You hear about grants and the money available and think, “We need to do that!” But is your organization ready? Answer these questions and let’s talk about how your mission can be heard.

• Is your organization a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit?
• Have you been in operation for at least two years? If not, that’s OK.
• Do you track data, donations (including in-kind) and demonstrate good stewardship of funds? How about volunteer time?

The Grant Readiness Checklist here is a guide. It does not represent an exhaustive list of what your organization needs before proceeding into the world of grants. Let it serve as a resource and inspiration. The journey of grant writing and preparedness is just as important as the final product.

Is your nonprofit reinventing the wheel each and every time a grant proposal is started? Or is this your very first attempt with grant writing? A la carte services are available, as well as creating a comprehensive grant package. These include:

• Editing and wordsmithing for style and substance
• Reviewing for alignment, including RFP requirements and required attachments
• Budget creation

This is my absolute favorite aspect of being a grant professional. I call this “hunting for funds.”

Too often, organizations see the PRIZE of large sums of money and believe grant writing is a form of the lottery. There is significant time dedicated to identifying funders who share the same mission and vision. Grant writing is a long game. Here is a partial list of funders, and awards achieved since I began this encore career as a grant professional.

The right type of funder is out there, but have you introduced your organization to them? Relying on the approach of applying to as many grants as possible and seeing if any of them stick – just like throwing pasta on the wall – is the wrong strategy. Spray and pray is another description of this unrealistic practice.

Funders are not ATMs. Grant monies are sacred and should be measured throughout the funded project’s timeline. It is an example of good stewardship and financial trust to report back to the grantor timely and with accuracy.

Reporting to a funder should not be a surprise or a last minute 911 task for a staff member or volunteer to scramble and locate data or expenditures for the grant’s project period. Organizing a grant calendar with target deadlines is a simple strategy to ensure these critical deadlines are kept. It’s OK to use a simple spreadsheet to get started. Don’t fall victim to purchasing expensive CRM programs without knowing exactly what your organization will really need.