Do you wish to try out on a grant that will be beneficial to your organization? If you have no history of winning grants, you may feel the need to hire professional grant writers to do the application for you. Although it is one way to get a proposal that you can use to give to various potential lenders. There are various reasons why it is not advisable to hire a grant writer. One of the main reasons is that having the best grant proposal does not mean that it is a direct link for your organization getting the usgrants.org funding. Also, you need to consider if you are fundable, and having answers to this question will help you know. This article is why you should wait on hiring a grant writer and what you can do instead.
Grants are not a fast funding solution
Many organization boards put pressure and expectations on their staff to go out and get a grant. Yet, this is not an effective way to seek a grant. There is a long wait after you submit your grant proposal to when the funder will make a decision. Plus, they decide on a grant only at scheduled times of the year. If it is your first time seeking a grant, you should be ready to face a lot of rejection. The solution to this is creating an individual donor list to give you financial stability. Have a priority list of donors in the list you have that seem to have the potential to give more. Grow the donor relationships on a personal level over the year. Importantly, be realistic on how many of them you can manage instead of spreading yourself too thin. A good number of priority donors will give you better results.
Grants require everyone’s input
As you seek a grant you require all hands on deck and not just a grant writer. It is a big undertaking to get a grant because it is not just applying for the grant but also managing it. Thus, this is not something you want to fail at as you have to follow through on what the funders expect. You want to maintain the relationship with them and attract a good reputation among other potential funders. What to do in such a scenario is to ensure everyone on the team is grant-ready before you start pursuing the grant. Therefore, ensure your board understands where the grant stands in the sustainability plan in general. The reality of seeking grants is not easy and the importance of having a good relationship with funders. Also, you need to prepare staff and put systems in place that will manage the reporting and financial requirements needed.
Grants do not start with the proposal
Getting an expert grant writer is not the first step to writing your grant proposal. Hence, why it is best to wait before hiring one as there is vital work that needs to be done before you start on the application process. You need to consider the funders you want to approach and why they are a potential match. There is no need to write a proposal if you have not prepared or done enough research to put a plan into action. For this reason, the solution is to do your research and get a list of potential funders. After, have a strategy for how you will approach them and what you will ask from them. Know how much they have given to past grants and for what. Consider having a strategy for relationship building that will be helpful to get vital information or get an advocate on your behalf. Although some foundations prefer not to be contacted, try your luck. Then you can proceed to invest in grant writing time, once you have a relationship foothold with Social Media Strategy.
In conclusion, seeking a grant can be a daunting task. Thus, before you invest your resources in an expert grant writer, ensure that you consider the reasons above. There is more to winning grants than having a good proposal. You need to develop strategy and operation, create relationships, and improve your chances of winning a grant.
