Prioritizing: Five Phases of Grantseeking

Using Your Time Wisely for Gaining Grants

members/multiplying/content1_9.asp Most of us today would agree that finding the time to do all that needs to be done is high up on our list of complaints. This is especially true for directors of non-profit organizations or those charged with finding the funds necessary to keep a project alive. In the book, Secrets of Successful Grantmanship, Dr. Susan Golden offers those who are time-challenged some helpful words of advice. According to Golden, the secret is found in prioritizing our time among the 5 phases of the grantseeking process. This means that, if we are to be successful in obtaining needed grants and funding from a foundation, donor or funding source, we need to realize that each step of the grantseeking process is not equal in value and so should not be given unlimited amounts of our valuable time. So, the question becomes, what are the 5 phases of the grantseeking process and how much of our time should be spent in each phase? Gold sees the 5 phases as being: 1) Prospect Identification and Research, 2) Education and Cultivation, 3) Solicitation, 4) Recognition, 5) Stewardship and Marketing. Obviously, the first step in the grantseeking process is the basic research we conduct to identify potential funders and prospects. However, according to Golden, most people who are new to the process of looking for grants make the same mistake - they spend way too much time on this initial phase. While we may think that it is important to do the right research, in reality, with technology and internet search engines, we would only spend about 10% of our time in this phase. Education and cultivation should be given 15% of our time. Why is this? Our research may tell us all we need to know about a potential donor and their funding priorities, but they also need to know about us and what we do. This is the emphasis of the education and cultivation phase. This phase may involve educating the donor about our organization and projects. Or, if the donor knows our organization, it may be a question of making the donor aware of current activities and projects. Third, it may be the case that the donor doesn’t really understand how they can be involved in our projects or how they can help. Education may then be as simple as providing the necessary information to cultivating this relationship through spending time together. Either way, we should be spending about 15% of our total time in this phase. Eventually, the time comes when we need to actually ask for the grant. This is the solicitation phase of the process and should be given about 15% of our time. The basic questions of who will be involved in asking for the grant, when we ask, how we ask, what materials will we submit to the donor and all of these issues need to be addressed at this time. Nor, advises Golden, should this be done through simply sending out a proposal without having met with the donor or their representative. Cold proposals just don’t work. If we send out 50 cold proposals, we may receive 1-5 positive responses. But, for the most part, this is an exercise in futility. Our time will be better spent if we actually sit down with the donor to determine if this is a right fit. Once we receive that all-important grant, we usually thank the donor. But, as Golden has discovered, most grantseekers do not acknowledge the donation or gift enough. This is the recognition phase. Her recommendation is that we thank the grantor at least 7 times. While we may think this a bit over-the-top, it isn’t. If we are concerned about the long-term, then we need to develop the reputation that our organization knows how to show its appreciation. Nor does this necessarily means spending lots of money on thanking the donor. It may mean asking the Board Chair or Board Officer to call the donor or making sure that the donor is on our Christmas card list or offering a small token of appreciation for the grant. Either way, the 15% of our time that we spend on this phase will be well worth the effort. The fifth phase is that of stewardship and marketing. Again, this requires about 15% of our total time. Primarily this is focused on maintaining the contacts and donors we already have and maintaining consistent contact with them. Often the complaint heard in around the halls of foundation leaders is that they only hear from organizations when they need money. Otherwise, there is no communication. This is a major mistake for Golden. A good steward and wise marketer will make sure that all grantmakers are on their mailing list and are always in the hearts and minds of the organization. Suggestions include periodically inviting the donor to lunch to maintain contact or sending them articles of interest from time to time or just simply sending a note to stay in touch. Of course, marketing also means finding avenues to communicate to the community what you are doing. For the math experts, you will now say that this only adds up to 70%. What about the remaining 30% of our time? Well, the rest of our time will be needed just to manage and administer all of these details. These day-to-day details will make the difference when it comes to securing these grants and making sure that the future looks good for your organization. If you are interested in learning more about successful grantmanship, certainly Susan Gulden’s book will be of tremendous value to you. More and more, learning how to manage our time will be at the heart of a successful and effective non-profit organization that is committed to fulfilling its mission statement.

References

Dr. Kathy Winings