my personal spreadsheet of Racial Justice related grants:
Misconception #2: Grants are far too complex for me or a small team to pull off.
If you’re trying to make a major change in the financial stability of your organization, you have to also make a shift in how you conceive of the role of funding and grants within your organization or team.
Funding should be as much a part of the structure of your work as the services you provide, products you create, or research or art you produce. It’s not just the thing that allows you to do that work, it’s part of the work. That means you have to invest time and resources into either paying someone to apply for grants for you or learn how to do it yourself.
If you do that, even a small team (or team of one) can be successful with grant applications. I’ve seen it over and over again with my students.
So the only way to structure the work of your organization, even if you have a very small team (or even a team of 1), is to dedicate a significant percentage of your time to seeking grant funding.
Misconception #3: My nonprofit program isn’t original/innovative/exciting enough.
Look, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. For the most part, you shouldn’t be. There are thousands of nonprofits in the U.S. (1 for every 8 people, in fact), so the likelihood that you are absolutely THE only nonprofit doing exactly what you’re doing is slim.
That doesn’t mean you don’t have things that make your work stand out, but it means that you can release the pressure you’re putting on yourself to be revolutionary. Food pantries are needed. Domestic violence programs are needed. Prison rehabilitation programs are needed.
You don’t have to be doing the one thing that is going to suddenly make the every problem go away because it doesn’t work that way. Systemic change and advocacy is great, but we also need basic services and program strategies that have proven effective time and time again.
So give yourself a break. Your work is important and worth funding.
Misconception #4: It’s too late. Everyone else always gets the good grants because they’ve been getting them for years.
Yeah, you know what? This is partially true. Once you receive the same grant or a grant from the same funder three or more times, you have an 80% chance of future grant proposals to that funder being successful.
That means that grants are less likely to be awarded to new applicants–50% less likely, in fact.
But you know what? That shouldn’t stop you from applying because you (will) have a secret weapon. You will have a persuasive proposal.
You see, although many funders are less likely to make awards to new applicants in this difficult economy, others are more likely to reconsider the worthiness of old applicants they’ve been supporting for years.
They’ll be taking a harder look at the strength of their other applicants’ programs and outcomes and whether your work is actually a better fit with their priorities. It’s your job to prove that it is.
You need to make them put aside that old applicant’s proposal and pick yours up in awe and excitement. I’m here to teach you how to make that happen.
And many grantmakers are offering entirely new opportunities pertaining to COVID-19 relief and racial justice. Now is an incredible time for grantseekers, you just have to be willing to try.
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Sharon Jones
June 30, 2020 1:22 pmThanks for info