Grant Strategy & Readiness

If you lead a faith-based nonprofit, foundation research can feel like opening a door to thousands of possibilities and having no idea where to start. Foundation research for a faith-based nonprofit works the same way it does for any nonprofit. You begin with clarity about what you are trying to fund. Then you look for foundations whose priorities, geography, eligibility, grant size, and giving history align with that work. For a faith-based organization, the added considerat

A strong nonprofit Case for Support should explain who you are, who you serve, what problem you address, what you do about it, what changes because of your work, why your organization is equipped to do it, and why support matters now. There is no single required format. The point is not to fill in the right headings. The point is to make sure your organization can answer the questions a donor, foundation, board member, or community partner is likely to ask. Who are you, and w

Your nonprofit may need a Case for Support if your team struggles to explain what you do clearly, different people tell different versions of the organization’s story, or you keep starting from scratch every time you write a grant or fundraising appeal. A Case for Support gives you one source document for the language your organization uses to talk about its mission, work, impact, and funding priorities. But how do you know when it is time to create one? Here are a few signs

A Case for Support is a source document that explains who your nonprofit is, what you do, why your work matters, and why someone should support it. You may hear it described as a fundraising document or a master grant application template. That is true, but I think those descriptions undersell what a good Case for Support can do. For a small nonprofit, especially one where the executive director is carrying much of the fundraising work, a Case for Support can become the place

If your nonprofit is new to grants, start with three things: organize the documents funders are likely to request, learn who funds work like yours, and begin with a small number of well-aligned opportunities. You do not need a full-time grant writer or an elaborate grant strategy to take those first steps. But you do need enough clarity and organization to know what you are asking a funder to support. Here’s where I recommend starting. 1. What documents should a nonprofit hav

It’s a beautiful thing when staff and board leadership communicate from a shared understanding of priorities and mission. Healthy board and Executive Director relationships are no accident. Most are fostered through intentional good habits practiced over time. Here are just three for you to consider today. 1. Are we telling the same story about our mission? Strong organizations develop clear language around who they are and how their work impacts the problem they show up to s

If you’ve ever wondered whether grants could provide a financial boost for the community work you do through your church, you are in good company. Many church leaders hear stories about grant funding and ask the same question: Can churches get grants? The short answer is yes, churches can receive grants. But not every church is ready for the work required to pursue them, and not every ministry is a good fit. So, what makes ministries fundable, and how can your church recogniz

Realistic grant expectations start with three truths: grant funding is competitive, funders look for strong alignment with their priorities, and submitting more applications does not automatically lead to more funding. For a small nonprofit, a focused approach usually makes more sense than trying to apply everywhere. I recently had coffee with a nonprofit leader who hoped to find one funder to cover an entire million-dollar project. Then they wondered whether they should ap

A healthy fundraising culture exists when fundraising is understood as a shared organizational responsibility, not an occasional campaign or one person’s job. Board members, staff, and leaders understand how revenue supports the mission and the role each person plays in sustaining it. For leaders of small and growing nonprofits, fundraising can feel constant, uncomfortable, and unclear. So, we do what we know to do. A quick email. A push before payroll. A campaign when cash g

Before your nonprofit applies for grants, look at three things: where grants fit in your overall funding mix, whether the funders you are pursuing truly align with your work, and whether your team has the capacity to manage the grant after it is awarded. Grants can strengthen a healthy organization, but they rarely solve underlying problems with strategy, systems, or staffing. So, if I could grab you by the shoulders, look you square in the eye, and speak one truth about fund

By Andra Ingalls, MPA A nonprofit is generally ready to begin pursuing grants when it can clearly explain its programs and outcomes, has its financial and organizational documents in order, has leadership support, and has someone who can manage the application and reporting process. Grant readiness is less about having a perfect organization and more about having enough clarity and capacity to steward funding well. An acquaintance reached out to me recently for advice on gran