Tips for Successful Grant Writing

The most popular article on grantadviser.com is about freelance grant writing. That’s not surprising, given that today many intelligent, talented people are out of work and no doubt looking for new ways to earn a living. And since competition among nonprofits for grant funds has never been stiffer, really good grant writers are definitely in demand.

The second and third most popular articles on my site concern corporate sponsorship. This is a bit more surprising, given that corporations are, to put it mildly, conserving their resources these days. Very few are making grants to new organizations. Those making significant grants are more and more doing so for social services, education, and to help businesses and individuals recover from the recession. That’s not to say organizations in those areas are seeing the money roll in, it’s just that arts organizations and others are seeing corporate money evaporate before their eyes. Connecting with a corporation’s brand/mission/identity is even more important than in the past, as is proving that supporting your organization will help them financially or with public relations.

Research has never been more important: directing your grant proposal to the best prospects is the only chance for success in such a competitive environment. Check out The Concentric Circles of Prospect Research and Finding Grants through Online Databases.

Most grants are to some degree an exchange of something tangible (the grant money) for something intangible (the positive feeling the donor has from being able to do some good). When asking corporate funders for sponsorship, you’ll construct a package of both tangible and intangible benefits.

The tangible benefits you can offer may include access to your mailing list or a complementary advertisement in your program or on your web site. These are things that you normally sell, and so it’s easy to know what the value is for each. Intangible benefits, however, may be your most valuable assets. For example, the prestige of your nonprofit in the community provides an intangible benefit by association for your corporate sponsor.

You can read more about intangible benefits on my web site @ grantadviser.com. You’ll find a quick guide to writing corporate sponsorship proposals in my book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Grant Writing.