Deborah Ward

In last month’s column, I highlighted a paper entitled “Right-sizing the Grantmaking Process,” which was written by Project Streamline, an initiative of the Grant Managers Network. In that paper, there is also a list of suggested questions that grant seekers should ask themselves before applying for a grant, which is the focus of this month’s column.

These six questions will help you determine whether it’s worth your time to apply for a particular grant. I think these are excellent questions; I find that people often want to jump right into applying for a grant, when in fact, it’s not a program they should consider. I believe these questions raise issues that many who are new to the grant-seeking field will find particularly helpful.

Is your work aligned with the funder’s mission, goals, and objectives?…Read More

Recently, I read an article that answered several questions I’ve had about grant makers for a long time. Not only that, but the article also addressed several questions that I often get from participants when I’m presenting my grants workshops.

The article is titled “Right-sizing the Grantmaking Process,” and it’s one in a series from a collaborative initiative of the Grants Managers Network. The network is made up of small family foundations, prominent national foundations, grant-making public charities, and socially responsible corporations. The documents were created by a group of individuals known as Project Streamline, which is an effort of funders and nonprofits to improve grant application, monitoring, and reporting practices.

The purpose of “Right-sizing the Grantmaking Process” is to help funders understand that one size might not fit all when it comes to grant applications and reporting requirements for grantees. Funders are encouraged to look at four core recommendations:…Read More

Think at a local level, a state level, a national level, and even an international level.

Seasoned grant writers might notice that some funders, especially for major grant programs, ask for a dissemination plan in their request for proposals. That is, applicants are asked to describe how the results of their project will be shared after the grant period ends. Funders ask for a dissemination plan so that others can learn from the results of grant-funded projects and can replicate successful projects in their own institutions.

Developing a dissemination plan is not very difficult, but it might involve researching some potential avenues to distribute the information if you are unfamiliar with doing this. Look at dissemination as a circle that starts small and then widens out more broadly. In other words, think at a local level, a state level, a national level, and possibly even an international level for ways to disseminate the results of your grant-funded project.

Here are a few general suggestions to help guide the creation of a dissemination plan:…Read More