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Funders want to hear your story–the narrative of what your organization does and how that work improves lives and strengthens the community. The story may be the hook, but unless you can back-up feel-good anecdotes with cold hard numbers your case for support won’t result in a grant.

Really, you’re not. It’s an old notion that was never right in the first place. To continue to move the field forward, let’s make sure our professional language evolves along with our skills and understanding. 

When hammering out the budget for a grant request, remember the Goldilocks Rule: If it’s too large or too small, it won’t do. It’s got to be just the right size to get the work done. The job of the budget is to support program implementation at a reasonable, professional level.

The strain of inadequate, insecure funding is exhausting and often sends nonprofits tilting at every windmill that might throw out a grant dollar. Every organization has its own pressure points and problems, but there are some commonalities throughout the sector. 

Funders put the budget and budget justification under a microscope. So you’ve got to get it right. When you understand their concerns and the questions they’ll pose, you’re in a much stronger position to nail it. Here’s a list of questions funders are sure to ask.

When developing a grant proposal, it’s tempting to think of the evaluation plan as something you tack on once the program plan is in place. But the evaluation plan is an integral part of the program. It's the program’s mirror; it reflects the reality of what’s actually happening, rather than the theory of what you thought the program would look like and accomplish.

Most government funders, and many private and corporate foundations, require that a budget narrative accompany a grant proposal’s line-item budget.

Using established project management strategies can streamline your process

For many nonprofits, the term “grants management” conjures up visions of navigating an ever-changing labyrinth of rules and regulations. While there is a learning curve when managing regulation-heavy grants from various levels of government, it’s nothing diligence and determination can’t conquer.