Specific organizational factors that influence the ratio of proposals funded include the following:
- Has the organization set realistic targets for achievement?
Some nonprofits ask a grant writer to submit an arbitrary and large number of proposals each year. To meet this target, the grant writer may use the “shotgun approach” and submit the same generic proposal to a large number of funders as a time-saving approach, without proper research or cultivation. As a result, the success rate for this approach is likely to be low.
At Strategic Grant Writers, we discuss realistic goals with the nonprofit and make sure each proposal is unique and meets the specific parameters of each funders’ requirements.
- Does the organization have strong programs that meet a clear community need?
Grant proposals have a much greater chance of being funded if they can offer a compelling solution to a well-documented community problem.
At Strategic Grant Writers, we develop community priorities with each nonprofit we work with.
- Is the organization structurally and fiscally sound?
Sometimes the best-written grant proposal can be rejected because the funder has serious questions about the organization’s capacity to carry out the scope of work described in the proposal.