The competition for landing a transformational grant has always been stiff, but some grant seekers seem to have the magic touch. What are they doing right? I recently had the chance to speak to an array of experts with an excellent track record of securing six- and seven-figure grants, who shared their tips for standing out in this year’s crowded field of applicants.
“There’s this unwritten set of guidelines,” says Susan Schaefer, a consultant who specializes in large grants as principal of Resource Partners. “Major grants rely on relationships, and they are becoming more important this year because the competition is so fierce.”
Schaefer and three other grant-seeking experts talked to me about mission creep, board connections, the best prospect-identifying tech tools, and — most important — how to cultivate relationships with program officers in a way that captures and keeps their attention.
Treat program officers like you treat your major donors, says Janna Spock, vice president and chief development officer at Jazz at Lincoln Center. She uses the same stewardship strategy with wealthy foundations that she uses to cultivate ties with individual supporters: “We invite them to our concerts. We invite them to see us in action in the classroom or out in the field. We send them videos and interviews with Wynton [Marsalis],” the famed jazz trumpeter and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. “We’ve had foundations reach out to us directly after receiving the year-end email from Wynton.”
For more advice on how to stand out from the pack, read the rest of my article: Tips for Winning 6-Figure Grants in a Competitive Climate. And check out our webinar Securing Large Grants: Strategies That Work, now available on demand.
Enjoy your first week of summer,
M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Advice
