5 ways to better secure grants for non-profit organisations

Non-profit organisations can help people by securing grants. After all, to help people, these organisations need funds. The more money a non-profit organisation – whether a charity, school, museum or church – can secure, the greater its chances of achieving its mission.

However, grants are awarded based on merit, not on need. It is important to highlight in a grant application what a community needs, where the money is going, and the difference it will make. Grant-making trusts and foundations tend to give more money to non-profit organisations that will immediately and effectively help the community or spread awareness of an issue of local or national significance. But as a struggling member of a non-profit organisation, how do you secure grants against competition with other organisations?


1. Personalise Response

Having a template response for every grant-giving body might seem a quicker way to communicate. However, it’s better to curate a reply that fits the organisation’s narrative well than to have a cookie-cutter answer for every letter written.

When non-profits use the same response across several applications verbatim, they risk submitting mediocre solutions that don’t respond to the prompt. Grant application writers should look closely at how the funder asks specific questions to answer with the most compelling information possible.

 

2. Identify the Purpose

 Most non-profit organisations assume that every grant-making trusts knows what its mission is. It is still crucial to introduce yourself, state your purpose, and the goals you hope to achieve even if you’re a well-known non-profit organisation. There should never be an assumption that trusts or foundations will know your mission. Instead, give them a way to understand your cause and how they can help you address your chosen issues.

 

3. Consider a Project

 Although very valuable, not all grant makers will offer funding to the organisation itself (core funding). So, consider applying for a particular project with significant and specific impact. Instead of saying that the funding will support the organisation, state a feasible activity that will show where the money will go and the difference it makes to your beneficiaries. If not excluded by your target funder, projects can include a contribution to core funding.

 

4. Show Project Innovation

 Many trusts and foundations will be more eager to fund and help an organisation that offers a new view on how they can help communities reach their potential. Where possible, rather than repeating  old ways of responding to community problems, find a way to illustrate new, unique, and more effective ways to handle the situation. Although it’s best to keep projects aligned with successful frameworks, adding a fresh touch may also be beneficial.

 

5. Remember to Research

 Conducting research is vital in grant writing. Data is a tool that gift-giving foundations better understand. Give them a better understanding of what is happening in a community they’re trying to help. Non-profit organisations that use credible information and evidence to supplement their proposal will have an easier time convincing an application board for support.

 

Conclusion

Writing grant applications is crucial for non-profit organisations. Before sending an application, try to review and see if you would give a grant after reading your application.

Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants is a group of funding consultants in the UK that help non-profit organisations achieve their goals. We offer a range of services including trust research and bidwriting as well as reviewing their fundraising strategies. Our experience in strategic development can guide organisations to get the best out of your grant applications. Reach out through our website today, and let’s review what you have.

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Non-profit organisations can help people by securing grants. After all, to help people, these organisations need funds. The more money a non-profit organisation – whether a charity, school, museum or church – can secure, the greater its chances of achieving its mission.

However, grants are awarded based on merit, not on need. It is important to highlight in a grant application what a community needs, where the money is going, and the difference it will make. Grant-making trusts and foundations tend to give more money to non-profit organisations that will immediately and effectively help the community or spread awareness of an issue of local or national significance. But as a struggling member of a non-profit organisation, how do you secure grants against competition with other organisations?


1. Personalise Response

Having a template response for every grant-giving body might seem a quicker way to communicate. However, it’s better to curate a reply that fits the organisation’s narrative well than to have a cookie-cutter answer for every letter written.

When non-profits use the same response across several applications verbatim, they risk submitting mediocre solutions that don’t respond to the prompt. Grant application writers should look closely at how the funder asks specific questions to answer with the most compelling information possible.

 

2. Identify the Purpose

 Most non-profit organisations assume that every grant-making trusts knows what its mission is. It is still crucial to introduce yourself, state your purpose, and the goals you hope to achieve even if you’re a well-known non-profit organisation. There should never be an assumption that trusts or foundations will know your mission. Instead, give them a way to understand your cause and how they can help you address your chosen issues.

 

3. Consider a Project

 Although very valuable, not all grant makers will offer funding to the organisation itself (core funding). So, consider applying for a particular project with significant and specific impact. Instead of saying that the funding will support the organisation, state a feasible activity that will show where the money will go and the difference it makes to your beneficiaries. If not excluded by your target funder, projects can include a contribution to core funding.

 

4. Show Project Innovation

 Many trusts and foundations will be more eager to fund and help an organisation that offers a new view on how they can help communities reach their potential. Where possible, rather than repeating  old ways of responding to community problems, find a way to illustrate new, unique, and more effective ways to handle the situation. Although it’s best to keep projects aligned with successful frameworks, adding a fresh touch may also be beneficial.

 

5. Remember to Research

 Conducting research is vital in grant writing. Data is a tool that gift-giving foundations better understand. Give them a better understanding of what is happening in a community they’re trying to help. Non-profit organisations that use credible information and evidence to supplement their proposal will have an easier time convincing an application board for support.

 

Conclusion

Writing grant applications is crucial for non-profit organisations. Before sending an application, try to review and see if you would give a grant after reading your application.

Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants is a group of funding consultants in the UK that help non-profit organisations achieve their goals. We offer a range of services including trust research and bidwriting as well as reviewing their fundraising strategies. Our experience in strategic development can guide organisations to get the best out of your grant applications. Reach out through our website today, and let’s review what you have.