Folly #27: Staffing Up for Fundraising
Why a grant writer shouldn't be your first hire
Every nonprofit will say they need someone to write grants. And often, this is their first hire, typically as a contract position.
That is completely backwards.
Follow the Talent
Writing grants isn’t all that different from other kinds of marketing. You identify and learn about the audience. You talk about your work in compelling ways that meet the interests of that audience. You write and read and rewrite and check your grammar. And then you cross your fingers and send it out into the universe, hoping that people respond to your Call to Action and give or get involved.
If you think about these talents and skills, chances are that you already have a writer on your team who can write grants.
What makes the most sense for small teams staffing up for fundraising? Train the person (staff member or volunteer) who does your newsletter to write your grants. And make use of free online training and tools, like this Map to Successful Grantwriting, to help them learn grants the tips-and-tricks of funder research, proposal best practices, and systems to manage grants deadlines and communications.
But that’s not what most nonprofits do. They hire a grant writer.
Follow the Money
Individuals give more than foundations: 69% of all philanthropic dollars. And the best thing about this is that anyone can learn to raise money from individuals. Chances are, you’ve already done it. From that pledge-per-mile for the walkathon you did as a child, to school raffles and auction donations and Facebook fundraisers, I can guarantee that you’ve asked someone to give to a nonprofit. Perhaps counterintuitively, what it really takes to be good at asking for major gifts is great listening skills. That’s the magic.
Of course, there are nonprofits paid by our tax dollars through government grants to perform essential services like public health and shelter from domestic violence (illustrated here through links to two amazing organizations where I’ve worked). These organizations receive most of their funding from grants, typically year-over-year from the same source of funding. Grants renewals and strong relationships with a handful of institutional funders can be an excellent way to raise sustainable revenue; new grant applications not so much.
And there’s always the possibility that you’re a Development Director in a small shop, doing it all – individual donors and grants, and the newsletter and website. I’ve been there. (A great role to be in, by the way. Like this one.)
But if you’re not, don’t make a grant writer your first hire when you staff up for fundraising. Get someone who’s good with people and can learn a database, and let them go to work getting to know the individuals in your funding universe.
I named my consulting practice Community Grantwriters because of this Folly. Nearly every small-staffed nonprofit will say they need help with grants, so it gets my foot in the door. And then we do everything in our power to help them build systems that will raise money from individuals. Curious? Let’s talk.