Archive for Nonprofit Consulting
The Secret
All of my clients have great ideas. It’s true, if they didn’t they wouldn’t be a client of mine. There are only so many hours in the day, so I’m picky. The other thing I love about my clients is their eagerness to learn. If a winning grant application was totally based on concept, there would be a lot more ideas funded. My clients understand all of the factors which come into play. Concept and quality of grant application are certainly huge parts of it. If you don’t have these, you have nothing. Hopefully you have a grant writer who will be honest about that. However, I can’t stress enough the need to cultivate a relationship with the grantors. Many times grant seekers will turn in an application without ever speaking to an individual at that particular foundation/agency. There will be more on this to come, but suffice to say at this point, grants are very competitive. If you are hiring a grant writer, make sure she understands it is expected that she “cultivate” a relationship. All it takes is a couple of phone calls with questions. It give you a chance to do your “30-second” elevator speech. It may well be the one little difference which makes your grant application stand out from the other 500 which will surely be coming in.
Another Rant on Boards…
Many fledgling non-profits have a few things in common. I share this with you because if your organization is in this situation this may be something for you to consider. Many new groups have small boards of directors and their first idea for funding is to get a grant. Well, there are a couple of problems with this. First, boards of directors are considered a built-in system of check and balances when it comes to grant management. I usually suggest 7-10 members with one having an accounting background. Grantors like this because it reflects 1) a group believes in your mission rather than a couple of buddies, 2) several people will look after the granting money to insure it is appropriately spent. Think about it…if you were investing a $1,000 of your own money, would you rather it be with an organized institution or in the hands of a couple of kids with a lemonade stand…regardless of how good the lemonade was? Not everyone would agree with me. I recently had a client tell me the accountant had said they only needed three because they were small. Well, that’s correct if you want to stay small, but before you go after big money I would suggest growth.
A Note on Your Board
I have been writing grants for several years and a consultant to non-profits full-time for two years now. I’ve worked with grassroots efforts and multi-million dollar organizations, and one characteristic is really standing out among those with operating budgets able to support their causes. Obviously grant writing is important; however, many people believe grants to be the first stream of revenue to the organization and this just isn’t the case. Board members are vital, especially those with the willingness to support fundraising. So many times I’ve talked with individuals who have received their 501(c)(3) based on putting together a group of friends as the first board of directors. Boards need connections and people who believe in the mission enough to put their hand out for a gift. Grants come after the organization has established themselves as responsible with donors small $10-20 dollar gifts then it’s on to the bigger money. Think about it. If you’ve got a board shy about raising money for the cause, do they really beleive in the organization enough to make it succeed. In addition, I always recommend a CPA. As the budget grows they are handy to have within a phone calls reach.
