Preparing Yourself for a Successful 2021: The Importance of Gathering Key Documents

We like to use the holiday season's quiet times to collect copies of key documents that will be essential to our grant writing success in the future. First, this means asking your staff and key project leaders to update their resumes.

Too many staff members do not even list their current job or their current responsibilities on their resumes. Making sure that this crucial information is current will help you with winning grants in 2021.

Along with the updated resumes, we think the holiday season is a good time to ask your leadership to prepare budgets for the projects they want to get funded in 2021. Getting this sort of information ahead of time will help everyone get real about their needs. Moreover, it will save valuable time in the coming year when you need to prepare budgets for crucial projects.

Finally, the holiday season is a good time to plan ahead and determine which educational conferences you would like to attend. Ideally, you should be preparing yourself to present a paper or make a presentation, at one or more of those conferences. 

Being able to add these kinds of publishing credentials to your resume might make a crucial difference in establishing that you have the imagination and state-off-the-art knowledge needed to implement a truly creative and effective grant project. There is almost no more sure path to success with grants.

Planning Your 2021 Grant Writing: How to Make Next Year Better Than the Last

When we discuss ideas for Lightning Fast Grant Writing, we sometimes forget to mention the power and speed that comes from simply planning ahead.

For example, one of the tasks we recommend for grant writers to get done in the month of December is to chart out the due dates for their most important grant applications.

Often you can find out the upcoming deadlines by reviewing the websites of your most important funders. We like to take that information and add it to an Excel spreadsheet that is organized in chronological order. It also works to put everything into Outlook too. You can even set up tasks to remind you to work on those particular grants ahead of time.

Ideally, these due dates can also be included in your overall fundraising planning calendar so that everyone in your fundraising department, or administrative staff, knows what to expect in the year ahead.

Although it may not be possible to pick exact dates for upcoming federal or state grant competitions, you can often guess when these grants will be available simply by checking on your prior year's experience and assuming the government funders will follow the same rough schedule in the coming year too.

Don't Skip the Basics: Tips for Grant Writers in Tough Times and Beyond

As we have said for years, when times are tough you can always win and succeed by going back to the basics. Sure. You still have to know the basics, right? 

At Drew & Associates, sticking to the basics means realizing that your time with any funder is going to be exceedingly short and that you will also be competing against other charities for the resources of the same funders. This means you have no choice except to develop a winning theme. This theme must call attention to your strengths, distract attention from your weaknesses. It must also call attention to your competitor's weaknesses and undermine their strengths. 

For example, if you are competing against an established charity with a large number of employees, then you need to stress that your volunteers are not only better role-models for your clients but also have better social networks in the larger community too. You should also mention that your volunteers are saving you money so that more of your resources are directly spent on clients. 

Along the same lines, you are wise to write out an elevator speech for your charity. This is the speech that you would give to an interested potential donor if your time with them was limited to the amount of time you spend with them in an elevator going up to the 105th floor. 

This elevator story needs to reflect the power of your winning theme. Ideally, everyone in the organization needs to memorize your elevator pitch so you can communicate with busy donors in a clear, concise, heartfelt way. We want your prospect to be motivated to go back to her office and search for more information about your organization. Of course, you should also make sure that the winning themes in your slogan, match those in your elevator speech, and also on the website too. 

A fellow grant writer reminded us that our charities tend to be better at fundraising than they are at saving money. This means that every time we write a grant proposal we look for some ingenious cost-saving measure which can be highlighted as evidence of our thriftiness. The trick is to let the funder know that you are interested in cost-saving measures and that you are in the process of streamlining your organization. This effort at self-improvement should be taking place, day after day, in good times and bad.  

It is probably a good idea to remember that, in good times and bad, grantmakers want to make sure that the organizations applying for grants really need the money.  They also want to be certain that the money they give will be spent wisely and make an impact.  Funders are eager to justify their grants to their board members and other stakeholders. Accordingly, they are looking for thoughtful ways of measuring impact. You can do that too. You should, however, look for impacts that are also in line with your winning theme. 

You do not want to shoot yourself in the foot by measuring things that make your nonprofit look worse. Instead, you should report measures which show off your strengths. You may, in fact, need to reinvent your field to make that happen. If that is the case, do it. The alternative is to be trapped in the position of being second best. 

Compelling Reasons Why Your Charity Needs Foundation Grants to Survive

According to Dr. Drew, managing director of Drew & Associates, “I see profound evidence supporting why your non-profit organization should stress grant writing for foundation funding in 2021 and maybe even longer.”

Those reasons are:

Stable Giving – Foundations must make charitable grants – in good times and bad – of at least 5% of their assets, averaged over five years. Importantly, foundations frequently increase their donations in challenging times to compensate for the financial difficulties charities face. 2020 has been no exception. According to our friends at Foundation Search – over 7,500 US foundations have explicitly launched COVID-19 relief initiatives. They believe this number will increase significantly in 2021.

Predictable giving – Foundations exist to donate to charity, unlike individuals and corporations, who have a variety of shifting interests and priorities that are dependent on a robust economy.  Foundations often publish giving guidelines relating to geographic and philanthropic areas of giving interest – furthermore, analysis of giving through time indicates that most foundations maintain a strong, consistent focus in the areas they support.

Low risk / low cost – unlike high expenditure / high risk fundraising efforts like golf tournaments and galas, foundation fundraising requires very little upfront investment, typically $5,000-$15,000, and with the average single foundation grant amount of $59,300 (2019, 2020), it provides the most cost-efficient method of fundraising – all that is required to start is a funding database which identifies good funding prospects, a good letter, and a few stamps and envelopes.

Low effort – relative to almost any other form of fundraising, approaching foundations requires fewer resources to succeed. This is particularly true of the upfront work in sorting through the over 135,000 U.S. foundations to identify a list of “best prospects” for your project, a task that a few years ago could consume months of effort. Foundation funding information and management systems are now able to intelligently and accurately identify a shortlist of the best prospects for a variety of project funding needs, including COVID-19 funding – and recommend a safe asking amount based on the funders prior giving history.  The balance of the upfront effort simply involves writing and sending a letter of inquiry to your foundation prospects to determine their interest in helping you.

Growth – the most recent CCS Fundraising survey (August, 2020)  indicates that foundation funding was the fastest-growing giving source since 2015-19, growing at a rate of 5.7%, compared to 3.2% for giving by individual donors. Foundations gave $72  billion, in the form of an estimated 1,164,000 grants – that is more than one grant for every two charities in the US so your odds of getting funded – if you apply of course – are good.

Increased credibility for you and your organization – well, once you get funded by a foundation that is. When you are successful in attracting a foundation grant you will open up many doors in the foundation and corporate world for your organization for years to come – you have proven that you are worth funding and can deliver. 

Diversification of funding sources – financial advisors will strongly advise you not to put your life savings into a single stock or sector; for the same reason, having a variety of funding sources—including foundation funding—will strengthen your organization and protect it from the sharp downturns every economy periodically experiences.

Foundations – Why Should They be Key to Your Pandemic Treasure Hunt?

Our staff at Drew & Associates speaks with hundreds of non-profits and foundations each month.

The news we are hearing tells us that too many of the reliable strategies charities traditionally used to raise money in 2020 have proven inadequate.

The worst-hit has been to events-based fundraising, which, according to the folks at Foundation Search, “has shrunk in terms of proceeds by over 70% since March 2020.”

Sadly, individual giving has also dropped in 2020. Individual donors are feeling less generous, in part, because of the side effects of double-digit unemployment and bleak job futures.

As you might expect corporate giving is in trouble too. Corporate philanthropy is flat in the financial and technology sectors, and down significantly in most other sectors, including energy, resources, retail, travel and hospitality.

Is 2021 going to be better?

Despite the late summer optimism as COVID-19 cases fell and lockdowns eased, many forecasters are now saying it will very likely be a “2020 repeat” given the fall spike in cases, despite prospects for an effective vaccine, and hopefulness about its wide-spread distribution.

So, what should a non-profit do to stay alive (and perhaps even thrive) in 2021?

We believe that the things that worked in 2020 should continue to work in 2021.

Thanks to all the reports we have received from a considerable number of clients and other non-profits, we know that 2020 has been a good year to date for foundation giving 

Importantly, over 7,500 US foundations have announced funding initiatives directly focusing on COVID-19 relief.

Since April, we have directly assisted over 25 charities in their efforts to locate and secure COVID-19 emergency funding.

If you are still looking for assistance, contact us for our most recent COVID-19 funders list – it is free for the asking for all non-profits. Call Drew & Associates at 949-338-5921. 

Mark Your Calendar: Join Dr. Drew's Live Remote Grant and Fundraising Workshops for Spring 2021

Grant Writing Fundamentals (Remote Live) 

Learn this valuable skill in a highly interactive videoconferencing format from the comfort of your home. Join Dr. Drew in an invigorating and informative workshop created for new and experienced grant writers, executive directors, organizers, board members, community volunteers, and individuals who want to get a detailed look at the grant writing process. Dr. Drew will introduce you to all information needed for a successful grant proposal. You will learn how funding is announced, how applications are judged, and how to construct each element of a winning proposal. The techniques Dr. Drew emphasizes—including how to work quickly, how to create a winning message, and basic evaluation techniques—apply with equal force to small or large grants. Certificate of completion given to each participant who finishes the class. 

Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 27, 2021.

Course Fee: $144 includes $36 materials fee for handouts and booklet. Pay before February 1, 2021 and you will receive the early bird special pricing of 20% off. 

Grant Writing Intermediate (Remote Live)

Dr. Drew presents this hands-on workshop as part of the Grant Writing series of classes. In it, he reveals the secrets of cashing in on grants for individuals in a new, innovative videoconferencing format. Unlimited by the boundaries of a classroom, this new class leverages all the benefits of modern technology to assist individuals seeking resources from corporations, foundations, and government agencies. Dr. Drew also teaches the skills needed to be successful in researching individual grants or educational scholarships. You will have step-by-step guidance on how to become a grant-writing consultant or to create a non-profit charity. John C. Drew, Ph.D., is a speaker, author, and consultant who has raised $52 million for non-profits. 

Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 13, 2021

Course Fee: $144 includes $36 materials fee for handouts and booklet. Pay before February 1, 2021 and you will receive the early bird special pricing of 20% off. 

Grant Research Fundamentals (Remote Live)

NOW Remote – Truly at least half of your success in winning grants depends on your skill in researching them. Accordingly, this class has been created for non-profit leaders and staff who need a detailed look at the technology and the practical tips needed to speed-up the grant research process. Participants will be introduced to: 

• Top websites for grant research including those provided by the federal government, State of California, and the Foundation Directory Online by Candid.
• Useful websites for identifying individual grants for art projects, scholarly research, and college and graduate school scholarships.

This course has been redesigned for the on-line environment. It will now be easier for students to see grant research websites and other tools in action and simultaneously interact with the instructor. 

Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2021

Course Fee: $144 includes $36 materials fee for handouts and booklet. Pay before February 1, 2021 and you will receive the early bird special pricing of 20% off. 

Fundraising Fundamentals (Remote Live)

NOW Remote – Learn this valuable skill in a highly interactive videoconferencing format from the comfort of your home. Non-profits can win reliable support through grants, but they also need to know the most important basics about other fundraising methods. "I can’t teach everything I know about fundraising," says Dr. Drew, "but I can teach the six most important things I think will make the biggest possible difference for your success." In this workshop, an award-winning author, trainer, and consultant introduces simple proven techniques and strategies. Participants will learn how fundraising has evolved, how new software keeps track of donors, and how to win individual gifts without the pressure of a face-to-face ask. 

Meeting: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, 2021

Course Fee: $144 includes $36 materials fee for handouts and booklet. Pay before February 1, 2021 and you will receive the early bird special pricing of 20% off. 

Praise for Dr. Drew’s Workshops 

“Learned about the database to find grants.” – Nicole Sims, West Los Angeles College

 “Interacting with the group sparked many great ideas.” - Neekole Glaspie, West Los Angeles College

"Very informative, with positive energy transferred to the students." 

"The course was very inviting. Dr. Drew was very clear and knowledgeable. He made it easier for me to achieve my goals and enjoy success in life." 

"Dr. John Drew was very knowledgeable, invigorating, timely, and made learning interesting and clear." 

"This was constant, good practical information. The first 15 minutes made the whole class worth it!" 

"Dr. Drew is wonderful. He taught me a lot in a very short time." 

"The course was very informative and gave me a good insight into what it takes to be a grant writer." 

"This class was excellent and very informative." 

"Great class. Thank you for offering it!" 

"Yay! Great class!" 

"Excellent-- I really enjoyed Dr. Drew. Best organized information." 

"Dr. Drew has given me the tools to stay motivated and to move forward on my non-profit." 

"Overall outstanding." 

More Upcoming Dates for Fall 2021

Grant Writing Fundamentals - September 18, 2021

Grant Writing Intermediate – October 9, 2021

Grant Research Fundamentals - November 13, 2021

Fund Raising Fundamentals – December 4, 2021

Ahead of the Curve: How to Capture the Benefits of Being Well-Informed

Au courant is a fancy way of saying, "aware of what is going on; well informed." Why is this important to the success of any charity seeking grants?

If you have already read the article above, then you would know at least part of the answer. After all, a charity is meant to be a living, problem-solving organism that is continuously scanning its environment, and looking for ever better ways to come to the rescue of those who can most benefit from its help.

There are many ways to show that your charity is a thriving organization that fits this description. 

One of the best ways to make sure that you are sending a message that your charity is au courant is by documenting your evidence of need or the quality of your solutions is by relying only on peer-reviewed research articles that were published within the last two years.  If you depend on older citations, it makes you and your staff with the lazy.  Even worse it may make it look like you and your program are dangerously out-of-date. 

You may be inadvertently leaving the funder with the impression that you are taking action on behalf of others when you really do not know for sure what is going on or what are the best practices for helping them.  Ideally, your grant applications should be teaching the funders about both the actual needs and the best possible solutions. 

Next, it does matter whether not you have mentioned COVID-19.  Failing to mention the ongoing pandemic makes it look like you and your organization are out of touch with reality. This is true whether or not your program has any COVID-19 related features. 

Along the same lines, there is nothing wrong with acknowledging that things are happening in the world in terms of rioting in the streets or the stresses of a presidential campaign. There is no reason for you to take any sides when acknowledging current events. It is enough to simply signal that you realize the world is changing and that you are on top of that change. 

Looking Good: Understand the Ideal Charity Before You Describe Yourself

We have been fans of the James Bond series since we were kids in the 1960s. The genre, of course, was popular for many years and started out as novels by Ian Fleming.

James Bond was sort of the perfect guy, handsome, patriotic, intelligent, and able to handle himself in a fight. To blow away your funder, your charity needs to be something of an ideal too. The funders, after all, may have a stereotyped understanding of what an ideal charity looks like and then use this image to judge your strengths or weaknesses.

The solution? Understand what an ideal charity looks like and become one.

I'm not suggesting that you should live to the funder. In fact I think that is counterproductive . The people that run these foundations or government agencies that giveaway grants aren't stupid. They have their own sources of information including insight from your competitors so I don't think you can count on getting away with things that are untruthful .

Nevertheless you may get away with looking better than your competition by having a clearer understanding of what an ideal charity looks like . Basically in the ideal charity is a glamorous self-less problem solving machine that makes its community dash broadly defined path of a better place .

This means that is going to have some common features , features that you should talk about 80 have fun and features that you should probably add to your charity if you do not. Among these ideal aspects of the charity including adding it up to date profile on guide star or charity navigator . It is too easy for the funder to google you and see where you stand. If you're up to date on these things she looked old-fashion or perhaps like you really aren't paying sufficient attention to your charity and how does seem by the outside world. Remember, these funders are going to be embarrassed if they get the money and then one of their bodies: supper profile and find a pitcher not doing so good .

Next to an ideal charity should have a strong board of directors ideally filled with some of the Mo six else: wealthiest people in the community . You may already have a board like that but you've been to Cheyenne haven't been bragging about how incredible some of your people really are. Now's the time to start bragging .

It's also good to let people know that you haven't audited financial statement . These are important even for smaller charities. I can say with my four heart that could you pay the extra money to have an audited financial statement you easily get that money back by winning more grants .

It's also important to let the funder know that you have a strategic planning process that the charity just isn't moving from crisis to crisis . Your let people know that you have considered your strengths and weaknesses the environmental opportunities and threats and that you're moving rationally on the basis of a well thought out board approved a five year plan . The father doesn't have to know that this is a two page document that she created the day before turning in the grant proposal . Nevertheless that's a good idea to have a document like that in place. In fact it should improve your operations.

It is also important to put in some sort of equity diversity and inclusion statement . These things are rather far most and difficult to follow up on. Nevertheless the funder appreciates it if you put something like that in their . Also the funders are products of liberal and leftist educational institutions . Putting in this sort of skinheads to their politically correct preferences will simply remove one more excuse for them to toss your application out .

Finally, it is important that everything lines of this means that you have the right mission statement , the corrected vision for your charity , a crack team in place , the best possible solution , and the greatest possible need in the community to six . What she may not realize, however, is that all five of these variables can be adjusted . There's nothing wrong with changing your mission statement so it reflects what you really do , there's nothing wrong with identifying the greatest need in the community and then adjusting of other elements of your charity to address that need . If you have one solution that you're really get that there's nothing bad about shopping around in finding an appropriate problem just sat with that solution all that really matters, in the end, is the coherence of your charity . Another words everything he asks a line of all five of these things need to line up so that your charity looks like a smart well organized the machine .