three proven strategies to improve your grant readiness · use these three proven strategies to...

3 Proven Strategies

to Improve Your Grant

Readiness

Speakers Today:

Tammy Tilzey

GrantHub Team,

Foundant Technologies

Shannon McBride

President, Consulting

Connections, Inc.

This 60 minute presentation will begin at 9am PT, 10 am MT, 11am CT, Noon ET

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• Brief Foundant Overview

• 3 Proven Strategies to Improve Your Grant Readiness

• Q&A

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Agenda

Locations

• Headquartered in Bozeman, MT

Remote team members in Minneapolis, Boise, Philadelphia, Seattle and Chicago

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1025 Grant Lifecycle Manager customers

203 GrantHub customers

Three Proven Strategies to Improve Your Grant Readiness

Shannon McBride

President, Consulting

Connections, Inc.

Tammy Tilzey

Director, GrantHub

Use these three proven strategies to improve

your grant readiness

1. Improve grant funding success by complying with the funder’s requirements and guidelines.

2. Develop a grant-ready tool kit to streamline the process.

3. Use grant management best practices to meet deadlines and influence funders.

CONSULTING CONNECTIONS, INC. 9

How to incorporate these major strategies:

Build and use a Proposal Compliance Matrix (PCM) to

increase chances of funding success.

Identify what documents you already have and what you

might need to add to your grant ready toolkit.

Learn proven methods for using effective grant

management in your organization.


Strategy #1. Improve Grant Funding Success:

Comply with the funder’s requirements and

guidelines.

Know what the funder is asking for and capture this information on the Requirements Checklist.

Using this information, develop a Proposal Compliance Matrix.


THE

REQUIREMENTS

THE

GUIDELINES

Track requirements found in the grant application

form.


Prepare a requirements checklist on Excel.

Follow the grant application word for word.


Continue to develop the Requirements

Checklist

1. Insert columns to the right of the listed requirements (still

listed word-for-word).

2. Add a heading for names. (You’ll fill this in later.)

3. Add headings for due date and date information is received.


23

2. Convert the requirements checklist into a

PCM.


1. List each individual requirement using an action verb.

2. Assign team members and establish due dates.

Step 3. Review the funding guidelines before

moving on.


Review the guidelines and answer these

questions.

Limitations: Are we located outside their area of giving?

Purpose and Activities: Do our organization’s values, purpose, and

activities match theirs?

Fields of Interest: Are our project activities and target population a good fit

within their areas of giving?

Types of Support: Do the types of support they provide fulfill our

requirements?

Grant Amounts: Will the grant amount be adequate if awarded?

Previous Grants or Grantees: Have we ever been awarded funding from

this organization?


Anticipate questions not spelled out in the

grant application.


QUESTIONS SUGGESTED RESPONSES

Has this organization demonstrated evidence of thorough

planning and the optimum capacity for seeing the project

to completion?

Respond to this question both in your organizational description

and in your project description.

Is the need so critical that we should seriously consider

funding the project?

Use compelling language to clearly describe what is currently

lacking that is causing the need.

Does this grant seeker have a comprehensive and

sophisticated approach to solving the problem?

Describe the methodology you used to design the program to

alleviate the need or in some way at least mitigate the problem.

If we do decide to support the project, will the grant seeker

continue to run the program after our funding ends? If we

choose not to fund the project, will they still carry it out?

Make it clear in your statement of sustainability that you have

the continued support—both in funding and resources—to

ensure the project continues with or without their funding.

Describe your plan for generating more financial support.

Does the program budget clearly show how the finances

are linked to the statement of need and resolution of the

problem?

Provide a narrative section to the budget and specifically link

expenses to program outcomes.

Does the grant seeker really understand our major focus

for funding projects?

Assure them throughout the narrative you know how your

project fits their giving focus.

Conduct an organizational self-assessment.


Activity No Not Yet Pending Yes

Board members have written job descriptions and receive orientation and training.

Board recognizes role it must play in resource development and is actively engaged.

Policy, procedures, and plans are in place to ensure diversity in all staff and volunteer

personnel.

Board’s finance committee meets at least quarterly and reviews agency budget and interim

financial statements.

Organization has policy concerning amount of operating reserves.

Board has strategic plan and monitors progress toward objectives outlined in plan.

Organization establishes an annual plan and objectives consistent with strategic plan.

Organization has a diversified funding strategy with goals that may include earned income,

government sources, foundations, corporations, individuals, and events.

Organization regularly assesses the market relative to competitors and client need and

satisfaction.

Organization has a public relations plan and process in place.

Every employee, including the executive director, receives a performance review at least

annually; both supervisor and employee review a written assessment.

Organization has a budget and stated goals for each program.

Organization has established collaborative relationships with other organizations.

Organization has adequate technology and information systems that support operations and

planning.

Include relevant documents in your toolkit.

Category Supporting Documents and Artifacts

ACCOUNTING FILESBP_Accounting_Financial

Copy of IRS exemption letter verifying tax-exempt status, most recent IRS Form 990, audited

financial statements, annual operating budget, sources of revenue, program budgets for

individual project or program

BOARD FILESBP_Board

Board member descriptions, affiliations and professions, committee descriptions; board training

programs, board member handbook, bylaws, financial statements, board contracts

EvaluationBP_Org. Overview

Clear description of methodology for evaluation, examples of survey instruments, summary of

outcomes

FundingBP_Stmt of Funding Support

Past funding sources and funding requests pending

Organization overviewBP_Org. Overview

History, date of inception, organization’s original purpose, mission statement

Programs, events, and publicityBP_Programs

Description of major core programs, of sponsored fundraising events including: board and

committee involvement, funds raised, and involvement from donors News articles, advertising

samples, testimonials from constituents, photographs of individuals engaged in programs

Research and statisticsBP_Research.Statistics

Current verifiable statistics supporting the need for the project and population served

(demographics); websites such as Grants.gov, Guide Star, GrantHub

Staff and administrationBP_Org Overview

Job descriptions, qualifications, areas of expertise

Standard supporting documentationBP_Supporting Doc

Business entity form for unincorporated nonprofit associations, state sales tax exemption

notification, charitable organization permit application


Strategy #2. Develop a Grant-Ready Toolkit

The Baseline Proposal

Documents required for all grant applications

A logical hierarchy of electronic files

Your grant team assignments


Step One. Create the baseline proposal file:

the most important tool in the kit.


Set up a location on your computer or laptop devoted only

to your Baseline Proposal.

Remember: Periodically

review major parts of the

Baseline Proposal that might

require updating!

Establish permanent folders for the Baseline Proposal.


BP: Programs/Projects

BP: PCM

BP: Research, Statistics

BP: Statements of Support

BP: Supporting Documentation

BP: Letter of Inquiry

BP: Board Information

BP: Accounting, Financial

BP: Annual Report

BP: Appreciation

BP: Cover Letter

BP: Cover Page

BP: Evaluation Methodology

BP: Executive Summary

BP: Grants.Gov

BP: Organization Overview

Step Two. Build a cache of both relevant and required

documents in your Baseline Proposal folder.

Category Supporting Documents and Artifacts

ACCOUNTING FILESBP_Accounting_Financial

Copy of IRS exemption letter verifying tax-exempt status, most recent IRS Form 990, audited financial statements, annual operating budget,

sources of revenue, program budgets for individual project or program

BOARD FILESBP_Board

Board member descriptions, affiliations and professions, committee descriptions; board training programs, board member handbook,

bylaws, financial statements, board contracts

EvaluationBP_Org. Overview

Clear description of methodology for evaluation, examples of survey instruments, summary of outcomes

FundingBP_Stmt of Funding Support

Past funding sources and funding requests pending

Organization overviewBP_Org. Overview

History, date of inception, organization’s original purpose, mission statement

Programs, events, and publicityBP_Programs

Description of major core programs, of sponsored fundraising events including: board and committee involvement, funds raised, and

involvement from donors News articles, advertising samples, testimonials from constituents, photographs of individuals engaged in

programs

Research and statisticsBP_Research.Statistics

Current verifiable statistics supporting the need for the project and population served (demographics); websites such as Grants.gov, Guide

Star, Grant Hub

Staff and administrationBP_Org Overview

Job descriptions, qualifications, areas of expertise

Standard supporting documentationBP_Supporting Doc

Business entity form for unincorporated nonprofit associations, state sales tax exemption notification, charitable organization permit

application

Components of Your Grant Proposal Tool Kit. Do you already have clear, accessible files for all these categories? If not, start gathering these now—before you write that next proposal!


Front-load your search for grant-related

documentation.

Gather this information early in the proposal development

process.

Scan hard copy originals and store in the appropriate

electronic file folder.

Save all documents to your cloud backup server!


Score your file maintenance procedures.


Can everyone on your grant seeking team find the

documents they are looking for? Are you making it easy

for them, or will they have to reach out to you before they

can complete their assignments?

Step Three. Use logic to maintain your grant

proposal files.

Invest in a grant management solution that helps keep your

grant documents and records organized or design a logical way

to manually maintain your records.


Level 1: Set up one main file folder for all grant proposals.

Create one major file folder to serve as the “vault” for all grant proposals.


Level 2: Set up separate file folders under “Grant Proposals_All.”


Level 3: Set up separate file folders for all years by funder.


Level 4: Set up file folders for each major category by year.


Save supporting documents under specific file

folders.


Strategy #3. Use grant management best practices: meet

deadlines and influence funders.


Five Grant Management Techniques

1. Create a grant calendar

2. Organize your funders, track grant history and keep grant documents organized

3. Coordinate your team’s responsibilities to stay on schedule

4. Be ‘Grant-Ready’

5. Consistently report on pipeline and progress of grant funding


Grant Calendar – What do you use today?

• white board

• wall calendar

• spreadsheets

• shared email calendar

• project or tasks management system

• colored pens / colored sticky notes

• binders

• file cabinets

• shared files / folders on network

• google drive / documents

• grant management solution

• Consultant

• other…

Grant Calendar

Score your solution against this checklist:

Everyone has visibility to upcoming deadlines.

Owners receive regular reminders when items are due.

You are continually adding new opportunities to your calendar.

Recurring funding opportunities are scheduled in advance.

Communication of grant plan, progress, and results is facilitated.

Organize Funders & Grant History

Elements to Track for Each Funder

• Board Members

• Deadlines

• Decision Process

• EIN

• 990s

• Website

• Funding History

• Others?

• Funder Name

• Areas of Interest

• Min/Max Funding

• Geographical Focus

• Key Contacts

• Address

• Social Media Sites

Grant Tracking

• Deadlines

• Submitted Date

• Decision Date

• Grant Term

• Restrictions

• Submission Link/Login

• Award details - reports due, etc.

• Funder Name

• Grant Name

• Status (Pending, Awarded,

Denied)

• Amount Requested

• Amount Awarded

• Amount Received

Organize Grant Documents

Don’t waste time searching for misplaced items, recreating the same plan, and trying to rebuild funder relationships.

Have we applied to this funder before?

What did the funder request from us?

What was outlined in our award letter?

What should we do differently next time?

Where is a record of the LOI we sent? Where’s the proposal?

Did we navigate the funder relationships successfully? If so, how?

What reports did we turn in?

What were our program outcomes?

Did we back up our files before the laptop crashed?

The average employment period for a development director is 18 months!

3. Coordinate your grant team responsibilities

while staying on schedule.


Send email notifications and reminders.


Some grant management solutions can be configured to send

notifications to team members when they are assigned a task

and also send reminders of deadlines when they are

approaching.

Be “Grant Ready”

• Prepare solid answer templates for a quick first draft.

• Track answers with different character counts.

• Tag answers by program name so you can quickly find the

appropriate one to use.

• Accumulate stories of how your organization has impacted the

population you serve.

• Track statistics that show the need for your service and programs.

Use your grant tool kit to streamline proposal

creation.

Using your grant toolkit may help you complete up to 80% of

the effort to create a grant proposal before you start searching

for funding opportunities.


Assemble Your “Answer Library”

Effectively Communicate Status







BONUS: GMAP – Grant Management Assessment and

Planning worksheet


Use the Grant Management Assessment and Planning

worksheet (GMAP)to develop your organization’s

grant capacity.


• Assess what you are doing well, and identify areas where you

can improve.

• Develop a checklist of responsibilities that could be part of

someone's job requirements.

• Use to investigate and compare potential grant management

solutions (just add elements such as pricing, training, and

support to the list.)


Writing Grants for the Common GoodThe participant guidebook for our grant writing

workshops, Writing Grants for the Common

Good, is now available for purchase.

Published in a three-ring binder, this 115-page

book provides tips and tools for writing

persuasive text, organizing the mandatory

sections of a grant proposal, and designing a

Baseline Proposal to use on future grant

applications.

The guidebook features a Model Document

section with templates and examples of

essential documents required to develop

compliant, compelling grant proposals.

Models include the letter of inquiry, need

statement, sustainability section, and method

of program evaluation—and the binder format

allows readers to add their own representative

examples.

Price: $29.95 includes shipping. To order,

contact us at [email protected].

Need More Information?


Let us help you navigate through the wild waters of grant seeking.

Tammy Tilzey

[email protected] or www.granthub.com

Shannon McBride

[email protected] or [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.granthub.com/

