Winning A Grant Means...

Winning a grant means more than having a well written proposal. The proposal is actually one of the last steps to becoming grant ready. Having a well managed nonprofit organization that is self-sustaining, or SUSTAIN-ABLE is one of THE key factors that make your grant proposal stand out from the crowd.

Maybe you've heard the term sustainability before. It's being used more frequently these days in a variety of contexts. Essentially, it's figuring out how to efficiently use existing resources in order to sustain and produce for the future. Nonprofits, forprofits, governments, and individuals alike all face this challenge.

The nonprofit that consistently WINS grants, must have a sustainability strategy. You may be thinking to yourself, what is a sustainability strategy? It's thinking outside the box, using your resources, and taking your destiny into your own hands. What does your organization do well? What skill-sets do your board members and volunteers possess that can be turned into a fee-based product and/or service? 

I have a girlfriend who recently became unemployed. She's been searching for a new job. However, until the job comes, the bills are still real. I suggested to her that she use her gift of cooking to create income until she finds a new job. Well, once she pondered the idea, it began to present itself as the perfect solution. I'm her first customer and I'm proud to report that she will be my personal meal planner and chef going forward! Problem solved!

As a nonprofit organization, this is what you too must do. Organizations that WIN grants are those that use their assets, or skill-sets, to develop a product and/or service to sell to meet a demand in the marketplace.  This generates consistent revenues which help them to be the self-sufficient organizations that grant funders seek. In order for your organization to be among those selected as grant recipient, it must first demonstate its ability to be SUSTAIN-ABLE.