The grant writing process can be overwhelming, from figuring out where to begin to making sure you deliver what you promised when you promised. Conference participants shared tips and resources that help them find grant opportunities, write successful applications, and track and report progress.
Finding new grants
Several good sources for finding grants exist, including:
- Foundation Directory Online is a grant-finding database that is free to use through UW-Madison’s College Library in Helen C. White Hall. UW-Madison subscribes to other databases for locating grants as well. Many UW campuses offer these tools for nonprofits; check at your local campus library.
- Instrumentl.com is subscription-based database to find grant opportunities that align with your mission and service area. There are no contracts; you can suspend your subscription at any time.
- Don’t neglect good, old-fashioned word of mouth. If you have a strong relationship with current funders, ask them to suggest foundations that would potentially be interested in supporting your work.
Applying for grants
Grant applications can vary greatly, with differing requirements and expectations. However, if you create a grant content “library” you can save organizational background information and project goals and descriptions in one place to help streamline the application process.
Adapt language from the library rather than starting from scratch with each new proposal. When possible, emphasize similar terms to those used on the funder’s website to demonstrate how your mission aligns with theirs.
Grant tracking and reporting
Most participants in the grant discussion use Excel to track their grants – with varying degrees of success. Your grant content library, besides helping to streamline applications, can come in handy for reporting on multiple grants.
Monthly or quarterly staff meetings specifically about grants can be a great way to check in on what each staff person is responsible for and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
Little Green Light, cloud-based donor management software, has useful grant-tracking functions. You can track every aspect of your grant process, including due dates and staff responsible for reporting, as well as keep track of communications with funders. You can also create tasks and get email reminders when due dates are coming up.
