Who’s on your short list? When’s your next grant due?
Every organization should have a list of potential funders at the ready. Armed with a spreadsheet (bonus points for colour-coding!), you will be able to keep track of funding opportunities and prioritize your grant writing resources.
If you’re organized, you’ll know at a glance which funders are a good match for particular programs, when their deadlines are, whether or not you need to write an LOI, and which funder you should be cultivating a relationship with for the next grant cycle.
Whether or not you hire me to create one for you (this is something I can provide with my prospect research services), I highly recommend that your organization keep a dynamic list that contains information such as:
- name of the grantmaking organization
- the maximum grant amount and/or the historic range of their grants
- the application process and deadlines (e.g., Is an LOI required or is there a one-step online application?)
- the funder’s stated interest areas
- possible program targets and strategic approach
- any existing point of contact, if applicable, such as a relationship with a board member
- additional notes to track contact with the funder and/or application status
You can use this list for in-house grant writing or as a resource for an outside grant writer. Either way, it’s the key to staying organized. This level of organization will make it a lot easier to go after the right grants at the right time.
Tiffany Hilman 