Why Grant Managers need to target grant applications that align with the organisation’s strategy.

As a fundraiser, the pressure of trying to fund the organisation and its projects drives us to be the first one in the office and the last one to leave. We leave no stone unturned when it comes to trying to raise funds for our causes. This is particularly true for small organisations with a low staff count, and the CEO takes on this role in addition to running the organisation.

Grant opportunities come across our desks or are recommended by Board Members almost daily. Being highly aware of our ‘gap to goal’ we feel compelled to apply for them despite our gut feeling of a lack of synergy or our need to re-engineer programs simply to fit the funding criteria.

Multiple hours are spent on grant applications, and with only a 20% industry grant success rate, disappointment is common.

When applying for grants, we often forget the second and possibly the most important rule of fundraising – prospect qualification, i.e. how strong is the match between this funding and our cause and programs.

My golden rule is never ever twist a program to fit funding, as tempting as it is to apply for everything, because:

a) it will be evident in your application, and funders (quite rightly) will be hesitant to support you as they will be unsure your organisation can successfully deliver the intended aims and impact of the grant

b) if successful but the program has been retrofitted for the grant, there is extra pressure on project teams, extra resources are required to implement the project and KPIs are often not met. This often creates stress in the workplace and tension between funder and the funded organisation.

It’s a brave move NOT to apply for every funding opportunity, but given the 20% success rate, maybe it’s not brave; maybe it’s safer and more strategic.

That’s my thought anyway.

We all know the qualification process; it isn’t that hard to implement. It’s best practice and ensures that your organisation stays true to its strategy and programmable activities and delivers the outcomes it promises to its beneficiaries. It’s quick and is simply a matter of comparing the identified grant with the project’s program logic and ascertaining if there is a fit by using key questions such as:

1. Does this grant align with our strategy/projects, goals, aims, and outcomes?
2. Will this grant support our project activities, or will we need to create a new program or adjust/expand/change the existing program?
3. If we need to pitch another program,
   a) does this affect the program’s intended impact and overall strategy?
   b) are we neglecting other program areas that need funding more?
4. Do we have the resources to cover our pitch for the grant (i.e. human, space, training)?
5. How will this grant impact our service delivery?
6. Can we adequately achieve the KPIs required by the grant?
7. Do the terms of agreement suit our organisation?

This list of questions can, of course, be expanded, but these are some of the core questions you should ask when considering any funding opportunity, including grants.

If there are too many ‘no’s’ or grey areas, then I would hazard a guess that you shouldn’t go through with the application.

If there are big ticks for every question, stop reading this blog and start gathering content for that application STAT!