The scene: late office hours, strong coffee brewing, clouds of toner-scent wafting from overworked copier machines. The goal: a pot of blessed grant money at the end of the caffeine-and-toner rainbow — funding that will allow your organization to do wonderful new things.
With grant application season upon us and September deadlines looming, we asked several local professionals with broad experience in the field for their best advice on making your application a candidate for the "approved" stack, come judgment day. Their wisdom boils down to these seven basic points:
1. Be realistic. All the experts we interviewed placed this advice near the top of their list. "Don't expect to get all the money you need with one grant," says Cathy C. Lee, CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive). "No grant covers everything. Even federal agencies, which are typically the most generous, cover no more than 80 percent of your budget, to your 20 percent investment. Private funders such as foundations generally provide a much lower percentage."
2. Bark up the right tree. "It's important to find funders who are good, logical partners for what your organization is doing, as opposed to inventing some project you think an agency will find interesting," advises James McCrary, associate director of the Nonprofit Resource Center of Alabama. "We have a nickname for that latter practice: 'Chasing the money.' It's tempting in tough financial times like these, but it's always better in the long run for your organization to move in directions that are consistent with its mission." A valuable resource for finding the right funding partner, McCrary says, is the comprehensive national database known as the Foundation Center. It's a subscription service, but the NRCA has a copy on CD-ROM they'll show you how to use.
3. Follow the instructions. Totally. This might seem at first glance to come under the "duh" category, but grant professionals have horror stories of applications that ignored this commandment. "We often receive material addressed to people who haven't been here for years," says Karen Rolen, vice president for initiatives and programs for the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. "Never address anything 'To whom it may concern.' Be sure you've got the most current data and follow the guidelines to the letter. There are very good reasons they specify a certain number of copies arranged in a certain way, so give them exactly what they ask for." Lee says she's even seen applications that dodged the questions asked on the form: "They listed the organization's history instead, 'because the director felt it was important.' The funder only found it annoying. Not surprisingly, the grant wasn't funded."
4. Clarity, not jargon, counts. The experts agree that few fields are more crowded with jargon and acronyms than healthcare. But using plain English pays dividends, so for the rare instances when it's unavoidable to "talk in code," be sure that a clear explanation immediately accompanies it. "Keep in mind," adds Rolen, "that the folks reading your application are likely to be volunteers. They're not necessarily experts in your field, but they do read every word of every application and they appreciate clear language."
5. No sad violins; no levity, either. "If your cover letter says, 'If we don't get this grant, we'll have to close our doors,'" says Lee, "the answer will probably be, 'Then close.' Most funders believe that nonprofits should be run like a business, and if you can't do it then you should get out of the way and let the next person try. The pity-party approach might work with the general public, but not foundation and corporate funders." In any event, a business-like seriousness is the order of the day. That means humorous cartoon graphics and cute colored paper are a no-no, as well.
6. Don't bite off more than you can chew. The experts we consulted said that first-time applicants should probably avoid seeking federal grants until they get more experience under their belt. "Federal grant applications tend to be large and complex," McCrary points out, "and even if you get the grant you don't always get a check up front. Sometimes you have to apply for reimbursement, and that can take six to eight months. So unless your organization has some programmatic and financial maturity, it's probably not something you want to pursue."
7. Communication, communication, communication. "It's always appropriate to call a funding source ahead of time if you have questions," according to Barbara C. Traylor, CFRE. "And whether you get a grant or not, it's a good idea to write a thank-you letter afterwards. If you don't get the grant, most foundations are receptive to a phone call later to find out why. And those conversations can be great at laying the groundwork for a successful application in the future."
