Ask Not What the Funder Can Do for You…
In our last episode, we talked about how your nonprofit can stay relevant to funders, in the community, and as a grant writer. Today we’re going to talk about how to write stronger grant proposals and build relationships with funders by aligning the relevance of your program to their mission.
I talked about relevance in my TEDx Talk, “The Real ROI of Grant Writing.” Funders need to know they will get a Return on Impact for investing in your nonprofit. This means you need to convince the funder that your nonprofit is Relevant, Optimized, and Interacting in meaningful ways. If you haven’t already, you can watch my TEDx talk on YouTube.
How Strategic Positioning Can Help Build Your ROI
Grant writers look for grants that will help the nonprofit reach their organizational goals. Of course funders have goals too, but their goals are not necessarily related to the success of your organization.
A funder’s mission is to serve the community in a specific way. For a nonprofit, strategic positioning is about writing a grant proposal from the funder’s priorities. The funder wants to know how investing in your nonprofit will help them accomplish their goals, not yours.
To convince the funder they will get the most return on impact by investing in your nonprofit, show them how your organization is relevant to their goals. They need to see how your program will help the external community, even if it’s building your internal capacity.
You can do that by strategically positioning the grant to show how your nonprofit aligns with their goals.
5 Tips to Align Your Program with a Funder’s Goals
Oswald Chambers wrote, “Life serves back in the coin you pay.” Let’s keep that in mind in the context of our grant writing work. Look at the bigger picture, the overall context in which your organization has an impact, and consider how you are serving and giving to the community. Then write the grant from a position of service.
Five ways to show how your organization serves the funder’s mission:
- Present your value exchange as a gift
- Offer something that is meaningful to them
- Ensure your goals align
- Explain how your program will help them accomplish their goals
- Help them envision the end results
When you position a grant proposal from a position of service, then the funder can see your nonprofit as a collaboration, which increases your ROI (Return on Impact) and helps build lasting relationships.
Challenge Question:
How will you position your grant proposal from an attitude of service?
Find out about how to give nonprofits the ROI they are looking for in my TEDx Talk on YouTube and share it with your colleagues!
If you need help, book a 1:1 strategy session with me at teresahuff.com/mentor. The world needs you out there making a difference!
Connect with me over on LinkedIn or send me a message. And if you need more support, join me on the Fast Track to Grant Writer already and let’s get you moving!
Free Audit: How Grant-Ready Is Your Nonprofit?
Are you feeling overwhelmed with trying to help your nonprofit apply for grants? Go through the free audit and I’ll help you sort out the next steps for your organization.
Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Grant Writer? Take the Quiz:
If you’re ready to explore a career in grant writing, take my free quiz, “Do you have what it takes to be a grant writer?” People are always surprised at how many skills they already have. The distance isn’t as far as they thought. Let’s figure out how you can use your skills to help change your world.
If you’re ready to step up your nonprofit game in 2023, join me on the Fast Track to Grant Writer. The world needs you.
Resources Mentioned:
- Go to MyEasyGrant.com to find, cultivate, and apply to relevant foundations using Easy Grant by Sparrow Nonprofit Solutions.
- Watch and share my TEDx Talk: The Real ROI of Grant Writing