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I believe that every nonprofit can raise all the money required to provide its services to the community.

All it takes is the right mix of passion, mission, leadership, and fundraising know-how.

Latest Blog Posts

Ideas for newsletter content that donors will love

Let’s face it: most nonprofit newsletters are boring.  They’re full of jargon and insider news that leave donors feeling less than connected.  To make your donors read your newsletter from start to finish, it must include info that donors find interesting. Put yourself in your donor’s shoes:  what would they care about?  What would make them take time from their busy life to pay attention to what you’ve put in print?  Here are some ideas for things you can write about that will keep your donors engaged. Client story. Tell a story about someone whose life has been changed by your organization.  Keep it short and focused on the person – not your organization.  Use a good photo or two and your donor won’t be able to stop reading. A Day in the Life. Share what a typical day looks like for one of your clients. This will help donors better understand the work you are doing and help them identify with the people you are serving. Common myths. What are the common myths about your cause?  Dispell them by stating them and then giving the real information. Testimonials. Let others do the talking for you.  Share a brief testimonial from a client, a donor, a volunteer, or a local celebrity about your organization. Statistics. Share a couple of shocking statistics about your cause or the work your organization is doing.  Don’t go overboard here – one or two good facts with a tidbit of supporting info is all you need. What have you included in your newsletter that got people talking?  Share with us so we can all benefit. //  Read More →

Mind gone blank? 12 ideas to get you thinking about blog content

Have you started a blog for your nonprofit organization and then got stuck trying to come up with content?  If you don’t consider yourself a writer, it can be daunting to pull something together a couple of times a week.  Here are some ideas for content: Tell stories about people you are helping.  A story ALWAYS works!  Remember to keep it short and compelling. Re-use stories from your print newsletter.  Don’t worry – people won’t remember them. Re-purpose information from email blasts. Listen to what front-line staff are talking about and write about that. Invite guest bloggers in – clients, staff, Board, volunteers, and donors.  Be specific with them when you ask.  Ask them to write a short paragraph or two of 250 words MAX. Ask questions in blog posts and invite readers to comment. Post summaries of events or activities with photos. Summarize press releases or link to current news stories. Report back from an event or conference. Highlight the expertise of staff or volunteers Tell about the work of volunteers, the impact they’re having or the number of hours of time that have been donated. Share a couple of pertinent statistics of your work (for example “our animal shelter saw a 10% increase in adoptions this month”). Once you get in the habit of writing these short blog posts, it will become easier and you’ll get ideas for content in lots of places.  I have several clients who are telling part of a story in their print newsletter, then telling the rest of the story on their blog along with photos or video.  It’s a great way to encourage people to visit and read the blog. //  Read More →

Notes from a Board retreat

I had the pleasure of spending time with the Board and staff of Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity in Prescott, Arizona last weekend.  Habitat is one of my favorite organizations and this group is full of heart and passion for the people they serve. Here are a few highlights from the information I shared with them. Passion is key. A nonprofit will best be able to serve people and fulfill its mission when the Board, staff, and volunteers are all passionate about the cause.  Our first activity of the day helped reconnect everyone with their love for the organization. Mission takes money. In order to fulfill your mission, you must have money.  Unfortunately, many Board members are intimidated or downright scared to get involved in fundraising.  When Board members understand that there are lots of ways they can participate in fundraising without actually asking someone for a gift, they start to relax.  Once they understand how fundraising works, they can find a spot where they feel comfortable participating. When we got to this activity on Saturday and every Board member identified and committed to their comfort zone, I was so happy for the organization I could have popped!  Some wanted to help solicit, others wanted to help thank donors, others wanted to help build relationships.  It was awesome! People give for a variety of reasons. Part of my Fundraising 101 for Board members helps them understand the myriad of reasons why people give.  We dispelled the myth that people give for the tax benefit alone. And the main theme for the day:  Good fundraising is based on relationships. Our donors are our partners in serving people.  The better we engage them, the more we develop relationships, which builds loyalty and keeps them involved for the long haul. Thanks to Christine Wallace, Development Director for inviting me to spend time with Prescott Area Habitat! //  Read More →

Who do you listen to?

When you need an answer to a fundraising question, who do you ask?  Whose advice do you take? Whether you’re looking for a coach, a consultant, or just signing up for an electronic newsletter, it can be tough to choose the right person. Hundreds of people are out there giving advice and sharing their knowledge.  How do you decide who to listen to? Here are some tips for finding the best source of help for you and your nonprofit organization. 1. Find someone you can follow who has experience in the size or the kind of organization you are working with.  They’ll have the “been there, done that” information you need. 2. Find someone who clicks with you.  Listen to your gut when you’re choosing a fundraising advisor.  We all run across people from time to time who we really like and can hear what they’re telling us. 3. Find someone who is going to be around for the long haul.  Stay away from anyone who appears “fly by night” and might be here today, but close up shop next month. What else?  I’d love to hear from you how you choose the people you follow. //  Read More →

Win, Lose, or Just a waste of time?

There have been a LOT of nonprofit contests going on lately.  Seems like everyday I get asked online to “vote” for some organization in one contest or another. But are these contests worth it? My colleague Sherry Truhlar at Red Apple Auctions recently addressed this trend on her blog. Sherry points out that small nonprofit organizations can easily waste a LOT of time promoting their participation in one of these contests.  And with limited resources (like time), they may be better off promoting something that’s a sure thing, like a fundraising campaign or an auction event. I totally agree with Sherry.  It’s easy to get lured by the prospect of winning $10,000 just by having the most votes.  But these votes aren’t always easy to get, plus you’re competing with thousands of other nonprofits.  I’ve even heard a few nonprofits complaining that some contests aren’t set up very fairly. I encourage you to think very carefully before you decide to participate in one of these.  Make sure it’s worth your time before you jump in. And remember that these contests are sponsored by businesses that are getting a lot of promotional value from it.   Read Sherry’s entire post at http://www.redappleauctions.com/marketing/benefit-auctions-versus-online-non-profit-contests-wheres-the-big-payoff/ //  Read More →

What legacy will you leave?

I had a few minutes between appointments yesterday and got to stop in one of my favorite thrift stores. It’s one of the stores operated by Knox Area Rescue Ministries and it’s a really nice store.  Every time I go in there, I have to smile.  That store is there in part because of me. More than 10 years ago, I took my first job in Development at the Rescue Ministries.  My job consisted of managing special events (don’t we ALL do that at first?), coordinating volunteers, and overseeing the thrift store.  At that time, there was one location for the store and it wasn’t doing well.  It had been operating in the red for sometime and the President of the organization was ready to close it.  But I wanted a shot at turning it around. I didn’t have any experience in thrift stores, but I had worked in retail before. So I took a look around and started making changes. I fired the store manager and hired someone with a lot of passion for the organization’s mission.  I made a few common sense changes in the store like applying a fresh coat of paint, expanding the hours, and increasing the prices of a few items (like charging $2 for a shirt instead of $1).  And within 2 months, we were turning a nice profit.  In month 3, we netted $10,000.  It was awesome!  The Board Chair sent me a nice cookie bouquet!  Later that year, I wrote a business plan to further expand the store, opening multiple locations in the community. Today, there are several locations throughout the city.  And I smile when I pass one. I know I helped create something wonderful that has lasted long after I left my job there.  Of course, the store has gone through some ups and downs since then, but had I not been there and gotten things going, the store would have been closed in 1998.  Today, the thrift stores provide jobs to people in the community and a source of revenue for the Rescue Ministries. So, what legacy will you leave behind?  No matter what job you do, you have the ability to leave something wonderful when you leave.  I invite you to think carefully about what that will be and see what you can do to make it happen. //  Read More →

As refreshing as rain

It’s been amazingly dry here lately.  Our pastures have become brown and crunchy. Then yesterday, for the first time in weeks, we had a long, steady rain.  And again today, it rained.  It was so refreshing! I started thinking about how sometimes working in fundraising can be like that. We can have long dry spells, where we’re working as hard as we can, trying everything we can think of, but nothing seems to be happening.  When small nonprofit organizations go for long periods of time without income, in can become very stressful. If you happen to experience these times (and I hope you don’t!), be sure to engage in activities that refresh you.  Make sure to schedule yourself some personal time for fun and rejuvenation.  Get a massage or go for a walk.  Do something you enjoy.  It will help you tremendously when it’s time to face the fundraising tasks again. Personally, I love anything outside – weeding the garden, repairing a fence, or scratching a horse’s itchy neck.  There’s something about being outside in nature that feeds me. I’d love to hear what you do that refreshes you.  Click on the comment link and share. //  Read More →

What every nonprofit should know about marketing

I interviewed Kivi Leroux Miller today about her new book “The Nonprofit Marketing Guide.”  There were several nuggets of wisdom that popped out of our conversation, and I thought I’d share them with you. Tell stories.  Learn how to tell a story about a person your organization has helped.  A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  The story should be about the person, not about your organization. Lose the jargon.  Keep all your communications simple and easy to understand.  Your donors don’t know your industry slang and acronyms. There’s no such thing as the general public when it comes to marketing.  The general public includes everyone.  But you don’t need to reach everyone.  You only need to reach those people who are likely to support you. You must identify the specific groups of supporters who are out there, and craft your message to them. Be clear about your message.  Don’t try to cram too much into it.  And include a call to action. When deciding how best to reach your audience, first consider their preferences.  If most of them are hanging out online, then you might be able to completely ditch your print newsletter.  If not, then don’t try to force them online, because it won’t work. I encourage you to get a copy of “The Nonprofit Marketing Guide.”  It’s easy to read (my copy is already marked up, tagged, and dog-eared!) and is full of practical ideas you can implement right away.  Get yours at Amazon. //  Read More →

What you can count on (or not) from your Board

Today’s post is from my friend Gail Perry, who is an expert in nonprofit fundraising and Boards.  Visit Gail’s website at www.gailperry.com. Whenever I bring up the subject of boards, so many fundraisers roll their eyes. Why are our boards such a huge pain point and what can we do about it? I say we have to face reality about some sensitive topics: people, motivation, volunteers and commitment rather than chasing after some myth of the ideal board. Let’s be realistic and see what we really can expect from our board – particularly in the area of fundraising. Let’s remember that most board members are afraid of fundraising because they are embarrassed and fear rejection.  And they generally are not sure what your expectations are of them. Get your expectations in the right order and you’ll have a happy relationship – and a productive one – with your board. Here’s what you can count on – and what you can’t  – with your board members. WHAT YOU CAN COUNT ON 1.  Most board members really do want to help. They just don’t know how. It’s really up to you to make it easy for them. You’ll need to motivate, guide and support them. If you do make this investment of your time and energy, then you’ll have a gold mine of great board members on your hands. 2.  Most board members are open to and even enjoy education. They don’t like “training” but they do like “education.” June Bradham, author of “What Nonprofit Boards Want” says that the word “training” makes them feel like seals. Most board members are eager to do a good job and want to know what their job is. The clearer your job expectations are for board members, the more you’ll get out of your board. 3. Most board members are capable of being terrific friendmakers if they know the right thing to say and they are pumped up.  But you need to teach them what friendmaking is all about or they may go in the wrong direction. 4. Most board members are happy to help thank donors. In fact, they love it!  And you can increase donors’ future gifts if your board members make thank you calls quickly to donors. 5. Most board members can be terrific “sneezers” spreading the viral message around your community. Just make sure they can practice what do say in a comfortable, natural fashion. HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN’T COUNT ON 1.  You can’t expect them to be good at soliciting. That’s a special skill and personality type. Frankly I don’t even want all my board members out there soliciting because some of them would not be very good at it. Treasure the board members who are good at soliciting and find other productive jobs for those who are better at other things. 2.  You can’t expect them to show up at every event. You need to tell them what your priorities are – what’s essential and what’s optional.  Then, when they have a clear idea of what you need from them, they can give it to you. 3.  You can’t expect them to know exactly what to say. You might think they know the mission, vision and case for support, but they need practice, practice, practice putting it into their own words. 4.  You can’t expect them to maintain their passion on their own. It’s your job to keep them pumped up and excited about the cause. If you do, you’ll have an enthusiastic, fired-up team helping you spread the word and make connections! 5.   You can’t expect them to keep coming to boring meetings. Busy people will flee if they feel their time is not well used. If you liven up your meetings, then you’ll also liven up your board! So set your own expectations correctly,  provide the leadership and support your board needs, and you’ll be rewarded with a high-performing team! //  Read More →

Enter the 2010 Tagline Awards!

My friend Nancy Schwartz is hosting her annual Tagline Awards.  Here’s the scoop: Your nonprofit or foundation could be one of this year’s Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award (a.k.a. The Taggies) winners!  And this year, for the first time, you can submit your organization’s program, fundraising campaign and special event taglines, in addition to your organizational tagline. So enter here now. A strong tagline does double-duty—working to extend your organization’s name and mission, while delivering a focused, memorable and repeatable message to your base. It’s one of your most basic, and effective, marketing tools, but a recent GettingAttention.org survey showed that 72% of nonprofit organizations don’t have a tagline or rate theirs as performing poorly.  This program is designed to help close that gap. All entrants will receive a free copy of the fully-updated 2010 Nonprofit Tagline Report in late 2010. It’s the only complete guide to building your organizational, program, fundraising or special event brand in 8 words or less—filled with how-tos, don’t-dos and models. Please take 3 minutes now to enter your nonprofit’s taglines today while it’s on your mind. The deadline for entering is July 28. //  Read More →

Steward those gifts!

Too often, nonprofits get the gift and then move on, forgetting the most important parts of fundraising. Acknowledgement and stewardship are crucial for building relationships with donors. Acknowledgement you probably understand.  It’s about thanking donors and recognizing them for their support.  But what is stewardship? First, here are some definitions of a steward: —An administrator for the property of others — A person put in charge of the affairs of others —A person morally responsible for the careful use of money, time, talents or other resources of a community or group Stewardship is important because it builds trust.  When your donors know that you are using their gift wisely, they’ll be more likely to want to give again. And when you get a reputation for using donations wisely, you’ll attract more donors. As I see it, there are two key pieces to effective stewardship:  1, you have to do it and 2, you have to communicate it to your donors. The first piece is simple – make sure that the donor’s money is spent appropriately and wisely.  Make sure their gift is set to work as it was intended when it was given.  The second piece requires you to let your donors know that their gift was used wisely and had the desired impact. How do you do that?  A simple update email or letter can accomplish it, or you can include something in a print or email newsletter.  The important thing is that you are letting your donors know how their gift is being used and you’re connecting with them.  You’re respecting your donors and pulling them closer to your organization. Your donors are not ATM machines.  They want to be a part of the work your organization is doing.  So, treat them as partners.  Be a good steward of their gifts and build relationships with your donors.  You’ll be glad you did! //  Read More →

Happy New (fiscal) year!

For many nonprofits, July 1 marks the start of a new fiscal year.  It’s a chance to start over.  I’m guessing for many, this past fiscal year is one we’d like to forget! As you think about starting fresh, I encourage you to really grab ahold of that idea.  Let your negative thoughts and feelings from last year go.  Let go of the disappointment you felt if you didn’t meet your fundraising goals.  Let go of blaming the economy.  Let it all go. And start the new year with a fresh outlook.  It’s a new day.  Things are improving all the time.  You’ll have a better chance of being successful if you can be positive about the work you are doing. Step back and have a close look at what you did that worked for you last year and what didn’t.  What do you need to work at doing better this coming year?  What would you like to nail by December 31?  The more clear you can be about what you want to do, the more likely you’ll be able to be successful. If you need a little help fundraising this year, check out my books “Simple Success Fundraising Plan” and “Fundraising Buffet.”  Both are on sale this weekend!  You can find them at www.getfullyfunded.com/independence-day-sale. //  Read More →

Who is a nonprofit major gift prospect?

Thanks to my guest Hank Lewis for today’s post. I think you’ll like it. Who Is A Major Gift Prospect ?? By Hank Lewis, MA CFRM When the question of major gift fundraising first arises, many unsophisticated board members, volunteers and staff immediately begin talking about the “rich and famous” — with Bill Gates being the name at the top of almost everyone’s list. The wrong assumption that many people make — and one that can become a major time waster — is that an organization’s prospect list should contain the names of every conceivable wealthy person. Indeed, yes, the first steps of a major gifts effort should include the generation of a list of wealthy individuals. But the distinction is whether they are likely to become “prospects.” Major Gift Prospects are people who: Have wealth, and may derive satisfaction from using that wealth to advance the causes in which they believe; Are accessible to you and/or (even better) to current major donors to your organization; Have a need that will be satisfied by making a significant gift to your organization; Ideally, but not necessarily, Major Gift Prospects are also: Aware of the effectiveness of your programs and the business-like manner in which you operate; Passionate about wanting to see your mission achieved; and, Involved with your organization and/or its programs, and demonstrate a commitment to the success of your mission. You can have a long list of wealthy people, but unless they meet the criteria, they’re not “Prospects.” They’re people you’d like to think of as likely donors, but you have no evidence to support that wishful thinking. Bottom line is, for people to be Major Donor Prospects; you must have enough of a relationship with them to satisfy the above qualifiers, and to know them well enough to recognize/identify their needs. Major gift fundraising is more about the needs of the donor, than about the needs of the organization. Have a question about starting or expanding your fundraising program? Email Hank at AskHank@Major-Capital-Giving.com. With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, I’ll do my best to answer your question. //  Read More →

Speed up your Board meetings and get to the juicy stuff!

One of the most common complaints I hear about nonprofit Board meetings is that they are long, dull, and boring.  I’ll have to agree.  I’ve sat through a few that were mind-numbing.  Meetings like this will run off good Board members in a flash. So how do you change it? First, use a consent agenda.  This is a way of structuring your meeting so that you can handle the routine things quickly.  For example, on your consent agenda, include things like minutes, finance report, committee reports, and Executive Director reports.  All these things must be in writing and should be sent to Board members several days before the meeting.  It is each Board member’s responsibility to read the items before the meeting.  At the meeting, all these items are voted on at once.  If anyone wants to discuss a particular item, that item is pulled off the consent agenda and placed on the table for discussion.  Otherwise, there’s only one motion to approve (instead of individual motions for each item) and one vote.  This can save you tons of time! The rest of your Board meeting should include 1. Items needing conversation among Board leaders, Board members, and staff 2. Items needing a decision or a vote 3. Big-picture thinking and planning If you can stay focused on those things that matter to Board members (like big-picture thinking) and make sure each Board member is involved in the conversation, you’ll have a much more satisfying experience at your Board meetings. //  Read More →

Telling a story without pictures

I heard a wonderful presentation recently about storytelling.  It’s entirely possible to tell a very compelling story without using pictures.  Instead, you paint a picture with the words you use. To see what I mean, check out The Girl Effect.  www.girleffect.org. Then think about what you see in your mind’s eye as you watched the video. Cool, huh? What stories can you tell about the work your nonprofit does that will paint such a vivid picture in your reader’s mind’s eye? //  Read More →

Donor relationships are like gardens…

This was the topic of one of my presentations at the AFP Northern Arizona Education Day last week.  Here are some key points from this session: Donor relationships are like gardens.  They bear the most fruit when they are properly tended to.  Keep them weeded, watered, and fertilized, and you’ll be delighted with the results. 1. Good donor relationships are the key to successful fundraising. Relationships build loyalty.  Loyal donors give again and again, keeping you from always searching for new donors. 2. Two-way communication is critical to building relationships.  We can’t just speak AT our donors.  We must speak WITH them.  Always be on the lookout for ways to give your donors to communicate with you. 3. Good donor relationships are built on purpose.  We’re so used to relationships growing naturally that it feels a bit uncomfortable to do it on purpose.  But it’s really no different.  Be truly interested in your donor as a person and you can avoid feeling manipulative. Thanks to the AFP Northern Arizona Chapter for inviting me to spend the day with them!  It was great fun!  See the pictures at the chapter’s Facebook page. //  Read More →

The 7 Deadly Sins of Organizational Leadership Communication

Today’s post comes from Skip Weisman of Weisman Success Resources, Inc.   Skip helps business leaders create “Champion Organizations” with improved personnel, productivity and profits. During a lunch meeting with a new client I learned he was becoming increasingly frustrated with senior team members and frontline employees who: Were not taking responsibility for their jobs Needed constant prodding to get things done Were not responsive to client requests and phone messages Were throwing their fellow employees “under the bus” Were having shouting matches in the office Procrastinated on business opportunities Were showing up late or leaving early with no explanation Had negative attitudes Were not producing results My project began searching for the underlying cause of these issues through interviews, focus groups and observation. Through this research it was learned that my client was violating virtually every leadership communication mistake. To simplify the project I categorized them into “The 7 Deadly Sins of Organizational Leadership Communication.” These behaviors had caused significant damage to my client’s business, estimated at about $5 million over 10 years: Communication Sin #1: Lack of Specificity This causes people to mind-read or guess as to what is being requested. Details are left out or are ambiguous. The recipient fails to ask for more specifics and has to figure it out on their own. Communication Sin #2: Lack of Focus on Desirable Behaviors People are great at saying what they don’t want or don’t want others to do, but have trouble identifying the preferred desirable behaviors. Where your focus goes, grows, so people are getting more of what they don’t want because they continue to focus on it. Communication Sin #3: Lack of Directness This is where people gossip behind the backs of co-workers, peers, bosses and subordinates. Another example is the leader who calls a team meeting and offers a blanket directive to fix a problem better addressed to one offending individual. A third is when an employee tells a manager the mistakes of co-worker hoping to make themselves look good. Communication Sin #4: Lack of Immediacy This is procrastination. This is when communication is avoided because the conversations are difficult and leaders don’t know how to approach the offending party, so they tolerate poor behavior. Communication Sin #5: Lack of Appropriate Tone Ever had someone in a professional setting raise his or her voice at you in a condescending or threatening manner? How about responding in a sarcastic manner? These are just two ways inappropriate tone ruins company cultures. Communication Sin #6: Lack of Focused Attention In this day of technology and multi-tasking too many office conversations occur passing in the hallway, while one person is checking/responding to e-mails, or talking while on hold. Communication Sin #7: Lack of Respectful Rebuttals This may be the most common, yet subconscious of all leadership communication sins. It’s the conversations when someone agrees or provides positive feedback in the first part of their sentence, only to be followed by “but.” After the “but” comes the other shoe and you end up feeling misled and unfulfilled. These seven leadership communication habits cause significant damage to an organization’s culture, including low employee morale, motivation and productivity. Long-term toleration of these communication styles creates a low-trust, highly toxic work environment. The best organizations develop an environment where leaders and their teams agree to communicate at a high level and hold each other accountable to overcoming these communication challenges. To learn how to fix organizational leadership communication problems like these download a free white paper at www.HowToImproveOrganizationalCommunication.com. Skip Weisman of Weisman Success Resources, Inc. of Poughkeepsie, NY helps business leaders create “Champion Organizations” with improved personnel, productivity and profits. He can be reached at 845-463-3838.  His latest White Paper is “The 7 Deadly Sins of Organizational Leadership Communication” available free at www.HowToImproveOrganizationalCommunication.com. //  Read More →

Private, Corporate, or Government Grants?

When it comes to grantwriting, it can be confusing to decide which kinds of grants to go after.  Here’s a quick-and-dirty explanation of private, corporate, and government grants. Typically, I like to go after private foundation grant opportunities first.  They tend to be the easiest to apply for and the easiest to follow up on.  If I can find someone on my organization’s Board who knows someone on the foundation Board, it helps so much to make that connection.  I’ve had great success in building relationships with private foundations that lasted for years and resulted in thousands of dollars for my organizations. Next I go after corporate foundations.  These tend to give money to organizations with missions that are aligned with their business purpose.  These can fluctuate with the economy, but are still a great source of funding. Government grants tend to be much larger, but have more strings attached.  The applications are usually much more complicated and involve lots more work, but the payoff is really worth it. Next week, I’ll be starting a 3-part webinar series called “Secrets to Winning Grants” where I’ll be going into a lot of detail about how to research grant opportunities and how to put a winning proposal together.  Get 3 one-hour webinars plus the workbook for $197.  Learn more or sign up at www.getfullyfunded.com/grantwriting-secrets. //  Read More →

Top 4 nonprofit grantwriting mistakes

Writing grants is one of the most popular fundraising techniques for nonprofit organizations. With hundreds of foundations out there offering millions of dollars to fund a variety of programs, it’s easy to understand why Fundraising staff and volunteers want to write proposals to seek funding. Unfortunately, there are lots of ways to make mistakes and lessen your chances of receiving a grant.  Here are the top four mistakes commonly made by grant writers. Not having a ‘hand-in-glove’ fit. Before you even begin to write, make sure your funding request will be a good fit for the foundation.  Each foundation has its own areas of interest, and you want to be sure that your proposal will be accepted.  Otherwise, it’s a waste of time. So take the time to thoroughly research a foundation before you submit a proposal.  Call and talk to the Administrator before you submit a proposal to find out if your project or program is a fit.  It will save you time and effort, and increase your overall success rate in securing grant funds. Not following directions. Follow a foundation’s request submission instructions!  If the foundation requests that you submit your request in a particular format, then do it.  This is not the time to get creative.  Some foundations use this as a criteria to eliminate proposals and you don’t want to lose your chance at getting funded simply because you ignored their directions. Not writing clearly. Compose your grant proposal carefully.  Be clear and concise – don’t ramble.  Don’t use jargon or words that grant reviewers won’t understand.  Spell out acronyms. Don’t be vague about the objectives of your program or project.  One good way to check your writing is to ask someone who is unfamiliar with your organization to review your proposal for you before you submit it.  They can usually give you some good feedback on how understandable your writing is. Problems with budget numbers. Make sure the numbers in your budget make sense and that they are consistent with your narrative.  Double-check your math and be certain that the totals are accurate. Want more help with your grantwriting?  Check out my “Secrets to Winning Grants” webinar series.  It’s actually part of my Fundraising Makeover program and starts next week.  Learn more or register at www.getfullyfunded.com/grantwriting-secrets. Writing grants is one of the most popular fundraising techniques for nonprofit organizations. With hundreds of foundations out there offering millions of dollars to fund a variety of programs, it’s easy to understand why Fundraising staff and volunteers want to write proposals to seek funding. Unfortunately, there are lots of ways to make mistakes and lessen your chances of receiving a grant. Here are the top four mistakes commonly made by grant writers. 1. Not having a ‘hand-in-glove’ fit. Before you even begin to write, make sure your funding request will be a good fit for the foundation. Each foundation has its own areas of interest, and you want to be sure that your proposal will be accepted. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time. So take the time to thoroughly research a foundation before you submit a proposal. Call and talk to the Administrator before you submit a proposal to find out if your project or program is a fit. It will save you time and effort, and increase your overall success rate in securing grant funds. 2. Not following directions. Follow a foundation’s request submission instructions! If the foundation requests that you submit your request in a particular format, then do it. This is not the time to get creative. Some foundations use this as a criteria to eliminate proposals and you don’t want to lose your chance at getting funded simply because you ignored their directions. 3. Not writing clearly. Compose your grant proposal carefully. Be clear and concise – don’t ramble. Don’t use jargon or words that grant reviewers won’t understand. Spell out acronyms. Don’t be vague about the objectives of your program or project. One good way to check your writing is to ask someone who is unfamiliar with your organization to review your proposal for you before you submit it. They can usually give you some good feedback on how understandable your writing is. 4. Problems with budget numbers. Make sure the numbers in your budget make sense and that they are consistent with your narrative. Double-check your math and be certain that the totals are accurate. //  Read More →

Unlock Your Grant Writing Talent

Today’s blog post is provided by my dear friend and grant writer extraordinaire, Charlaine Hood. The biggest tip about writing a grant is to get over your fear: of failure, of not getting it right, of not including enough…what ever your mind is telling you to hold you back from ever trying to write that B-I-G grant.   However, the focus of this article isn’t about fear holding you back.  It’s about what could possibly be created if you unlocked your potential in spite of the fear. Sandy has said many times:  ‘Reach into your heart and unlock your passion around fundraising.’  This is great advice for writing grants.  Close your eyes, (Yes, right now.) and think about what it is that you LOVE about your organization.  What just grounds you down to your toes in the work you do each day?  Now hold that image, breathe it in, experience it and let your potential flow. From here, what would you write?  How would you speak about your clients, staff, organization, national focus and mission?  From this space of OMG I LOVE WHAT WE DO, take a sheet of paper and write: Funding my project is important because: We will accomplish ___ with the funds so generously given. _#_ lives will be changed in ______ ways. Evidence to support this is ____ (any empirical + all the years of success from past projects as well as lessons learned). KEEP THIS TEMPLATE! Revise it, reuse it, replace components as your organization grows.  Stay away from the ‘I don’t know how’ mentality and go for writing at least one grant in this manner. The grant request usually makes this even easier by specifying either a page or ½ a page for just this content.  And if it doesn’t, always remember that there is a committee who will be reviewing the grant requests.  Be sharp, focused and direct in what you are requesting and what your organization will be giving for those funds. Using just this method over the last few years, I have written and received over 1.3 million dollars in grants.  Let your love of your organization inform what you do. Charlaine Hood, LMSW is the owner of Vibrantly Alive Consulting & Nonprofit Mentoring.  She works with small to medium sized nonprofits to create strategic solutions for nonprofit issues.  She gained practical experience the last four years as a management executive at a large, faith based nonprofit managing a multi-million dollar budget with diverse programs around the East Tennessee region.  Visit her website:  www.charlainehood.com for more information of what she has to offer your organization. //  Read More →