Grant Planning for 2010: A Silver-Lining for a Gloomy Outlook?

As most grant writers are during October and November, I have been terribly busy writing final 2009 submissions and year-end grant reports. Thus, it has left Grant Savvy a bit neglected. Even @SavvyGrants is suffering. Yikes! I'll be back to being Savvy soon!

During this busy time, I am also creating 2010 grant plans for my clients. This year was no cake-walk and we worked hard to secure the funding that we did (let's hope a few more awards come through before 12/31/09). As I plan for next year it is my responsibility to take into account the external factors that affected our grant efforts...the economy, program cuts, fewer donors, changing collaborative relationships. My brainstorming reminded me of the August 2009 article from the Philanthropy Journal about the less-than-stellar fundraising outlook.

According to the Philanthropy Journal article:

• More than half of fundraisers say their organizations raised more money in 2008 than in 2007, while about four in 10 raised less.
• Virtually all fundraising channels, with the exception of Internet, email and direct mail, are at their lowest success levels since the Philanthropic Giving Index was launched.

With such a "gloomy" outlook, what can we do to plan for a successful 2010?

We'd like to think that sending out more grant proposals increases our chances enough to make the extra effort worth it. This isn't always the case. You cannot change the economy, the new focus of your most loyal foundation or your organization's new strategic direction. You can improve your own work, internally and externally.

The first step in preparing your grant operations for 2010 is to start small and simple. Step away from your narratives and budget summaries. You know you can write a fabulous proposal. Instead, focus on the core of your grant operation. How does your machine work?

• Organize your grant office and make your 501(c)(3) letters, annual reports, board lists, letters of endorsement, budgets and program brochures easily accessible. You'll be surprised at how much time and energy this saves you. Don't underestimate it!
• Run a report on what was funded and what wasn't. If you have the luxury of working with a research team, ask them to help you run some reports. If not, a simple report in Excel can show what was asked, expected and funded, etc. This will give you a better understanding of your grant program and explain your outcomes to stakeholders outside of the development office (board members, CEO, program directors).
• Interview program managers, directors, clients, etc. about their needs for 2010. Don't give feedback yet, but engage in a thoughtful conversation about their needs and wants (usually different). Don't assume you know what they want for 2010. Diagnose before you prescribe!
• Prospect! You should be doing this all year, but make a dedicated effort towards adding new prospects to your portfolio. Be ready with their guidelines and due dates. Do your research before 2010 and you'll be able to move faster when new projects hit your plate.

Don't be discouraged by the "gloomy outlook". Planning for success, not failure, puts you one step ahead of the rest!

Grant Savvy will be doing a lot of planning and organizing during the next eight weeks. Look for more tips and strategies coming soon!