Grants Roadmap 2024:

Step One: Create Template Grants Responses

Believe it or not, most grant applications are extremely similar to one another. By creating a central resource for your grants, you can save most of the time it typically takes to write a grant. Start by drafting strategic responses to standard grants questions, including:

  • Tax ID

  • Mission Statement (1-2 sentences)

  • Organization History (4-6 sentences)

  • Primary Activities Description (8-10 sentences)

  • Primary Beneficiaries (4-6 sentences)

  • Racial and Demographic Breakdown Staff and Board

  • Primary Outcomes / Impact (6-10 sentences)

  • Measurement and Evaluation (4-6 sentences) 

  • Sustainability (4-6 sentences)

Step Two: Assemble Core Documents

Like grant questions, most requested documents are templated and are typically part of compliance requirements on the part of donors. You can save yourself head-scratching and file digging by collecting and centralizing the following:

  • Board List (Including Executive Board)

  • Annual Report or Program Brochure

  • Most Recent Audited Financials And/Or Budget 

  • Copy of Non-Discrimination Policy

  • Budgets for Common Projects for Funding (e.g., annual events)

  • Most Recent 990

  • Most Recent W9

Step Three: Save In The Cloud

Whether its you or your staff accessing this information, you want it to be a) easy to locate, b) easy to change and adjust, and c) easy to collaborate through. This makes cloud based storage systems, like Google Drive or OneDrive, vastly preferable for storage and ongoing maintenance for your centralized grants process.

Step Four: Apply For Funding!

As discussed, there is no silver bullet to fundraising - you just have to start. So, let’s flex our muscles with an easy grant application for your organization, made available by CostCo. To get started, navigate here: https://forms.benevity.org/eb5f89d4-4631-4c20-8681-0186712671a0.

To view the presentation we went through, please refer here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1znqY2_20DQFjBwLGptsTJcmlObRXgUTXGrWcG-T_uIA/edit?usp=sharing