Secured more than $45 million in funding through diverse channels, including grants ($15m personally / $25m through partnerships), events ($750K), peer-to-peer fundraising ($350K), online contributions ($450K), and individual/legacy gifts ($5m).
Grant writing is not as easy as some might think. While it may seem like a simple way to secure funding, it requires much effort and dedication. I believe the key to successful grant writing is to view it as a way to build long-term partnerships between funders and organizations. A grant is an investment in a mission, and the best grants truly reflect the organization's values and goals.
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Like many grant writers, I fell into it by accident. I was working with a client named Brandon (not his real name), a 22-year-old spitfire who was sharp as a whip. He was working his way to independence but needed some basic necessities to furnish his first apartment. While we found some things at the local Goodwill, we were left with a $2,000 gap between what we had and what we needed. The nonprofit I was working with at the time suggested I write a grant to our local bank. That first grant started me on a journey of writing hundreds of proposals, grants, and letters to impact the lives of hundreds of THOUSANDS of people.
While every grant and project is unique, I typically start by getting to know the organization’s mission, background with grants, staffing structure, and programs. The more I am familiar with the organization, the easier it is to inspire others to invest. Then I use a handful of tools to search for grants. There are a variety of tools, I tend to use Google, Foundation Center, Grants.gov, and a handful of other sources to identify target funders. I do a deep dive for each target funder to understand their giving history, mission, and types of projects they fund. If a funder seems like a match, I love to connect with the grant manager to introduce myself and see if my organization or project is a good match. This isn’t necessary, but I’ve found it ALWAYS helps to get to know the grant manager. Finally, we write the grant, gather the necessary documents, submit it, and follow up with the grant manager thanking them for their support.
Grant writing can be a complex process with many components that must be carefully managed. As someone who has worked as a project manager in this field, I understand the importance of keeping everyone on the team informed and up-to-date. To do this, I use a variety of tools that can be customized to meet the specific needs of each organization. My go-to project management tools include Monday.com, Asana, Trello, and NOTION - which happens to be my favorite!
Chris Hultquist
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