3 Steps for a Proactive Grant “Game-Day” Plan

The Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are no doubt feverishly perfecting their game-day plans for the 55th Super Bowl scheduled for February 7. It’s also a great time for small businesses and nonprofits to retool or start a proactive grant game-day plan. This three-pronged approach will help your nonprofit or small business score big on grant “game day.” 

1.) Create a Compelling Data-Informed Story

Revisit your “why.” What is your organization’s mission and how does it connect to the purpose of the project? Then compile data to create a more compelling story. Data can include trends related to the project. How has it grown and changed? Has attendance improved? What are the participant demographics? What are additional outcomes you can measure? To catch the attention of grant funders, stay current on research and current events related to your organization. This will help you describe the greater impact of your project. Take stock of your existing resources and then identify the specific needs of the project.

2.) Search for Grants

There is no one way to go about the grant seeking process. Grant funding organizations can include anything from a large national corporation foundation to a local private foundation as well as local, state, and federal entities. Sometimes word of mouth will lead you towards your next opportunity –or a simple Google search. Once you locate an opportunity, compare the foundation’s mission and its grant requirements to your needs. 

3.) Get Organized!

Once you find a match, record all deadlines. If they have passed, save them for the next go round! Many grants are quarterly or yearly. Review and save the grant application in a format that you can edit or copy and paste into the online grant application once it is all finalized. Prepare your project budget and collect all necessary supporting documents required in the grant application. Remember to tailor the “ask” based on the requirements of the grant and to keep accurate records in order to more easily complete grant reports in a timely fashion after you receive a grant.

So what’s the game-day grant plan? Formulate your story, find a matching source, and then get organized! 

When game day arrives, you and your team will be ready to storm the field and tackle your opponents! 

Don’t forget to ask for help throughout the process from colleagues to proofread, accountants to provide financial documentation, and in some cases, the outside support of a consultant like SST to help you step up your game-day plan!

Call our office at 757-536-9937 or reach out to Strategic Solutions by Tricia, LLC via Facebook to see what we can do for you!