A question most nonprofits ask frequently is: should we apply for this grant? The answer is more complex than mission alignment. When swept up in the possibility of a lucrative grant, these basic strategies are are often forgotten. Use the steps below to determine whether you should apply:
Eligibility
- Start with the obvious: review the grant guidelines, all of them! Limiting eligibility criteria can be hidden in small print, at the end of the web page, on a linked page, in the downloadable .pdf but not on the grantor’s site, etc. If confused, contact the grantor.
- Review past grantees’ projects. A promising grant can seem aligned, but knowing what projects they’ve funded can help you determine alignment more accurately. Were previous recipients funded for projects similar to yours? Does the grantor fund projects in the geographical area you propose to work in? Do funded projects have similar demographics?
Talk to an agent
If you the grantor allows, talk to one of their agents! Discuss your ideas for the grant via a video call (preferred) or a phone call. Sometimes agents can be quite candid and their responses can be key to helping you decide if the grant is worth pursuing. If they won’t provide a direct opinion, be aware of their facial and voice cues; this is less reliable but can sometimes give you clues to the ideas that are of most interest to the funder.
Return on investment (ROI) & likelihood of success
- Find out the total dollar amount that’s available to all grantees (in any round of funding) and the average amount that’s granted to recipients. This ratio will help you determine if the amount of money most likely to be granted is worth your efforts to write the grant. Usually this information isn’t available through research so you may need to message them or ask these questions in a call with the grantor.
- Another ratio that’s important to know is the number of anticipated applicants versus the likely number of successfully granted projects. This ratio is another determining factor in your likelihood of success. Also, check the number of projects granted in each of the past few years.
If most applications are successful, and the average amount granted works for you, continue investigating the opportunity. Often, this information is often available only upon request; ask early for this as soon as possible in case the grantor takes a long time to respond.
Internal capacity
- Sometimes we forget to triage our work. When your team has the time, you are able to write and apply for grants that you wouldn’t usually consider. In these times, you might consider potential grants that are less directly aligned, give lower dollar amounts, or are more competitive.
- Even when your team is very busy, sometimes we need to make the time there are grants with potentially high likelihood of success. If there is a way to get it in by the deadline, either a) find the time to apply, or b) hire a grant-writer to write it for you. I often use AI to help, but be sure to edit the results so the writing fits with your organizational culture and program language.
Summary: After considering all of this, if the potential grant still look positive, get busy and write and submit that Letter of Intent, proposal, or application!