Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are becoming increasingly important for businesses of all sizes. Many businesses are beginning to realize the importance of these initiatives and are making an effort to incorporate them into their strategies. But what exactly is DEI, and how can businesses leverage it for success? In this article, we’ll dive into the concept of DEI and discuss strategies for diversifying your business, engaging your employees, and leveraging your efforts for success.
What is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion?
DEI is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of initiatives and strategies designed to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. These initiatives include measures such as creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, promoting equity in hiring and promotion practices, and creating a safe and inclusive environment for all employees. DEI is an ongoing process that requires ongoing commitment from both businesses and employees.
At its core, DEI is about creating an environment in which everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued. It is about ensuring that all employees have the same opportunities and access to resources regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other factor. It is also about creating an environment in which everyone can succeed and reach their full potential.
Here at Collective Vision Consulting, we call DEI, Access and Inclusion because our training focuses on the outcomes of infusing DEI principles in your business. The end-goal of environments in which everyone feels welcome, respected and valued is increased access to resources and opportunities in an ever expanding net of people.
The Business Case for Diversity & Inclusion
The business case for DEI is clear. In addition to creating a more positive and productive work environment, DEI initiatives can also help businesses increase their bottom line. Studies have shown that businesses that promote diversity and inclusion are more likely to attract and retain top talent, as well as increase customer loyalty.
Furthermore, businesses that embrace DEI are more likely to be perceived as forward-thinking and innovative. This can give businesses a competitive edge in the market and help them stand out from their competitors. Finally, businesses that take DEI seriously have shown to be more profitable, as they are better able to attract and retain top talent, as well as better able to attract and retain customers.
Strategies for Diversifying Your Business
There are a number of strategies that businesses can use to diversify their workforce and create an inclusive work environment. These include:
1. Developing a diverse and inclusive recruitment and hiring process. This includes implementing policies and procedures that ensure all qualified candidates have an equal chance of being hired, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other factors.
2. Creating an inclusive workplace culture. This includes providing employees with resources and support such as mentoring and professional development opportunities, as well as ensuring that all employees feel respected and valued.
3. Promoting diversity in leadership. This includes making sure that all levels of leadership are diverse and inclusive and that all employees have an equal opportunity to reach the top.
4. Offering flexible work arrangements. This includes offering flexible hours, remote work options, and other accommodations to ensure that all employees have the same opportunities.
5. Investing in diversity and inclusion initiatives. This includes investing in initiatives such as diversity training, anti-discrimination policies, and DEI education.
Engaging Employees in Diversity & Inclusion Efforts
Creating an inclusive workplace is more than just implementing policies and procedures – it requires active engagement from all employees. To ensure that everyone is on board with DEI initiatives, businesses should create an environment that encourages open dialogue and feedback. This can include holding regular meetings to discuss DEI initiatives, providing employees with resources such as DEI training, and creating DEI committees or task forces to help employees get involved.
Businesses should also create a safe and supportive environment for employees to share their thoughts and opinions. This includes allowing employees to speak freely and without fear of retribution, as well as providing resources and support for employees who may be facing discrimination or harassment.
Leveraging Your Business’s Diversity & Inclusion Efforts
Once businesses have implemented their DEI initiatives, they should make sure to leverage their efforts for success. This includes actively promoting the company’s commitment to DEI, as well as showcasing the successes of their initiatives.
Businesses can also use their DEI initiatives to attract new talent and customers. This can include highlighting the company’s commitment to DEI in job postings, as well as promoting their efforts in customer-facing materials. Finally, businesses should make sure to actively measure and track the success of their initiatives in order to make sure that their efforts are having the desired effect.
Challenges of Implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
Implementing DEI initiatives is not without its challenges. Businesses must be aware of the potential for backlash and resistance from both employees and customers. Additionally, businesses must prioritize DEI initiatives in order for them to be successful. This means that businesses must be willing to make changes and invest both time and resources in order to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
Finally, businesses must be prepared to face the possibility of failure. DEI initiatives can be complex and require a great deal of time and effort to implement. As such, businesses must be prepared to make mistakes and learn from them in order to create a successful DEI program.
Conclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components of any successful business. By implementing DEI initiatives, businesses can create a more positive and productive work environment, attract and retain top talent, and increase their bottom line.
In order to do this, businesses must create a diverse and inclusive recruitment and hiring process, create an inclusive workplace culture, promote diversity in leadership, offer flexible work arrangements, and invest in DEI initiatives. Additionally, businesses must engage their employees in DEI initiatives and leverage their efforts for success.
Ultimately, DEI initiatives can be challenging to implement, but the rewards are worth it. By creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, businesses can reap the benefits of a more positive and productive work environment, increased customer loyalty, and increased profitability.
If you’re looking to learn more about how to leverage diversity, equity and inclusion in your business, sign up for our Liberated Business workshop!
Running a small business is no easy task. Planning is an essential part of any successful business, and the operating plan is an important part of that. An operating plan outlines the day-to-day activities of a business and is critical for small businesses for success. Take the time to think through the daily experiences your customers, employees, and colleagues will have in your business. Think of your Operations plan as the user manual for your business. In this article, we will discuss the importance of an operating plan for small businesses and how to create and use one.
What is an Operating Plan?
An operating plan is a detailed document that outlines the day-to-day operations of a business. It includes the goals, strategies, and activities that are necessary to achieve success. It also outlines the resources, such as personnel, materials, and equipment, that are necessary to carry out the plan. In addition, it also lays out the timeline for the plan and the expected outcomes. Each section in your operations plan will cover 6 basic areas: Goal, Strategy, Activity, Resources, Expected Result, and Review.
Goal: What are you striving for?
Strategy: What tactic will you use to achieve your goal?
Activity: What actions do you take to implement the strategy?
Resources: What resources are needed to take action?
Expected Result: What do you expect to happen when strategy, activity, and resources are combined?
Review: What processes do you have in place to ensure this plan remains effective?
Why is an Operating Plan Important for Small Businesses?
An operating plan is important for small businesses because it provides a roadmap to your success. It helps you identify your goals and objectives and think about how you’re going to get there.
An operating plan also helps you stay focused on your core competencies. When you first start your business, you are going to find yourself doing all the jobs. It’s helpful to have a guiding document that sets boundaries around the time you spend focused on ancillary duties.
Finally, an operating plan helps you stay on track and measure your progress. It allows you to start practicing being proactive. You’ll need to know how to stay proactive when things get challenging and there is nothing like muscle memory to lean on in a clutch.
Components of an Operating Plan
An operating plan consists of several components. It should include the following:
• Goals and objectives: This section should outline the short- and long-term goals of the business, as well as the strategies that will be used to achieve them.
• Resources: This section should outline the personnel, materials, equipment, and costs that will be necessary to carry out the plan.
• Expected Results: This section should outline the timeline for the plan, including milestones, deadlines, and expected outcomes.
• Strategies and tactics: This section should outline the strategies and tactics that will be used to reach the goals, as well as the resources that will be necessary to carry them out.
• Activities: This section should outline the personnel needed for the plan, describing how the activity leads to the stated outcomes.
• Review: This section should outline how progress will be tracked and how adjustments will be made as necessary.
How to Create an Operating Plan
Creating an operating plan for a small business can seem like a daunting task. However, it doesn’t have to be. Here are some steps to get you started:
• Set clear goals and objectives: Before you can create an operating plan, you need to have a clear understanding of your goals and objectives. Think about what you want to accomplish and how you plan to do it.
• Identify the necessary resources: Once you have identified your goals and objectives, you need to identify the resources that will be necessary to achieve them. This includes personnel, materials, and equipment.
• Set a timeline: After you have identified the necessary resources, you need to set a timeline for the plan. This should include milestones, deadlines, and expected outcomes.
• Develop strategies and tactics: Once you have identified the necessary resources and set a timeline, you need to develop strategies and tactics to achieve the goals. This should be tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of the business.
• Develop a budget: Once you have identified the strategies and tactics, you need to develop a budget for the plan. This should include the costs associated with personnel, materials, and equipment.
• Track progress: Finally, you need to track the progress of the plan and make adjustments as necessary. This will help you stay on top of your goals and objectives and ensure that you remain on track.
Operating Plan Strategies
Once you have developed an operating plan for your small business, there are a few strategies you can use to make sure it is successful. Here are some tips to help you get started:
• Communicate: Make sure that everyone involved in the plan is aware of their roles and responsibilities. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. We will discuss creating a communication plan later in this series.
• Be flexible: Life is unpredictable. Be prepared to make adjustments as necessary. This will help you stay on top of your goals and objectives and ensure that you remain on track.
• Have a backup plan: It’s important to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong. This will help you stay prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.
• Track progress: It’s important to track the progress of the plan and make adjustments as necessary. This will help you stay on top of your goals and objectives and ensure that you remain on track.
• Review and revise: It’s important to review and revise the plan regularly. This will help you stay up to date on any changes that need to be made.
How to Use an Operating Plan to Your Advantage
You made the plan and now you have to use it. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your plan:
• Visualize: Using your operating plan, create a visual workflow of your processes. Each step should flow into the next and lead to your expected outcome. This will help you identify areas of misalignment in your processes (grab a copy of our vision workbook to learn more about alignment in your business) and maximize your time and resources to ensure that you are working towards your goals.
• Prioritize: Prioritize your tasks and resources to make sure that you are focusing on the most important activities. This will help you maximize your time and resources and ensure that you are working towards your goals.
• Focus: Stay focused on the goals and objectives of the plan and don’t let yourself get distracted. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you are working towards success.
• Adjust: Make adjustments as necessary and don’t be afraid to make changes if something isn’t working. This will help you stay on top of your goals and objectives and ensure that you remain on track.
• Evaluate: Evaluate the progress of the plan regularly and make adjustments as necessary. This will help you stay on top of your goals and objectives and ensure that you remain on track.
Operating Plan Template
Creating an operating plan for a small business can seem like a daunting task. Do not get hung up on style, find a template you like and get to writing.
An operating plan template is a document that outlines the basic sections of an operating plan. It might include pre-written narratives that you can build on or placeholder text. Think about your intended audience and use a template that is adaptable to different forms of media. Most people use an MS Word template; however, you can use any software to create your plan. MS PowerPoint, Google Slides, or any graphic software is great for visual learners. Try using our operating plan template to get started.
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Find a template you like and move on to the next task on your list. Feel free to use ours if you like.
Conclusion
An operating plan is important for helping you activate your business. It provides clarity and direction and helps you stay focused on your core competencies. It also helps you exercise your proactive muscles.
Hopefully, we’ve made the task of creating an operating plan less daunting. Find a template and get started. Refer frequently to your plan and start a change log to document adjustments. You’re only going to update your plan after a significant event or at the one-year anniversary; time is always an important factor during the review process.
Running a small business is no easy task. However, with an operating plan in place, you can ensure that you are on track and on your way to success. So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your operating plan today and get one step closer to achieving your goals.
Schedule a coaching session with us if you want some help with your planning.
Do you have a dream of starting your own business but don’t have the time or money to get started? You know you have a skill, and that skill is in demand, so you start a side hustle as the perfect way to get your business off the ground. Side hustles are popular because they seem like an easy way to help you make some extra money while keeping your day job. What happens when your side hustle begins to take up more of your time? Perhaps your service offerings were timed perfectly with the collective need. Now you must scale. That’s not the article I’m writing though. What I just described were ideal scenarios. Generic and universal, the basic facts are true. That isn’t the average experience. This article is about a small business owner who starts a “side hustle” like plumbing, housekeeping, or lawn care because they can’t get a “mainstream” job. The returning citizen (read: formally incarcerated) has been forced into entrepreneurship because, despite all the movement that has been made towards convincing business owners to hire people with a history of incarceration, approximately 15,000 returning citizens remain unemployed. This article is for disconnected business owners, those individuals providing a side hustle service that needs to be their ticket to financial stability.
What type of side hustles are you describing?
The cleaning lady who comes by once or twice a month, or only for special occasions. The guy who cuts your grass or cleans your gutters. The occasional handyman you hire from TaskRabbit or Handy. These platforms are designed for gig workers, people who occasionally pick up small jobs to earn extra money. The secret is that for most of the individuals advertising on those platforms, this is their only source of income. Whether by choice or by circumstance, if this situation describes yours, you are a small business owner. You are presenting yourself (and your company) to customers every time you accept one of these jobs. How you present your company during that interaction will determine whether they will become a repeat customer or a satisfied (read: referring) customer. Luckily, in business, you get two chances to make a first impression. The first is when you take the time to set your business up for success by ensuring you have a good foundation. The second is when you provide your service like no one else can.
A Strong Foundation
The first step to getting started with your small business hustle is to do some research to begin to envision your place in the market. This means you need to identify your competitors, your partners, your vendors, potential customers, and the community at large. This is known as Market Research.
A Note about Market Research
Not every business that provides similar services is a competitor. They are only a competitor if they serve your target audience. If you offer cleaning services in homes and apartments, you’re not competing against commercial cleaning services. The commercial cleaning services is a potential partner. People who live in homes, work in those commercial buildings. Contact the commercial cleaning companies in your area and negotiate a referral program or offer to become an affiliate of theirs. Likewise, you could purchase cleaning supplies from them or negotiate an agreement to exclusively use their products designed for home use. This “competitor” is now a partner and/or vendor. Many people scare themselves from starting during market research because the competition landscape looks so large. Think holistically while you’re doing your market research.
Next, you will need to create your business plan. There is no right-size business plan. Let’s keep this simple, shall we? Your plan needs to communicate what you’re doing, for whom and why, how much it will cost you to do it, how much you’re going to charge to do it, and when you’re going to recoup the money you put into start the business (profit!). Other relevant pieces of information include whether profit will be delayed by debt and if so, for how long. Are there assets that can be liquidated if the business shuts down (equipment, heavy machinery, etc.)? Think of your business plan as the table of contents for the book that is your business. The other foundational plans (marketing strategy, revenue plan, standard operating procedures, etc.) are all extensions of the basic facts of the initial business plan: what, for who, why, your cost, their cost, and income results.
Now that you have a firm understanding of your business and its place in your local business community, you can confidently go about the work of getting the necessary permits, licenses, and insurance. Set up your business bank account, and your website and put out your first ad.
The Importance of Planning and Process
During your market research, you’re going to take the time to create a plan and process for how you will manage your business. How much money do you have available to fund your business? How long can you reasonably run your business and take care of your home on the income that is provided by your service business? Use that anxious energy to ‘hit the ground running’ and put it into the intentional design of your new life as a business owner. How do you need to structure your business so that it thrives as an organic by-product of your natural time, talent, and ability? Perhaps you’re a parent and time with your family is important. You’ll want to ensure that your business practices support working families, starting with yours. This might be represented as unique working hours, such as weekends and evenings only, or creating a policy that specifies that the workday ends one hour before school lets out in your local community to ensure parents are home to greet their children after school. Here is where you tell me that it’s just you right now out so you’re going to grind and sacrifice to grow the business and then give all those good benefits to your employees when you can afford it. Your children will understand the value of hard work, blah blah.
Nope. We are not doing that. You are your company’s first employee. The best managers are the best modelers. You do not have to wait and pivot to become an evolved employer. You can decide you are one now and build your business as an evolved company.
You have enough to get started. Send me a message and let me know how it’s going. Schedule some time with me if you want to take a deeper dive into the ideas in the article. Fair winds my friends.
Strategies for Developing a Compelling Grant Proposal
The key to developing a compelling grant proposal is a thorough program planning process. The key to writing a compelling grant proposal is writing compelling project plans. In this article, I’ll show you how to build a program planning process to simplify the grant application process.
Strategy 1: Understand your Participant’s Needs and Priorities
Your program will not be successful if it doesn’t meet the needs of your target population. Be sure to use data from a needs assessment that has been approved by participants with lived experience. If the needs assessment you choose doesn’t independently verify or mention that the process includes the input of participants with lived experience, you can conduct a local focus group to vet the assessment.
Using data from the needs assessment, write a profile describing the demographic, financial, environmental, cultural, and historical experiences of the participants. Be sure to use strengths-based, person-centered language when writing about your target population.
Finally, write a problem statement. Explain why your organization exists, or more specifically, why it needs to exist. What specific problem are you solving with your project? Does your organization serve young girls? There are hundreds of organizations already serving young girls. It’s ok to choose a population that is already being served; you still need to identify what makes your project or organization unique in the space.
Strategy 2: Describe Your Theory of Change
Describe your approach to solving the problem you just stated. Write a compelling story that highlights the impact of your organization’s work. Describe your service delivery approach – home-based case management, center-based programming, mobile services, etc., and your evidence base. Evidence-based means that you rely on objective data and best practices within your industry to inform your service delivery. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you have to pay for an expensive curriculum (although you can certainly raise funds to do so), there are plenty of free resources available for evidence-based programs. The California Evidence Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare is an example of a directory of evidence-based programs. You can find yours with a simple Google search: Evidence-based programming for [insert your cause]. Explain how you will incorporate this evidence into your program strategy.
Strategy 3: Use Local Data
Use data and evidence to support your proposal and demonstrate the project’s potential impact. Using local data elevates your proposal by making it relatable to the reviewers (most likely local volunteers). If your program is the first of its kind in your area, use local data that supports the need for your specialized intervention. Data from the problem statement section can be used here as well.
Be clear and concise, use simple language, and avoid jargon. Make sure your proposal is easy to read and understand by a person not intimately familiar with your industry.
Strategy 4: Provide a Clear Budget
Start by creating a comprehensive master budget that is aligned with the priorities of your target population. This master budget should serve as the foundation for your project’s financial planning, ensuring that all expenses are accounted for, and the budget covers multiple years to account for growth. Once the master budget is established, it can be tailored to suit the specific guidelines and priorities of various funders to create individualized funder-aligned budgets for each proposal.
Begin by listing all aspects of your project, from staffing and operational costs to equipment and other essential resources. This will provide a clear and thorough representation of the project’s financial requirements. Incorporate the cost to achieve the goals and objectives of your project. Strive for a balanced budget that reflects the most critical needs and aspirations of the participants, employees, and the organization.
Once you’ve created your master budget, you can customize it to align with the unique guidelines and priorities of each prospective funder. This will demonstrate that your project is not only well-planned and cost-effective but also directly addresses the specific concerns and interests of the funder. Ensure that each funder-aligned budget highlights the relevant aspects of your project, showcases how the funding will be used and adheres to any restrictions or requirements specified by the funder.
Strategy 5: Create your Logic Model
Logic models are my jam! said no one ever! Despite their ability to frustrate the most patient of souls, they are useful (and required) when building your projects. The quick and dirty is that logic models are a snapshot of your participants’ journey represented by specific program elements. The core elements of a logic model are:
· Goals: a broad/general statement about the intended outcome(s) of your project and is based on the results of a client-informed needs assessment. Goals serve as a framework for all other components of the logic model.
· Objectives: The steps we need to take to achieve those goals. Objectives are concrete and precise action statements of intended outcomes that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-specific.
· Activities: Activities are the actions you will take to meet your objectives. What will you do with resources to meet the objectives and, ultimately, the goal(s)?
· Input/Resources: What are the resources you need to complete the activities to meet the objectives? Consider staffing needs, facility needs, insurance, licenses and permits, technology, and other equipment. A list of resources can also be used to develop a budget for the initiative.
· Outputs: Outputs are the tangible and direct results of activities. Remember that an output statement doesn’t reveal anything about quality. You will assess the quality of your outputs in your evaluation.
· Outcomes: Outcome statements express the result(s) that our initiative intends to achieve if implemented as planned. Outcomes are specific, attainable, and measurable changes that we hope will take place because of our initiative. It answers the question, “What difference did our initiative make?” We should be able to measure the desired change at an individual, group, or organizational level by measuring changes in knowledge, behavior, and/or condition.
· Indicators/ Milestones: Indicators tell us when/if changes have occurred. When we develop our objectives, we need to ask ourselves the following questions.
How will we know when we have achieved our objectives?
What indicators will we look for to measure the progress and success of our initiative?
Are data to measure our progress and/or success readily available or do we need to develop new measures, e.g., surveys, focus groups, etc….?
Strategy 6: Create a Master Program Guide
The Master Program Guide serves as a detailed roadmap for your organization’s programming. Each section represents a clear and concise picture of how the program operates and where it aligns strategically with the overall mission and vision of the agency. This document helps you identify alignment between the agency’s goals and the funder’s initiatives, ultimately increasing the likelihood of securing essential financial support. Additionally, the master program guide aids in streamlining internal communication within the organization, ensuring that all team members have a consistent understanding of the programs and their respective roles in executing them. Finally, each section of the master program guide corresponds to the information you need to respond to funding announcements, saving you time during the application process.
Grant Writing Tips and Best Practices
To summarize, here are some best practices to consider:
Tip 1: Plan Ahead
Plan ahead and allocate enough time and resources to build a comprehensive and compelling project plan.
Tip 2: Use Data and Evidence
Use data and evidence to support your project and demonstrate the project’s potential impact. Be sure to update your data regularly and use local data to make your project relatable.
Tip 3: Tailor Your Proposal
Tailor your proposal to fit the funder’s priorities and requirements, not your program. This is one strategy for avoiding mission creep. Avoid the temptation of trying to make your program fit a funding opportunity by writing your program overview in advance.
Tip 4: Create an application system.
Applying for grants is a time-consuming process that requires strict attention to detail. It helps to have a system that includes easily accessible, frequently used content, a checklist system for relevant requirements, and a review system to check the overall quality of the application. Creating a compelling proposal is the first step toward building that system.
In the next article, we will talk about how to create a universal checklist and review system that is unique to your organization.
If you want to learn more about the grant writing process and creating a system, schedule a session with me here.
Basic Grant Writing Steps for New Nonprofit Organizations
You’ve started your nonprofit and created your program design and financial plan. You know that funding is critical to achieving your mission and serving your community. Grants are an important part of your financial plan and now it’s time to write your first grant. Grant writing can be a daunting task, but with the right strategies and tips, you can master the art of grant writing. In this article, I will share the essentials of grant writing for nonprofit organizations, including understanding the grant writing process, a step-by-step guide to writing grants, strategies for developing a compelling grant proposal, dos, and don’ts of grant writing, best practices for nonprofit grant writing, and grant writing services for nonprofit organizations.
Understanding the Grant Writing Process
The first step in writing winning proposals is understanding the grant writing process. Grant writing is a competitive process where nonprofit organizations submit proposals to funders seeking financial support for a specific project or program. Funders can be government agencies, foundations, corporations, or individuals.
The grant writing process involves several steps, including creating your grant management plan, researching potential funders, analyzing the grant guidelines and making sure they align with your project or program goals, writing a compelling proposal, and submitting the proposal by the deadline. It’s important to note that the grant writing process can take several months, so it’s essential to plan ahead and allocate enough time and resources to complete the grant.
How to Write Grants – Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you understand the grant writing process let’s dive into how to write grants. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you write a winning grant proposal:
Step 1: Create your Grant Management System
The first step in grant writing is to create a grants management system to help you organize project narratives, supporting documents, and financial documents in a reliably accessible location. Your system should also include a tracking system to keep up with deadlines and capture results. Taking the time to do this first will save some time in a time-consuming process.
You can find plenty of fee-based grant management systems that do all this for you, however, a simple Google Drive folder for document storage and a spreadsheet-type tracking system is fine to get started. Your supporting documentation folder should contain a copy of your IRS designation letter, state certificate, board resolution authorizing you to act on behalf of the organization or letter approving the grant application, key staff bios and resumes, board member list, and project narratives for all of your programs.
Your financial documentation folder should contain a copy of your most recent profit and loss report, balance sheet and board approved budget, and a project budget for each of your programs.
You are already using these documents to run your organization, take the time to set them aside in a reliably accessible location like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Dropbox, and remember to update them so you don’t attach outdated information to a project proposal. It will save you LOADS of time!
Step 2: Identify a Funding Opportunity
Now that you’ve set up your system, it’s time to search for a funding opportunity that aligns with your organization’s mission and goals. Start with the advocacy group for your cause, i.e. The American Heart Association if you are a heart health for women nonprofit. Next, go to your local library. Most local libraries have free, limited access to Candid Foundation search. Another good place to search for initial funding is your local service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.) and big box department store community donations page.
Yes, I deliberately left out Grants.gov. However, if you insist, here is what you will do:
You’re going to search for the federal department that oversees the programs and services that directly or indirectly align with your projects’ goals and objectives. For example, if your organization provides services to families with medically complex children, you’ll most likely find aligned funding opportunities in the Administration for Children and Families. When you get to their page you’re going to look up the most recent grant recipients in your state or nearest to your state. You’re going to look for an agency near you that is already providing the service and strike up a conversation. Hopefully that conversation leads to a partnership that includes you providing services as a component of their program.
Why would I leave out grants.gov, you ask? Because those grants are massive. They require time, capacity, and funding that most starting nonprofits will not have. Writing one of these grants is the equivalent of jumping into the deep end of the pool when you only learned to backstroke last week. Also, a finely tuned partnership gives you experience with leveraging funding; bonus points in the eyes of most funders, and the opportunity to increase the overall amount of funding in the area for your mutual causes!
If you want this organization to last, you’re going to build smarter, not harder.
Step 3: Analyze Grant Opportunities and Guidelines
Once you’ve identified a funding opportunity, analyze the grant guidelines carefully. Here is where part 2 of your grants management system enters the picture: your grant analysis system. Since we are focusing on smaller grant applications, the system doesn’t have to be any more complex than another spreadsheet. Here is a simple tracker you can use to get started. I modified a version of that spreadsheet to include analysis that measures factors I look for when deciding to apply for a grant. Sign up for our newsletter and I’ll send you a free copy.
Step 4: Write a Compelling Proposal
Write a compelling proposal that clearly aligns with the funder’s priorities and requirements. Clearly define the project’s goals, objectives, outcomes, and metrics and articulate your organization’s mission, the project’s goals, and how it aligns with the funder’s priorities. Use data and evidence to support your proposal and demonstrate the project’s potential impact. This can be the most time-intensive part of the process, however, we’ve alleviated some of this by having our project plan and supporting documents nearby and easily accessible.
Step 5: Submit the Proposal
Once you’ve completed the proposal, review it carefully for accuracy, grammar, and spelling errors. Submit the proposal by the deadline, following the funder’s submission guidelines. Have a trusted person review your application or hire a grant specialist to review it before you submit your application.
In the next article, we’ll discuss strategies for developing a compelling proposal. Hint: it starts with having a compelling project plan.
Remember, you don’t have to do this alone. Contact me if you want to talk more about grant writing strategies.
