Are you a new nonprofit and thinking of digging into the world of grant proposals? Are you a nonprofit with a few years under your belt, but are looking to diversify your fundraising by incorporating a grant writing campaign?
Here’s a checklist to help:
- Has your organization received its IRS designation yet?
- Do you have a classification of a public charity or a private foundation?
- Is your mission and vision well-defined?
- Does the organization know exactly who it serves?
- Do you know clearly what the needs are of the population served by your organization?
- Do you have a strong board of directors in place, eager to help where needed?
- Are your programs well established?
- Do you know what makes your programs successful? Are you tracking outcomes that measure success and/or areas for improvement?
- Do you keep up with milestones and accomplishments achieved by your organization?
- Who is designated on your board or staff to manage a grant writing campaign? Is this person solely a grant writer, or is grant writing one of several duties for which this person will be responsible?
- Have you identified potential foundations to approach for grant funding?
- Do you have a grant calendar in place to manage initial approaches and deadlines?
If you can answer “yes” or add information to many of these questions, your organization may be ready to begin a grant writing campaign. If you have more “no’s” and “not yet’s,” this checklist can serve as a to-do list for continuing to prepare.