Here's how you can master grant writing in fundraising.

Relationships are key. Period. Do your research, and involve your board in terms of their relationships. Who knows who? Schedule a call/meeting. Learn more about the heart of the funder/donor. Honor their vision for their funds. Learn how your non-profit and a potential donor's dreams align. Nurture the relationship, whether you receive funding or not. Communicate clearly regarding reporting, include pictures if possible. Write hand written thank you notes, a lost art.

Also include looking at past awardees to your list when researching. When you are starting your grant writing journey, there is no need to spend time on a grant that looks good on paper, but in "spirit" is not the right fit for your organization. If you feel like your organization type should be awarded this grant, talk to the program manager about it!

My favorite research strategy to figure out if a funder is right for you: Look at the funder's past and current grantees (you can find this information on their website, in the case of US funders you can look at their public 990 form, and/or you can use a paid database like Candid or Inside Philanthropy). Do you see more than 1 grantee that looks like you or more than 1 funded project that looks like yours? --> If you do, and the other basics align (geography, topic, grant size, etc.), then the funder is probably a good fit for your organization! --> If you do not, even if the other basics align, that funder is probably not a good fit for your organization. (Exception is if the funder just changed its funding strategy/focuses.)

This cannot be overstated. The funding you're seeking must align with the priorities of the funder. Beyond mission, look for other limitations, such as geography. I know a foundation that only funds in the state of Oklahoma. You'll waste a lot of time if your grant applications don't perfectly align with funders' priorities.

"Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture . . . " is not the advice I would give. Rather than describing it, document it. I say "use statistics, research findings, recent news articles, or quotes from people affected by or involved in the issue or problem your proposal addresses." Tell a story, yes, but base it on compelling facts. Take a global or national issue--lack of affordable housing, for example--and find a statistic about the national scope or the status of the problem in the state. Then zoom in on the local scene, document the problem there, and explain what your program or project will do about it.

As you edit and refine, you must adhere to all the instructions the funder provides. Things like length and font size may seem trivial to you, but not following the funders' rules will disqualify you instantly, without your applications getting read. Timing, too, is critical. If you're a day late, or an hour late, don't bother submitting. You're disqualified. Plus, you've hurt your future chances.

Follow up is the name of the game for grants submitted outside of formal calls for proposals. Did you get confirmation that the funder received your proposal? (Sometimes the funder´s website instructs you to submit the proposal to an email box that no one is actually checking). If they don´t confirm receipt, follow up via email. If still no answer, follow up via phone (you can often find a phone number on US foundation 990s, if they don´t publish it on their website). This may be what gets your proposal read, then approved!

Grants funding is too often seen as transactional fundraising. You apply, they decide. That's outdated thinking. Create relationships with funders before you apply. Connect with your target funders in the social channels. Send them your annual report. Open a dialogue, if they allow it. If you don't open relationships before you apply, at least open them concurrent with your applications. Institutional funding should be relationship based. Not merely transactional.

When you move from transactions to relationships, you stop feeling like a mouse running after cheese in a maze and end up creating opportunities that only fit you…

Use technology to your advantage! 1. Be the first to know Set a Google alert to notify you anytime a prospect or current partner publishes something. What you find will help you build new relationships and strengthen current relationships. 2. Get creative with AI People shy away from AI especially when it comes to writing. I’m not saying to have Chat GPT write your entire grant application. Here’s one thing I do. Copy and paste your past grant applications into an ai analytics software or Chat GPT and do a deep dive into your writing. Find similarities and differences between your narratives, the funders, grants won vs grants lost, etc. Improve your writing based on the insights.