Grant Funding 101: How To Write Applications Like A Professional.
Opening a grant portal for the first time can be incredibly daunting. You’re faced with a wall of questions, some quite obscure, and upload buttons for seemingly endless documents. Read on to learn about the process, and get our tips on how to write a grant application like a professional.
What sorts of questions will they ask?
Before you begin to answer the questions, make sure you have all available information about your project and organisation in front of you. You will need to provide at least two contacts for your application. Usually the key contact is your funding specialist or the person in charge of funding at your organisation, and the secondary contact is your board chair or CEO.
The questions tend to start simple; getting you to describe your project, start and end dates, and when you need the funding by.
Funders then typically ask for specific numbers; such as how many females, males, and diverse individuals your project will impact, and of what age ranges and ethnicities. This is also where funders will ask for the amount of money you are applying for, the total cost of your project, and how you will raise any shortfall.
After this, questions can become more complex depending on the funding organisation. Some will require that you discuss your organisation’s carbon offset and environmental plans, how your organisation meets industry best practices, and cultural competencies. Others may skip these questions and go straight into requiring documentation to support the written side of your application.
What documents will I need?
Documentation requirements also tend to start off simple. Most funding organisations will ask for your organisation's deposit slip, Charities Commission certificate, and Incorporation Certificate first. After this, they will require your audited financial statement, a resolution, and often a project cover letter. The resolution is a short statement on your organisation's letterhead that is dated, signed, and confirms that the board has agreed to apply to this funder for the amount stated at an in person or electronic meeting. The cover letter should briefly outline what your organisation does, before giving a short statement on the funding you are applying for and how your project directly benefits the community. It should also be on your organisation's letterhead, dated, and signed.
Depending on what you are applying for, more specific documents may be required. If you are applying for a specific cost, you will be asked to upload a preferred and competitive quote, if you are applying for a salary, you will be asked to provide a job description and contract.
Some funders may also require a cost breakdown, minutes, trust deeds or a constitution, or a signed declaration stating that you understand their terms and conditions of funding. Make sure that you carefully read through all of the possible attachments and attach what seems relevant to your project. Funders will let you know if you have not attached something that they require, so keep an eye out for any correspondence after you submit.
Our top tips for grant fundraising:
Get started early. Some funders have yearly deadlines, but more frequently they are monthly deadlines. Make sure you look up the application closing date for the next round of funding, and prepare your application well in advance of this date. These are usually clearly displayed on the funding organisation's website. Be careful not to confuse the application closure date with the meeting date, as this will mean your application is delayed until the next board meeting.
Compile your documents in advance. One of the most time consuming elements of an application is getting all of the documents together. Take a look at the required documents for that funder by reading through the application before you fill it out. If you can't see the documents required ahead of time, make sure you have the documents stated above ready to be attached.
Check the funder’s priorities. Each funding organisation has different priorities. This may mean that they only operate in certain regions, fund certain expenses, or give to certain types of causes. Make sure you are applying to funders whose priorities line up with what you are asking for. If you do not meet their priorities, your application will be declined.
Speak to your impact, not the cost or technicalities. Make sure that you are highlighting the good that your organisation will do in the community with this funding. Speak about your projects in detail and how they will benefit specific groups of people. Use statistics and numbers if you have them available, as this gives concrete evidence of your community impact. Funders are more likely to see you as a good investment if you can prove that you have the community at the forefront of what you do, not just keeping your organisation afloat.
Keep it relevant. Answer each question succinctly and clearly. Keeping it relevant is also particularly important when it comes to regional funding. Discuss what your organisation does in that specific region and mention it by name where you can. This mitigates the risk of being declined for not meeting the funders regional requirements.
Writing grant applications is a key skill to have in the not-for-profit space. They are one of the best ways to obtain reliable funding, so it's imperative that someone on your team can write one well, or that you outsource to a funding specialist. If after reading this you're still feeling overwhelmed, feel free to contact us to have a chat about how we can help.
