When I decided grant writing (also known as trust fundraising) would be a cornerstone of my freelance career, I hadn’t banked on a recession and deep cost-of-living crisis to make the work much harder. But it is what it is. There are still funders out there who are willing and able to fund the vital work of charities and other not-for-profits.
I absolutely love it when a client tells me an application has been successful. But with more charities competing for the same funds, there are, of course, times when an application doesn’t result in funding. I won’t deny that this is disappointing, but there are always benefits to applying for a grant, and particularly, to hiring external help.
Increasing awareness: funders read and consider all applications – even if they don’t fund you this time, at least one more person will know who you are and the great work you are doing.
Saving time: While no two forms are the same, most funders will ask about your organisation, and may want to know about your aims, your beneficiaries and (if applicable) your project. Word counts may vary, so once you’ve applied for more than one fund you’ll start to build up, for example, a 50-word description, a 200-word description and so on. While I never suggest copying and pasting, you can save time by using these as starting points for future answers.
Reduce the hassle: Some of the information about your organisation is obvious, such as your legal name and registered address. But are you known as a shorter name (this is really helpful to reduce word counts)? How many staff and/or volunteers do you have? And who is the best contact for an application? Compiling a central ‘master list’ saves time and hassle finding information in the future, and can be used for other purposes (e.g. directory entries), too.
Why hire an external grant writer?
Another perspective: you care about your cause when you live it every day. But sadly, your passion alone won’t convince a funder to give you a grant. A grant writer will help you put together a compelling case to show how the funding will make the difference to your beneficiaries, and help you identify evidence that can strengthen your argument.
Reassurance: A grant writer is experienced in combing a grant database to sort the ones which are a good fit from the ones where the eligibility criteria excludes your organisation. No amount of wishful thinking will lead to success in this second category.
Grant funding is never guaranteed, no matter how neatly an organisation fits the eligibility criteria. But one thing is certain: you won’t be awarded any funding if you don’t apply.
Tip: most funders will allow you to apply around a year after the original decision. Put a date in your diary to re-check eligibility and apply again. Don’t assume a “no” now will be a “no” again as there are various factors affecting the decision.
No time or in-house resources to apply for grants? I find suitable funds and create compelling applications for organisations. If you’d like to discuss how I can help you, let’s arrange a no-obligation chat.
Original photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash.
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