Leadership of the organization should make the decision that grant funding is a revenue development strategy that makes sense for the organization as a whole
By Diane H. Leonard, GPC
GovGrantsHelp.com, partner of EMSGrantsHelp.com and FireGrantsHelp.com
When your organization, department or municipality begins to talk about grant funding as a way to achieve your specific goals, mission and action plans, who is sitting around the table?
Is leadership making the decision that grant funding should be pursued?
When your organization, department or municipality looks at individual opportunities and decides they are a fit with a specific project or plan, who is it that’s deciding if the funding opportunity is a good fit?
Are multiple members of the organization being allowed to weigh-in about the fit of a potential specific funding opportunity?
When your organization, department or municipality begins the work of completing an application for the specific opportunity identified, who is involved in helping to create a competitive application?
Is it a team of colleagues, or is the application left to be the sole task of the grant professional (whether internal or external)?
Ideally, here is who and how different members of your organization are part of your application discussion:
I typically get the most questions about the third level of team engagement, in particular, if I use the phrase "grant team" to describe the work. Many individuals balk at the idea of being part of a grant team if they are not a grant professional/writer. In my definition, a grant team is comprised of the members of an organization that will assist the lead writer (internal or external grant professional) with providing content, data, information and review/approval to ensure a competitive proposal is finalized and submitted.
How do these ideals align with the involvement of your colleagues in your organization during grant related conversations and grant application processes?
About the author
Diane H. Leonard, GPC is an experienced and highly respected grant professional who has provided grant development counsel to nonprofit organizations of varying size and scope for more than a decade. Diane founded DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services, LLC based in Clayton, NY in 2006. Diane began her career in philanthropy as a Program Officer for the Michigan Women's Foundation, a statewide public foundation. Diane is an active member of the Grant Professionals Association and is proud to have earned her Grant Professional Certification, a credentialed certification conferred by the Grant Professional Credential Institute.
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