By Purpose Plus Industry Leading Grant Support

We are excited to share 10 practical tips to help you win more grants. One thing we have learned is that there is no one-size-fits all solution. The benefit of learning from experienced grant writers is that you can test what works in your organisation and leave what doesn’t. The tips below will help you across the grant lifecycle, including how to save time, make strategic decisions, and strengthen your proposals. Ready? Ok, let’s dive in.

 

1. Make sure your organisation and project are eligible

Grant guidelines typically cover organisation eligibility and project eligibility criteria (often referred to as ‘funding inclusions’). You must meet all the criteria across both categories for your application to be considered. There’s a common misconception you can throw your hat in the ring because your organisation is ‘doing good’, but if the application doesn’t meet all the criteria, it will be automatically disqualified. 

Don’t just submit to ‘get your name out there’ if you cannot demonstrate eligibility. This may harm your reputation with the funder. 

 

2. Know your risk

If you work in a very small organisation of 1 – 2 people with a limited track record, funders are likely to perceive you as a high-risk prospect for investment. In many cases, it is very unlikely that applicants meeting this profile will even be considered.  

We are being honest here because we don’t want to see passionate, impactful initiatives wasting invaluable time and resources on a revenue channel that isn’t going to pay off in the short term. 

Instead, consider prioritising local business sponsorships, donations, capacity building, and strategic relationships. When you can apply for smaller grants in your local area or that are perfectly aligned with your aims – perfectly! – start to go for these and they you can build up to larger grant requests.  

You can also consider how to leverage auspice and consortium arrangements with more established organisations to start to build your profile. 

 

3. Be ready to undergo due diligence

One of the first steps a grant funder will take when you apply for a grant is a due diligence review on your organisation. This will certainly include reviewing your ACNC reporting, website, social media channels, annual report, and other public communications. 

Make sure these channels are up to date and present a consistent story about the organisation and its objectives. Program managers and assessors will also review its previous funding track record and may even ask for a referee. If financial statements highlight any potential perceived risks, upfront these in your application materials – or it’s highly possible that the funder will make their own judgement call without asking for more information. 

 

4. Connect with the program manager

Some trusts and foundations will expect you to reach out to their team to discuss how your proposed activity or project aligns with their funding objectives. If contact is welcomed (or required), make sure you reach out before starting an application. Even if you decide not to go ahead, this can be a great opportunity to build relationships with potential funders. 

 

5. Measure your impact

Before you decide to proceed with a grant application, check in on how well you can clearly articulate the number of people who will benefit from your proposed activities, including indirect beneficiaries. Make sure this is backed up with hard data (often broadly referred to by funders as ‘evidence’). What are the changes in behaviour or situation that you expect to result from the proposed initiative, and how will you measure these?  

Ideally, your organisation will have considered an impact framework that sets out program logic and includes quantitative and quantitative research that underpins the effectiveness of your approach. 

 

6. Be aware that assessment criteria can be fluid

Not all funders decide how to assess an opportunity before they publish an open grant round. If there are a high number of applications, for example, an assessment process may be adapted to accommodate the volume once the round has closed. This could include a process to prioritise applications with particular thematic focus areas, operating in specific geographies, of a certain size, or other criteria identified post-applications. Note that new technology is being used by some funders to screen and cull applications, helping their teams improve efficiency as they are also often operating with limited resources. 

 

7. Understand the scoring matrix

Grant assessors often use the Likert scale methodology with a scale of 0 – 5 to rate how well each aspect of a grant application aligns with their priorities. This can be applied to each response, risk management (e.g. financial track record), or to the whole application: 

  • Excellent – 5 points 
  • Very good – 4 points 
  • Good – 3 points 
  • Weak – 2 points 
  • Poor – 0 to 1 point

Amalgamated scores are used to inform or benchmark recommendations to decision-makers. 

 

8. Assessment processes vary – tailor accordingly

Government grants follow specified frameworks. For example, the Australian Government’s Grants Toolkit outlines how arrangements are determined to be a grant, templates and user guides. States and territories also have principles for how grant programs need to be delivered. 

Government departments primarily use a panel approach to inform decision-making, but foundations and philanthropic organisations do not use a standard model for grant application assessment. Depending on the grant value and the delegation of financial authority, some applications may be assessed by a small group of nominated staff, while others will require a panel approach, and the requirement for board approval varies. If grant makinis subject to board approval, bear in mind the assessment process could be lengthy, depending on how often the board meets. 

You may also be interested in: What do grant funders REALLY want? 

 

9. Remember the decision makers are custodians

Decision makers are often custodians of someone else’s funds. 

In government agencies, program officers, panel assessors, and often ultimately, Ministers, are making recommendations and decisions that they feel are best for the public. They are responsible for upholding due diligence and risk management processes to achieve value for money in the distribution of grants.  

In Trusts and Foundations that deliver grant programs, decisions are made by executives, board directors, and trustees that often are not directly connected to the money. They are responsible for upholding the charitable giving or social value instructed by others. These decision makers have little wiggle room to deviate from the specified purpose of the funding, no matter how impactful an idea may be. 

 

10. Get your documents in order

When you keep documents in one place where you can easily find and include them in your grant applications, you will save time and stress. 

A few things you should pay close attention to: 

  • Letters of support should be included when invited, even if only mentioned as ‘optional’ 
  • Clearly and consistently naming your documents uploaded or attached as part of grant applications impresses funders 
  • Regularly review documents to ensure accuracy over time, including e.g. insurance certificates, impact reporting, certifications, and other common artefacts for grant application compliance.