Betsy Baker
Tomorrow, Betsy Baker of Your Grant Authority will present a webinar for our All-Access Pass Holders on how to find grant money specifically for your nonprofit’s marketing and communications programs. Didn’t think you could find grants for anything other than your programs or services? Betsy busts that myth and shares how you can get the funds you need for your support staff. Get more information on tomorrow’s webinar and become an All-Access Pass Holder to join us.
Guest Post by Betsy Baker of Your Grant Authority
Even though it appears that most grant funders are only interested in funding a nonprofit’s programs and services, there actually is money to be found for less flashy, but just as needed, support staff that help make those offerings happen. The trick is all in your comprehensive approach to finding it.
First, there are certain “buzzwords” to be aware of when researching potential grant funders for your organization’s marketing and communications staff. Most grant funders will have their application and guidelines for completion on their website and will detail what they’re interested in funding. You can most certainly ask for funds for support staff if you come across interests such as these:
- Capacity building
- Administrative costs
- Operating support
- Special projects
If the grant funder accepts proposals for these types of support, and you meet other restrictions and criteria, by all means fill out that application!
Second in your approach to secure funding, is to plan ahead. This means researching potential grant funders, noting the ones you wish to apply for and then developing a grants calendar. When you know that you have application deadlines to meet, the less you’ll be scrambling at the last minute and missing them. It also helps to ensure that you have allowed enough time to complete the proposal and get it in on time. Grant funders like that!
Third, be sure to detail in your proposals how your marketing and communications staff play a vital role in presenting programs to your community. They help bring awareness of you and your mission to the public, they help bring in clients that you assist and they bring financial support to your organization. Link how they work with program staff in ensuring your projects’ success. Often, funders aren’t aware exactly of the role that marketing and communications play in that success. They won’t know or understand unless you tell them.
Finally, prepare a quality proposal. Grant applications are different from your annual reports and other publicity materials so don’t expect an award from simply cutting and pasting from these materials into your proposals. Grant funders like to see both a good mix of storytelling coupled with concrete statistics about the community that you’re serving. Not sure about how to craft a quality proposal? Review these 60 tips that can help.
For more detailed information on how to secure grant money for your nonprofit’s marketing and communications staff, be sure to join me tomorrow as I present Where’s the Grant Money for Your Marketing and Communications? I hope to see you there!
Betsy Baker is President of YourGrantAuthority.com. She has a Master’s in Public Administration from Auburn University and is an author, trainer/coach, public speaker and grant writing consultant raising $10 million in grant funding. She is dedicated to demystifying the grant writing process and encouraging fund raisers to write winning grant applications. She also coaches fellow grant writers in becoming grant writing consultants and has recently launched Coach with Betsy, a program dedicated to training nonprofit consultants.
