Last month, we talked about how you have to find the right number and the right fit of foundation funders to grow your organization’s grants.
I often talk with clients who are doing one of two key mistakes in finding the right funders. Either they are:
- Not seeking funding from enough or the right funders. They need help identifying the right funders and submitting enough applications to be successful. Or
- Running themselves ragged applying for 50+ grants and not getting enough results for how crazy tired they are.
If you are making either of these mistakes, then I encourage you to target 15 to 30 foundations that are your best chances with large enough grant sizes to make it worth your time.
I helped one client recently who was only seeking grants from one funder who supported them year after year. They needed to get a funder list together (for them, the magic number was 15) and start submitting more applications. With more applications, their funding quickly tripled.
I had another client was going crazy with 55 grant applications for a medium sized organization. They needed help prioritizing their funders to increase their success and grow their funding by providing better quality applications. With smarter applications, they were able to grow their funding.
The problem is that all of this can take you months if you haven’t done it before. If you need help with a funder profile list that is customized to your organization, you can find one here. Creating the right funder prospect list is also a critical part of my work with clients who contract with us for grant writing services, and is included in our grant writing service contracts.
