Why you should commit to a sustained grantwriting effort

Persistence is key when it comes to pursuing grant funding for your organization. Grant writer Stephanie Mathers encourages organizations to commit to a sustained grant writing effort of 12 to 18 months and finds that when they do, their rate of success increases. This recommendation is supported by the 2024 State of Grantseeking Report, which found that 38% of organizations that applied for only one grant received no funding. But for organizations that submitted three to five applications, the percentage that received an award jumped to 88%.  And those that submitted 11 or more applications had a 97-100% chance of receiving at least one award. 

Here are Stephanie’s tips to help you commit to a sustained grant writing effort:

Get grant-ready

Before you start actively applying to grants as part of your sustained grant writing effort, you’ll need time to prepare. That process can take anywhere from a few months to a year, during which you’ll need to do the following:

• Collect documents that you’ll need for applications such as PDFs of recent 990s, profit and loss statements, and your organization’s policies and procedures. Keep these in a folder that is accessible to everyone at your organization who will be involved in your grant efforts.
• Get clear on your organization’s core programs. What essential programs do you need to fund? Identify short-term needs for the next six months to a year, as well as longer term needs over the next one to two years. With your priorities clearly defined, you’ll be able to prioritize mission-aligned opportunities and avoid the temptation to pursue any funding opportunity that may cause mission drift. 
• Shift into the right mindset. Once you’re grant-ready, you’ll need to mentally commit to 12 to 18 months of a sustained grant writing effort. In Stephanie’s experience, it’s common to get cranky or frustrated at about 9 months in. But it’s important to be persistent—stick with it for a full 12 to 18 months in order to see results and be able to evaluate your efforts.

Balance the head and the heart in your applications

When you start working on letters of inquiry and grant applications, Stephanie recommends that you represent both the head and the heart of your organization. The head refers to clear data and financials, which demonstrate to the funder what they will help accomplish by supporting your organization. The heart brings in stories and can include quotes or testimonials. Stephanie has also seen great success when organizations incorporate photos into letters of inquiry to convey the heart of their organization. And, she emphasizes how important it is that the person writing the grant recognize whether they’re more adept at bringing the head or the heart to an application, and to seek input from a colleague who may be able to strengthen the other.

Avoid common mistakes and set yourself up for success

In Stephanie’s work, she’s identified a few common mistakes that can hinder an organization’s grant writing efforts. Here are mistakes to avoid:

• Viewing grants as a magic wand that will solve all problems. 
• Giving up after receiving one rejection.
• Skipping the phase of getting grant-ready.
• Not being discerning about which grants you apply for.

With those common mistakes identified, you can instead follow Stephanie’s tips for success:

• Start with smaller grants, in the range of 2K or under. Many larger organizations don’t apply for these, so the applicant pool may be smaller. 
• Apply for grants that are a really good, close fit to your organization’s existing needs. 
• Build your history and track record with foundations. Look for opportunities to connect, whether it’s attending an information session, calling to confirm receipt of an application, or inquiring about a potential fit. Personally reach out to invite them to an event or tour to see your programs in action. Here again, Stephanie stresses the importance of persistence. It may take months or even years for a funder to accept an invitation, but Stephanie has found that these interactions can yield strong results for an organization.  

Conclusion

Securing grant funding for your organization requires preparation and persistence. By getting grant-ready and committing to a sustained grant-writing effort, you can increase your organization’s rate of success. 

About Stephanie

Stephanie Mathers is the founder and CEO of Grants 4 Animals LLC. She is on a mission to help as many animals as possible by supporting nonprofits working in the animal welfare space. Prior to starting Grants 4 Animals, Stephanie spent 20 years in education as an English teacher, junior high principal, and compliance director (which involved writing grants and policies). When she is not writing grants, she is catching waves or snowboarding, depending on the season.