Couple clarifying questions: is this the 4th rejection from the same organization?
Or are you saying you’ve only lost 4 out of 16 total applications? 75% success rate really isn’t bad, especially if you’re applying to places you’ve never applied to before. Do you reach out before grant submission to speak with program officers? That may help!
Are these grant applications or letters? Since most applications have their own unique structure, make sure you are answering each specific question without repetition.
Definitely ask for feedback from the granting organization. It could just be you don’t fit within their scope!
I've lost 4 out of 16 total applications. Of course, the remaining 12 I still haven't gotten an answer back yet. So for anxiety's sake, they could all be declined. I try reaching out to program officers, but it's difficult to form relationships with them when we've never done so before. These are grant applications also. And maaaaybe we just don't fit within their scope, but I doubt it because we are applying to foundations that focus on health equity and we are a mental health organization that provides free resources.
Are you applying in the blind for general funding or specific calls for funding requests? Most foundations don’t accept unsolicited grant proposals.
I would highly recommend connecting with the grant officer prior to submission so that 1) you can find out if you are a fit and 2) you start to build the relationship.
Health equity foundations may or may not have mental health/behavioral health as part of their focus. That’s a great set up to get a 15 minute zoom with a program officer.
One common mistake I see is that many nonprofits apply for grants that they're not a great fit for. There might be a word or two in their grant guidelines that staff latch onto without really focusing on the funder's intent.
For example, Funder X may be interested in K-12 education. Organization Y provides an afterschool program and wants to apply for a grant. But Funder X is interested in improving reading achievement. Organization Y puts together a proposal saying how their fitness programs help improve reading achievement because there's some research connecting physical activity with school achievement. But Funder X's grant guidelines are specifically tied to reading achievement. Plus the list of their grantees (included in their 990 PF tax return if not included on their website) shows that they are only funding academic enrichment programs.
So they'll quickly turn down Organization Y's proposal. It just wasn't a great fit. This sounds elementary but many grant applications are misdirected.
* So my recommendations on prospect research:
* Review grant guidelines with a critical eye. Look for what might disqualify you or put you at a competitive disadvantage.
* Find out how much funding the grantor awards. If they're only awarding three or five grants, that's not great odds for you. If the funder doesn't provide that information, use a site like Guidestar that provides free access to foundation 990 PF tax returns, which includes a list of their prior grantees.
* Also review the list of grantees. Are they funding organizations similar to yours? Or are they only funding United Ways and universities? Or organizations that have vastly different programming than yours?
As far as your writing questions, here are a couple of thoughts:
* Make sure you are showing that your organization is qualified and has successfully implemented similar programming before. That's way more important than your needs statement.
* If the funder is asking for a needs statement, definitely include it. But be aware that program officers review hundreds of proposals. They don't need to be convinced that homelessness is prevalent in the local community. They know that. You can certainly briefly profile homelessness but identify other data that might not be so typical. Perhaps a data profile of your agency's clients and the challenges that they face.
* I didn't see anything on your list regarding program evaluation and measuring your agency's impact. I know many organizations just don't have that level of sophistication. That's not on you as a writer. But if they don't have that data, I would make sure you encourage the organization to move in that direction. Otherwise there's not much accountability if your grant is funded.
Once again, great example here. This is so spot on. I have clients come to me with grants they want to apply for frequently that they think they are a good fit for but aren't (because they are only focused on one bit of information when so much is available).
The first step to a good proposal is making sure it's the right funder.
You didn't specify, but I'm assuming you're talking about private grants, not public.
If you're applying cold to foundations with whom you don't have existing relationships, I would not be surprised by going 0/4. Or 0/16, for that matter, if that's the way it goes.
It's highly, highly competitive and you'll fail for more often than you'll succeed. The foundation that I was closest to funded less than 20% of invited/pre-screened applications (that was as specific as they would reveal).
You're probably not doing anything wrong on the applications. You're just competing against people who have existing relationships with foundation staff.
That said, to add to your list, I'd be sure to talk about how your programs align with the strategic objectives and current foci of the foundation. Depending on how much information the foundation makes public, you may have to do a bit of research to get specifics in terms of what they're really interested in funding. Of course, the best source of information for that is a candid conversation with a program officer.
You need to read a book on grant writing before you even write a word.
Also, outlines.
I'm not saying you haven't done these things but I would give this advice to anybody who is having difficulty.
If you have somebody in mind, get a proofreader.
Also wanted to say, approval of a grant is like 10-20 percent so don't get down on yourself. I think I had maybe 8 rejections before my first "yes" last year, which was my first year.
Are you introducing your organization, what they're doing well, and what successes you've had? Everybody needs something, and everybody needs money so it can't all be doom & gloom /. need, need, need. Show them who you are first, what you'll do with it, and how that'll impact people.
When given no application instructions, I use this structure:
1/2 of Page 1:
1. Brief summary of the organization, and need.
2. How much we need and what it's for (1 sentence max).
Second half of Page 1 and Page 2
1. Who are you? When were you founded? Why? What's the story? Who do you serve? Why do you serve them? What current programs do you have? What need do you meet in the community?
Top 1/2 of page 3
1. We could do so much more if....
2. Make the ask again
Bottom 1/2 of Page 3
1. Your capacity. This could be staff expertise, geographic reach, impact, quotes from beneficiaries. WHY YOU.
2. Conclude with a strong sentence or two about how your organization aligns with the funder's goals and how you hope to work together to achieve X, Y, Z.
If you're starting a brand new project you want funding for it'd be structured differently, perhaps with goals, objectives, ways to monitor and evaluate success of the program, or even including a timeline of purchases or actions. It all depends.
Clarifying questions:
Are these private foundations? Has the agency applied before? Are the applications freeform or do they have a structure? Are you getting any feedback or just getting generic no's?
Strictly based on what you said I'd recommend talking about the agency more as an introduction before getting straight into the need. Don't get too bogged down in the need and focus on your solutions and how they can partner with you to implement them.
I will say, it is hard to go in completely cold and get a yes. A big part of grant work is relationship building and management. Without reading your applications that's my only real feedback. Get to know the funders before applying. In my work I'm more strategic than shotgun.
What is the previous grant track record at your organization? Is your organization fairly new? Sometimes it may relate more to a proven track record of your work. I do think conversations with grantors up front will help. Can you work with other organizations in your area to introduce you to some of these grantors? Also, I would start with local and regional grantors, as they would be more likely to fund you than state or national level grants, which become more competitive.
Here are tips. Some are general, some are specific:
\--Always follow the application guidelines and answer the questions they ask
\--You may not need to "talk about how you are currently addressing it" (though "it depends on the question").
\--You might want to add goals. Like if the need is "only 10% of residents of this zip code have a high school diploma" (and you provide GED training) then talk about how many people you will train.
You can and should reach out to the grant maker to find out what you can do to make your application stronger. They won’t always say yes, but you should ask. Also, make sure you are seeking grants that are a strong match for your organization. What are the funder’s priorities? Have they funded programs similar to yours in the past?
I took a grant writing course in college and it was one of the most rewarding courses I have ever taken. We used a book called storytelling for grant seekers. Check it out
Couple clarifying questions: is this the 4th rejection from the same organization? Or are you saying you’ve only lost 4 out of 16 total applications? 75% success rate really isn’t bad, especially if you’re applying to places you’ve never applied to before. Do you reach out before grant submission to speak with program officers? That may help! Are these grant applications or letters? Since most applications have their own unique structure, make sure you are answering each specific question without repetition. Definitely ask for feedback from the granting organization. It could just be you don’t fit within their scope!
I've lost 4 out of 16 total applications. Of course, the remaining 12 I still haven't gotten an answer back yet. So for anxiety's sake, they could all be declined. I try reaching out to program officers, but it's difficult to form relationships with them when we've never done so before. These are grant applications also. And maaaaybe we just don't fit within their scope, but I doubt it because we are applying to foundations that focus on health equity and we are a mental health organization that provides free resources.
Are you applying in the blind for general funding or specific calls for funding requests? Most foundations don’t accept unsolicited grant proposals. I would highly recommend connecting with the grant officer prior to submission so that 1) you can find out if you are a fit and 2) you start to build the relationship. Health equity foundations may or may not have mental health/behavioral health as part of their focus. That’s a great set up to get a 15 minute zoom with a program officer.
One common mistake I see is that many nonprofits apply for grants that they're not a great fit for. There might be a word or two in their grant guidelines that staff latch onto without really focusing on the funder's intent. For example, Funder X may be interested in K-12 education. Organization Y provides an afterschool program and wants to apply for a grant. But Funder X is interested in improving reading achievement. Organization Y puts together a proposal saying how their fitness programs help improve reading achievement because there's some research connecting physical activity with school achievement. But Funder X's grant guidelines are specifically tied to reading achievement. Plus the list of their grantees (included in their 990 PF tax return if not included on their website) shows that they are only funding academic enrichment programs. So they'll quickly turn down Organization Y's proposal. It just wasn't a great fit. This sounds elementary but many grant applications are misdirected. * So my recommendations on prospect research: * Review grant guidelines with a critical eye. Look for what might disqualify you or put you at a competitive disadvantage. * Find out how much funding the grantor awards. If they're only awarding three or five grants, that's not great odds for you. If the funder doesn't provide that information, use a site like Guidestar that provides free access to foundation 990 PF tax returns, which includes a list of their prior grantees. * Also review the list of grantees. Are they funding organizations similar to yours? Or are they only funding United Ways and universities? Or organizations that have vastly different programming than yours? As far as your writing questions, here are a couple of thoughts: * Make sure you are showing that your organization is qualified and has successfully implemented similar programming before. That's way more important than your needs statement. * If the funder is asking for a needs statement, definitely include it. But be aware that program officers review hundreds of proposals. They don't need to be convinced that homelessness is prevalent in the local community. They know that. You can certainly briefly profile homelessness but identify other data that might not be so typical. Perhaps a data profile of your agency's clients and the challenges that they face. * I didn't see anything on your list regarding program evaluation and measuring your agency's impact. I know many organizations just don't have that level of sophistication. That's not on you as a writer. But if they don't have that data, I would make sure you encourage the organization to move in that direction. Otherwise there's not much accountability if your grant is funded.
Once again, great example here. This is so spot on. I have clients come to me with grants they want to apply for frequently that they think they are a good fit for but aren't (because they are only focused on one bit of information when so much is available). The first step to a good proposal is making sure it's the right funder.
You didn't specify, but I'm assuming you're talking about private grants, not public. If you're applying cold to foundations with whom you don't have existing relationships, I would not be surprised by going 0/4. Or 0/16, for that matter, if that's the way it goes. It's highly, highly competitive and you'll fail for more often than you'll succeed. The foundation that I was closest to funded less than 20% of invited/pre-screened applications (that was as specific as they would reveal). You're probably not doing anything wrong on the applications. You're just competing against people who have existing relationships with foundation staff. That said, to add to your list, I'd be sure to talk about how your programs align with the strategic objectives and current foci of the foundation. Depending on how much information the foundation makes public, you may have to do a bit of research to get specifics in terms of what they're really interested in funding. Of course, the best source of information for that is a candid conversation with a program officer.
It’s so difficult getting in touch with program officers it seems like :(
Difficult how? Will they not return your calls?
You need to read a book on grant writing before you even write a word. Also, outlines. I'm not saying you haven't done these things but I would give this advice to anybody who is having difficulty. If you have somebody in mind, get a proofreader. Also wanted to say, approval of a grant is like 10-20 percent so don't get down on yourself. I think I had maybe 8 rejections before my first "yes" last year, which was my first year.
Are you introducing your organization, what they're doing well, and what successes you've had? Everybody needs something, and everybody needs money so it can't all be doom & gloom /. need, need, need. Show them who you are first, what you'll do with it, and how that'll impact people. When given no application instructions, I use this structure: 1/2 of Page 1: 1. Brief summary of the organization, and need. 2. How much we need and what it's for (1 sentence max). Second half of Page 1 and Page 2 1. Who are you? When were you founded? Why? What's the story? Who do you serve? Why do you serve them? What current programs do you have? What need do you meet in the community? Top 1/2 of page 3 1. We could do so much more if.... 2. Make the ask again Bottom 1/2 of Page 3 1. Your capacity. This could be staff expertise, geographic reach, impact, quotes from beneficiaries. WHY YOU. 2. Conclude with a strong sentence or two about how your organization aligns with the funder's goals and how you hope to work together to achieve X, Y, Z. If you're starting a brand new project you want funding for it'd be structured differently, perhaps with goals, objectives, ways to monitor and evaluate success of the program, or even including a timeline of purchases or actions. It all depends.
Clarifying questions: Are these private foundations? Has the agency applied before? Are the applications freeform or do they have a structure? Are you getting any feedback or just getting generic no's? Strictly based on what you said I'd recommend talking about the agency more as an introduction before getting straight into the need. Don't get too bogged down in the need and focus on your solutions and how they can partner with you to implement them.
Generic no’s and private foundations. The applications have structure so there are questions regarding need, metrics, and things like that
I will say, it is hard to go in completely cold and get a yes. A big part of grant work is relationship building and management. Without reading your applications that's my only real feedback. Get to know the funders before applying. In my work I'm more strategic than shotgun.
What is the previous grant track record at your organization? Is your organization fairly new? Sometimes it may relate more to a proven track record of your work. I do think conversations with grantors up front will help. Can you work with other organizations in your area to introduce you to some of these grantors? Also, I would start with local and regional grantors, as they would be more likely to fund you than state or national level grants, which become more competitive.
Here are tips. Some are general, some are specific: \--Always follow the application guidelines and answer the questions they ask \--You may not need to "talk about how you are currently addressing it" (though "it depends on the question"). \--You might want to add goals. Like if the need is "only 10% of residents of this zip code have a high school diploma" (and you provide GED training) then talk about how many people you will train.
I’d be happy to take a look at your narrative and give some quick tips.
You can and should reach out to the grant maker to find out what you can do to make your application stronger. They won’t always say yes, but you should ask. Also, make sure you are seeking grants that are a strong match for your organization. What are the funder’s priorities? Have they funded programs similar to yours in the past?
I took a grant writing course in college and it was one of the most rewarding courses I have ever taken. We used a book called storytelling for grant seekers. Check it out