The Grant Writing Marathon

William Sutton of Brooklyn was witty, bright-eyed, and always a gentleman. He was also a notorious bank robber, a master at robbing banks while charming people along the way. Once asked by a reporter, “Why do you rob banks?” Willie responded, “Because that’s where the money is.” Although Sutton denied the remark, the iron logic of the answer has become famous, even inspiring a theory known as Sutton’s Law, which says, when seeking an answer, look in the most likely place.

Doesn’t it make sense then, that when seeking money, nonprofits should approach foundations and institutions which exist exclusively to give away money? There are over 100,000 foundations in the United States alone, all giving out grants, and it is your job to identify which foundations are looking for an organization like yours, and to approach these foundations through grant writing.

Yet, among some nonprofits, grant writing has a bad reputation, even seen as a waste of time. The complaint is often that “foundations only give away money to people they know.” Of course! The same can be said of every donor! While grant writing certainly does test a fundraiser’s skills, the payoff is no less than organizational stability and a well-rounded fundraising strategy.

In order to ensure your organization will be around for the long-term, donations should come from diverse set of funding sources – major donors, individuals, and foundations. This month, we will discuss the process of approaching foundations, with the intent to increase your grant writing success by equipping you with the right mindset, strategy and expectations.

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Click here to watch our free Nonprofit Webinar featuring COO and Managing Director Peter Giersch and special guest speaker Alicia Manning of of The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation as they give valuable insight into grant writing from the foundation's prospective.