Grant Writing Boot Camp

Attention all start up nonprofits, labors of love and wonderful folks out there in the community doing the real work...

I hear you! You're working from sun up to sun down, with no vacation. You're undergoing treatment for cancer, your kids are acting up, you're taking care of your sick parents, and at the same time you're starting something out of this world important. You want to help people, and you need money.

I want to help you too, but unfortunately, I have my own hustle. I hate saying no, but I just don't have the energy to accept every job I'm offered (grateful for that statement). Here are a few things I think might help you get out of the gate.

Start small. Don't go for the half million dollar government grant right away. You won't get it. They're looking for experience and they want to know that the people they fund have a track record of dealing with large funding streams. Expect to spend up to one hour per day researching grants. Unless you have the money to pay someone else to do this, finding a grant that fits your organization is hands down the hardest part of the job. Read the fine print. Everyone has their own particular passion that they're interested in funding. Some ask for a 501c3, some don't. Some are limited to a particular region of the country, a particular state or even a particular city. Some want to fund women of color, some are looking for artists, others only deal with children. When I do grant research, I look for red flags, any reason the funder might not be interested in my client. Only after I do a thorough search of the website and come back to look a second time do I decide that it might be worth applying. Keep lists. This will save you time. If you've figured out that a certain funding organization isn't going to work, and then put that on a list, it will save you from having to revisit the website the next time a well-meaning friend says, "I heard that so and so is giving out grants." Pay your grant writers. Unless you're hiring your life partner, you need to pay the person who is writing for you. Pay them a good wage. It's just kind. Be prepared for rejection. You will get rejected a lot. For every twenty applications you send, you can expect to get one grant. Try not to let it bother you. It's a crowded field and everybody wants money. If you want some support when that perfect funder said no, try searching #amquerying on Twitter. Lots of folks there know all about it. Be prepared to be approved. The worst thing you can do when someone says yes is be unprepared to manage the money. You have to hit the ground running. You have to do all of the things you said you were going to do. If you can't, you need to hire someone who can. You have to communicate with the funder and send them regular reports. Remember, you're not only helping your clients, but you're also proving to the NEXT funder that you can be trusted. The next one will be easier.

Good luck out there! I have to get back to work. xxoo