Assessing Your Organization For Grant Readiness

Sarah Bonnema

 

A parent and a nonprofit founder have many things in common.

 

Assessing Your Organization For Grant Readiness

 

They are both passionate about (and sometimes passionately annoyed with) the thing they have “created.” It is exhilarating (and exhausting!) to be in charge of its growth.


They are also both concerned with whether their “creation” is growing and hitting developmental milestones.


Parents may worry about whether their child is making eye contact, walking, and using appropriate vocabulary. They wonder if their child is ready for kindergarten, or if they should wait another year to give their child more time to develop.


Nonprofit founders may wonder if their organization is developing the right mix of volunteers and staff members to help it grow, if their organization has the right mission statement and vision, and if their organization is doing enough to fundraise. Usually, within a few months of the organization’s creation, a nonprofit founder begins to wonder, “Should we apply for some grants?”


As a parent, you can easily find a checklist to help you decide whether little Johnny is school-ready, or if he needs to spend another year in preschool.


Likewise, you can find many checklists online to help you decide if your organization is ready to apply for grants, or if you need a little more time to develop.


At Pathways to Growth, we take these checklists a step further by having new clients complete a comprehensive grant readiness assessment. We use this assessment to create a customized plan to help each client build organizational capacity where needed.

Three of the most common issues we see among clients who are interested in applying for grants—but aren’t quite ready to win them are:


Issue 1: A solid foundation needs to be laid to apply for grants.


  • You must have completed your 501(c)(3) application and have your 501(c)(3) letter of determination from the IRS.
  • Your organization should have a mission statement, vision statement, and offer programs or services that align with your mission.
  • Your organization should have a budget and be able to provide a current balance sheet, and/or a profit and loss statement.
  • You should have completed an appropriate review of financial statements. The Better Business Bureau Standards for Charitable Accountability state that when the organization reaches $250,000 in annual revenue, it should conduct annual audits. Organizations with budgets between $10,000 and $250,000 in annual revenue should have a review conducted by a CPA. For those under $10,000 in revenue an internally produced complete financial statement is allowable.
  • You should written financial procedures in place.
  • You should be able to share success stories from your organization and your work.


Why this matters:


While some funders enjoy funding start-up nonprofits or pilot programs, they still expect organizations to demonstrate the ability to legally accept funds, account for them, and use them to accomplish their mission.


Pro tip:


Returning to our parenting imagery: if the above issues describe your organization, you are in the newborn phase. Newborns require a LOT of attention; they can’t care for themselves. Remember to take the long view! Eventually, that newborn who needs a bottle every 3 hours will learn to feed herself. The newborn who can only cry will learn to say words and even paragraphs. Likewise, your organization will become established in your community and begin to attract donors and outside funders. But you have to lay a lot of foundation first. Don’t grow weary! Keep it up, and surround yourself with support as you face the joys and challenges of these “newborn days.”


Issue 2: You should look committed to fundraising.


  • 100% of your board members should give financially to the organization.
  • Your board should participate in securing donations.
  • Your organization should use other fundraising strategies (such as events, direct mail appeals, or social giving) before you apply for grants.


Why this matters:


Funders expect 100% Board giving as a sign of a good investment. A healthy organization has many revenue streams; nonprofit experts state that approximately 70% of your organization’s revenue should come from individual donors (including board members) through donations or events, 20% should come from foundation gifts, and 10% should come through corporate sponsors through event or program sponsorship. If you are a new organization, you probably aren’t there yet. In the meantime, try to show the funder that you are using a variety of funding streams, that your existing funders are committed, and that you think creatively about fundraising.


Pro tip:


It doesn’t matter how much your board gives—it just matters that every member gives something! We recommend that you create a mandatory board giving policy that you advertise and openly discuss during board recruitment and training.


Most funders want to see that the community has an interest and investment in your organization. Foundations don’t want to be your sole source of income because they know that is not sustainable. Show them that you have widespread community support, and you work hard to generate your own funding. This makes you more attractive as a grantee.


Issue 3: Establish your priorities.


  • Your organization should have a definition of “success” for your programs (also known as “program goals” or “objectives”).
  • Your organization should be measuring the outcomes of your programs.
  • Your organization should have a strategic plan.
  • Your organization should be sure what the actual costs of your programs are—and what funding you really need.


Why this matters:


Funders receive many applications. To help them choose between many good causes, they look for organizations who have a solid business plan, who will measure their success, and who can show them a good “return” on their investment. If your organization has not defined its priorities, you will not be a competitive applicant.


Pro tip:


To begin creating goals and objectives for your programs, consult with a subject matter expert from your field, or talk to other nonprofits providing similar programming. Ask what goals or objectives they measure, and use those as a template.


It will also be important to develop a way to track measurable outcomes for each of your programs by developing a process and procedure for gathering, entering, and analyzing data. Consider what points in your program processes would be good data collection points, and what tools you could use to capture information. If your nonprofit is located near a university, keep in mind that many universities seek research opportunities and have students and faculty members who could help you develop outcomes.


The bottom line:

If you start Johnny in kindergarten too early, he won’t be successful. The same is true for your organization and grant applications. If you start applying before your organization is ready, you won’t be successful. We are here to help you build your grant readiness.


By Pamela Ames Coke July 31, 2025
One of the most controversial “asks” in the nonprofit sector, alongside general operating expenses, is the request for capacity building funds. It can be challenging to find a funder who will financially support capacity building. Unlike a programming request, an organization cannot point to a specific event and report, “The company served an additional 500 people by upgrading its customer relationship management system.” It is more challenging to quantify the impact of purchasing upgraded technology—but it is not impossible. A nonprofit’s superpower is what it already has: the organization’s mission and vision. Capacity-building funding is central to American philanthropy and to a civil society. In order to thrive, nonprofit organizations need to be free to develop their skills and abilities—to get even better at what they do best. The National Council of Nonprofits defines capacity building as “whatever is needed to bring a nonprofit to the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity.” It is the type of funding that allows a nonprofit to advance its mission and act on its vision. Capacity building funding is central to American philanthropy and to a civil society. In order to thrive, nonprofit organizations need to be free to develop their skills and abilities—to get even better at what they do best. This is why capacity building is vital. A nonprofit can enhance its capacity building requests in three ways: by focusing the lens on the organization’s mission; by expanding the lens to look at the organization’s vision; and by changing the lens to consider succession planning. All these elements can open funding streams that allow an organization to get even better at what it does best. Mission Impossible - Without Full Capacity When considering applying for capacity building grants, focus on the organization’s mission. This can be an effective way to frame a nonprofit’s funding request. Suppose an organization provides adult daycare services for seniors in its community. In that case, the organization’s mission might be to provide quality programming that supports the social and mental wellness of area seniors for improved health outcomes. Perhaps the team is noticing that the demand for its nonprofit’s services is exceeding the staff’s availability. The nonprofit may need to purchase a volunteer management system or recruit and train more volunteers. Collaborate with the team to articulate the request that will help take the nonprofit to the next level of programmatic maturity. To craft a persuasive capacity building request focused on the company’s mission, consider the following: Mission - What is the organization’s mission statement? Need - What does nonprofit need that it currently does not have in order to fulfill its mission? Data that supports this need - How does the team know the business needs this? Request - What is the nonprofit requesting? How much is the cost of each budget item? Include a budget breakdown for the funder. Return on investment - How will these capacity building funds help the nonprofit fulfill its mission? How does the team know? In terms of data, consider what would have the most impact on the potential funder. For example, if the organization is applying to a financial organization, the applicant might refer to the bottom line—the cost of doing business. In April 2024, the Independent Sector, in cooperation with the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland, reported that the estimated value of one volunteer hour in 2023 was $33.49, a 5.3% increase over 2022 (independentsector.org). How does that $33.49 contribute to the organization’s ability to fulfill its mission? Capacity building starts and ends with a nonprofit’s mission. The mission is what the organization does best. Make it clear why funding this capacity building request will help the organization do its best for the target population. Show, don’t tell, a potential funder how it is impossible for the business to fulfill its mission without being at full capacity in a given area of the organization, such as volunteer management. Vision Screening - Seeing up close and far away Mission is seeing up close. It is what the nonprofit team does on a day-to-day basis. Vision is far-sighted; it is stepping back and looking at what the organization wants to accomplish over a period of years. Suppose a company is a nonprofit that provides after-school mentoring for at-risk youth. The organization is receiving feedback that the needs of the students the team serves—and the needs of the mentors who serve them—are changing. Students need access to technology, and mentors need training on new tools and resources to best meet those demands. The company has been getting by with what is available, but it is time to step back and look at the bigger picture, to evaluate what could be possible for the organization and the people the team serves. It is time to review—or create—the organization’s strategic plan to identify and order the company’s needs. The strategic plan is a nonprofit’s roadmap to success. It helps a company prioritize its needs by outlining its goals and identifying how the team plans to meet that vision. A strategic plan outlines an organization’s identified needs over time. But how does a nonprofit balance the needs outlined in a strategic plan alongside the needs that arise from day-to-day interactions with the people the organization serves? When using a strategic plan to identify a vision-aligned capacity building funding request, consider the following: Vision - What is the nonprofit’s vision statement? Need - What are the organization’s immediate needs? How do these needs align with the nonprofit’s identified needs over the next 2-5 years? Data that supports this need - How does the team know these are the organization’s short-term and long-term needs? What are the data points? What is the nonprofit currently [not] able to do? Where are the gaps? How does the team know? Request - What does the nonprofit need to guide the organizational development? Can the organization do this work internally, or does the leadership team need to hire a consultant? Return on Investment - How will these capacity building funds help the nonprofit fulfill its vision? How does the team know? In terms of data points, how does the organization evaluate current services? Does the team use qualitative tools (narrative feedback), quantitative tools (surveys with closed-ended questions), or mixed methods (a combination of the two)? In terms of the request, what does the company want and need this request to include? If the organization has a lot of competing needs, it can be helpful to hire a consultant to guide the team through the prioritizing process. Include that cost in the capacity building request. Capacity building allows an organization to grow and meet the next level of operational maturity. Having—and using--a strategic plan is essential to a thriving and responsive nonprofit. Succession Planning - What you don't know can hurt you According to BoardSource’s latest Leading with Intent Report (2021), only 29% of nonprofits surveyed reported having a written succession plan in place (councilofnonprofits.org). While succession planning involves deliberate consideration of who will take over in the event of a retirement or other transition at the leadership level, succession planning is not an event (naming a successor); it is a process. If a nonprofit does not already have a succession plan in place or needs to update its plan, consider requesting capacity building funds to financially support this process. The National Council of Nonprofits (councilofnonprofits.org) identifies ten planning tips for leadership transition, from engaging the board and the staff in meaningful conversation about managing intentional transitions in leadership to dedicating time and money to deliberate on-boarding. This planning incurs costs, and securing capacity building funds can make this process easier. Leadership - What are the organization’s current leadership roles? Need - Why does the nonprofit want to develop a succession plan? What would be the impact on the organization and its programming if the nonprofit does not have a succession plan? How would such chaos impact the company’s mission and vision? Data that supports this need - What is the organizational structure? How does the team decide who serves in each capacity? How many Board members does the organization have? Staff members? Volunteers? How many people does the nonprofit serve? How many team members serve in multiple roles? Request - How would the organization use capacity building funds? Break down the component costs, from creating an Emergency Leadership Transition Plan to developing new leaders to onboarding leaders. Return on Investment - How will these capacity building funds allow the nonprofit to fulfill its mission and vision? How will it save the company time and money in the long run? Capacity building funds are necessary for securing the long-term health and survival of an organization. Data tells us that 71% of nonprofits are ill-prepared for a change in leadership, whether that change is planned or unexpected. Investing in purposeful succession planning using capacity building funds can help safeguard an organization, allowing the team to take the nonprofit to the next level of financial and organizational maturity. Be intentional The key to requesting capacity building funds is to be intentional. Know who the nonprofit is, who the nonprofit serves, and how the nonprofit serves (mission). Know where the organization is today and where it wants to be in 5-10 years (vision). Know who the leaders are today—and in five years (succession planning). All of these are part of capacity building. A contender is hard-pressed to complete a grant application or draft an LOI without addressing sustainability—how a team plans to stay afloat as an organization. Capacity building makes sustainability possible. By staying focused on the nonprofit’s mission and vision, an organization can craft a capacity building request that allows the team to get even better at what it does best. Now that’s a superpower!
Story Telling
By By: Valarie Bostic June 13, 2024
Every child has a hero, someone who inspired vision in them, someone they aspired to be like. For me, as a little girl, I had two heroes- Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Seuss. Although from different times and disciplines, they both taught me invaluable lessons I still use today. Despite their different fields of expertise - Franklin in politics, science, and invention, and Dr. Seuss in children's literature - they both left a lasting legacy that continues to shape and inspire generations. Both were unique influential philosophers who found purpose and fulfillment through connections to others. From the wisdom of “Poor Richards Almanac” to the lyrical ingenuity of “Oh The Places You Will Go,” both Franklin and Seuss were storytellers with a voice for change. Their words made me think and encouraged me to dream. At eight years old, I knew I also wanted to write and tell stories that would encourage people and change the world. It's fascinating how childhood aspirations can pave the way for unexpected yet fulfilling careers. Little did I know that this passion would one day lead me to a successful career in grant writing. Inspired by the works of two literary giants, I found myself drawn to a path of advocacy and change. So, after a successful 25-year career in non-profit Executive leadership, I was given the opportunity to join the Pathways to Growth Team as a grant writer. Pathways has been a leader in the non-profit consulting arena for many years so to be able to work with the best of the best has been a privilege! To me, grant writing is a harmonious blend of science and art, where data-driven methodology meets creative expression to produce persuasive and impactful proposals. Sounds impressive, right? So, what did I learn about grant writing from these two? For that, I will start with good ole Ben.
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By Marcia Wynn, PhD April 29, 2024
Securing a grant represents a monumental achievement for any entity or individual striving to confront societal challenges or propel constructive transformations forward. It signifies a crucial step toward making a tangible impact and fostering positive change within communities. While obtaining a grant marks a substantial milestone, the true impact transcends mere acquisition; it hinges on the adept execution of the proposed program or project. Effectively implementing the envisioned initiatives is where the transformative potential of the grant truly manifests. Maximizing the impact of a grant necessitates a meticulous approach, characterized by thorough planning, strategic execution, and continuous evaluation. This comprehensive process ensures that resources are allocated judiciously and utilized optimally, ultimately leading to the attainment of desired outcomes. Below are eight fundamental strategies essential for the effective implementation of programs, designed to unlock the full potential and maximize the impact of grants. These strategies serve as guiding principles, shaping the trajectory of grant-funded initiatives toward meaningful and sustainable outcomes.
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his article is a continuation of a blog we posted two weeks ago on efficient productivity in grant seeking. Here is a recap of the first five steps: 1) Manage your Energy, Not Your Time, 2) Be Your Own Coach or Find A Trusted Coach, 3) Read About Productivity, 4) Set Goals. Let’s continue with #5…
Efficient Productivity for Grant Seeking – Part 1
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Some of us are wired to organize and seek out efficient productivity. Some of us are not, but no judgment here! The good news is that regardless of how easy it is for you to stay organized and have efficient productivity on a daily basis, there are some tried and true steps that will help you stay on track and meet your grant goals.
Lessons in Grant Seeking from a Tricolored Heron
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I did not expect to receive lessons in grant seeking while on holiday break this year with my husband.
Grant Budgets & Cookie Recipes!
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Writing the narrative takes the bulk of the time you spend preparing a grant proposal, just like mixing the cookie ingredients. However, grant budgets are just as important; they are like recipes when you are baking.