Current and potential MGL clients often ask me, “If we are selected, how long will it take to get the grant money?” I can empathize with their impatience and frustration, especially after completing such a long application preparation process. They have important work to do in the world, and their programs need funds to operate successfully, so what’s the hold up?

Winning grants is a multi-step process. Whether you’re applying for a foundation grant or a federal grant, it’s not something you can casually sit down and complete. Gathering all of the necessary financial documents, compiling the required data, and submitting it in the correct form takes time and energy. As anyone who has worked in grant writing will tell you, doing everything right is still no guarantee of success. Most grants are extremely competitive, and even with a good application, any number of factors can affect whether or not your organization is chosen instead of another, equally worthy applicant.

I always try to remind them that grant reviewers are people, too, and they have to comb through multiple applications for the same opportunity. The time it takes to receive funds depends greatly on the type of grant you are pursuing. For some foundations, their board of directors may only meet once in a calendar year. Other foundation grants promise you will hear back in two weeks. For federal grants, the Request for Proposals will usually include a timeline and date by which the applicants will be notified. If you’re confused on the difference between foundation grants and federal grants, I have written about both in the past.

While some foundations tell you a precise timeline for hearing back, many don’t. So for the ones without a timeline, exactly when will you know if you won the grant?

As with many things in grant writing, there is good news, bad news, and several important things to consider to give yourself the best chances of success.

• Where’s Our Grant Money?
• A Better Approach
• What To Do When You Don’t Get It
• Help Is On The Way

Where’s Our Grant Money?

The bad news first: even if you win a grant, it can take a long time to get the funds. For foundations, you may hear back in 30 days…or 18 months! (GrantWatch) For federal grants, the process can take 6-9 months from beginning to end (Long Capture). With either, you’re going to be investing significant time and energy before you ever see a cent of funding. This means that you could wait a year or more, only to find out that you didn’t win. Because of how long the process takes, many nonprofits become discouraged, feel intimidated, and give up applying altogether.

Considering the above timeline, it is important that nonprofits don’t view grants as a solution to an immediate funding need. Instead, we need to see grants as part of a long-term plan. We apply to grants now with the hope to win funding in the future. Also, winning a grant one time can be an opportunity to further connect with that foundation and begin building a relationship that can move a one-time yes into a multi-year funder partner.

Because of the time between application to award, it is also important to measure the impact of the investment over time. A grant writer or grant writing services should multiply your investment, but this multiplication won’t happen in the same month or maybe even in the same year that you invest in the grant writing services.

A Better Approach

Because of how long it takes to apply for grants and to receive funds, having an effective process is central to your success. You want to avoid duplicating your work as much as possible. Millionaire Grant Lady & Associates streamlines the entire process for you, applying to many similar (but not identical) applications for the same program simultaneously. This keeps the process from dragging out over months and increases your chances of receiving funding for the program, because no one, no matter how amazing their programs, gets every single grant they apply for. The idea is to give yourself as many good chances as possible within a period of time, that way you aren’t waiting before you try again. Batching applications also makes for a more efficient and productive workflow.

What To Do When You Don’t Get It

Success and failure are often defined by our mindset. Sure, you can’t spend money you don’t have, but even if you get rejected, you can frame that rejection as an opportunity to grow. If a foundation or a federal department declines your request, you can take steps to ensure your future success.

Whether you win or lose a grant, I advise that you say thank you. If you win, and you don’t say thank you, foundations may take the view that you aren’t grateful for the money and won’t give it to you again. If you lose a grant, you can still say thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to apply. Thank you for the good work they do in the community. Thank you for their focus to a similar mission to yours. Thank you for the information. Or just plain thank you. A thank you could be just the toe in the door you need to continue communication with the funder, which could turn this initial no into a yes down the road.

If you are told no, be sure that you review any feedback you are given on your particular application. Perhaps you didn’t precisely address the question they were asking, or misunderstood one of their funding priorities. Federal grants often come with scoring rubrics, which can be helpful to learn where your application was weak if you want to try again in the future.

Although funding processes do change from year to year, most foundations support similar areas of giving for periods of time and often reuse the same application, which could give you an advantage if you have already applied. With foundations, in particular, you can also get to know the people who work there and leave a good impression with them. Cultivating healthy relationships with funders is one of the most important long-term strategies you can have as an organization. Familiarity does not guarantee success, but it certainly can’t hurt your chances.

Help Is On The Way

Finally, the good news: you don’t have to tackle this process alone. If your nonprofit needs more funding (and what nonprofit doesn’t?), applying for grants can be a sustainable, long-term funding source when approached correctly. It’s not a quick fix for organizations that are struggling. Federal agencies and foundations alike want to invest in programs that are stable, successful, and run by responsible people. But even if you don’t have everything figured out, even if the program you’re applying for doesn’t exist yet, you can still win grants if you have the right application.

For many organizations, hiring a full-time grant writer is not the best approach to winning grants in an efficient and effective way. In many cases, partnering with a proven grant consultant can be a better fit to save time and money in the short term while you wait for funds to arrive. Remember: you’re going to be waiting regardless, so you’d rather have the peace of mind of knowing that you are waiting to hear back on 10 to 15 solid chances instead of just one.

If your organization could benefit from partnering with a proven grant winner, schedule a call with my team today. Grant writing is a slow process that requires patience, but partnering with a grant writer with a proven record of success just might secure your capacity to sustain and expand your work in the future.