Explore the importance of a comprehensive grant timeline, provide practical steps to help you plan grant activities, and explain how Instrumentl can assist in organizing and tracking these essential tasks.
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Writing grants can feel like a frantic sprint through an airport to catch the last flight home or like relaxing in the comfort of a first-class seat. The difference lies in having a well-structured grant timeline.
Embarrassingly, I once tackled a major grant proposal without a proper timeline, and my team has a photo of me asleep on my keyboard just two hours before the submission deadline. I’ve learned from my mistakes so you don’t have to learn from yours; missing grant deadlines can be a thing of the past. Imagine the relief of hitting every milestone on time with the confidence of knowing your funding success is on a well-planned track thanks to a grant timeline.
In this article, we’ll show you the importance of a comprehensive grant timeline, provide practical steps to help you plan grant activities, and explain how Instrumentl can assist in organizing and tracking these essential tasks.
At first glance, grant due dates might seem straightforward, but managing multiple grants simultaneously can quickly become overwhelming.
Think about managing grants like raising kids: one is fun, two suddenly feels like more than double the effort, add a third and you begin to feel like you're treading water, by the fourth you feel like you’re just running a circus!
Implementing well-structured grant timelines transforms this chaos into a coordinated effort, enabling your team to work harmoniously and thrive in managing funding opportunities.
The reality is, writing quality grant proposals is complex.
Crafting a compelling narrative to demonstrate how your organization and its goals align with a foundation's funding objectives requires careful planning and internal collaboration (even if you’re part of a lean team).
This process involves:
Consider too, the added layer that no two proposals are the same. As a friendly heads up, most complexities found within the grant process don't reveal themselves until the writing is underway, like outcomes measurement re-alignment for grant compliance or the need for more research than what you might have in the queue.
Listen to what Arnisha T Johnson, CEO and Chief Grants Officer, had to say about managing multiple grants at once:
“The biggest mistake I've seen organizations make when managing several grants is letting important tasks fall through the cracks. This can easily happen when there is disorganization of information possibly due to overload or overwhelm. These important tasks could be deadlines, documents meant to upload, follow-ups required, or even late reports—all things that can cause the missed opportunity for grants.” —Arnisha T Johnson, CEO and Chief Grants Officer
A well-constructed grant timeline ensures buffer time is built in to manage these uncontrolled variables and that your team can effectively manage overlapping deadlines while sharing the collective workload efficiently.
As a leader focused on generating more revenue to advance your mission, you're always on the lookout for additional funding opportunities.
Understanding when to pursue grants is a critical component of determining which grants to pursue, and this is where a surefire grant-timeline really benefits your organization.
For example, my organization recently identified funding (thanks to Instrumentl!) for a position that would allow us to hire a youth sports coordinator. The unfortunate reality is that without a grant timeline and a grant calendar, we would have pursued this funding prematurely, resulting in a poorly crafted proposal, and likely more photos of me using my keyboard as a pillow. Worse, I would have pushed my team during an already full season of proposal writing. We now plan to prioritize this proposal next spring, ensuring a more well-prepared submission.
This advice was echoed by Erin Sekerak, Grant Strategist & Consultant:
“Stay organized with tracking sheets and calendars. It's the only way you won't miss a deadline or get off track. Missing a deadline could cost the organization thousands for their mission. Also don't take on more than you can manage or try to fit your organization into a grant. Getting the funds is great but it could mean managing some pretty intense outcomes that you're not equipped to handle.” —Erin Sekerak, Grant Strategist & Consultant
When deadlines overlap, a grant timeline acts as a preventative solution, transforming potential chaos into an organized and manageable schedule, warding off the threat of the circus coming to town. Instead, it’s like having a clear roadmap that guides your team through the ongoing grant writing journey, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood of success.
These essential tasks are based on the assumption that your organization is continuously researching grant opportunities.
If you’re not yet there, make sure your team understands the difference between grant research and donor prospect research, and (for the sake of your grant timeline) focus on grant research.
Utilize a checklist of ongoing responsibilities to ensure your organization is continually mining new funding opportunities. And for a quick bonus tip before we jump into the three phases of essential tasks in a grant timeline, here’s how you can expedite the time it takes to find grant funding.
Ensure your organization's mission and values align with the foundation’s mission and values. (1 day)
Read RFPs and Identify Proposal Due Dates (1 day)
Conduct Internal Programmatic Due Diligence (4 days)
Gauge Financial Impact (2 days)
Schedule Research Period (1 week)
Schedule Initial Drafting Period (2 weeks)
Review and Edit Draft (1 week)
Prepare Budget Narrative (4 days)
Internal Review and Feedback (3 days)
Finalize Proposal (3 days)
Prepare Supporting Documents (4 days)
Submission Preparation (2 days)
Submit the Proposal
Communicate With Funders
Schedule a Team Meeting Around the Anticipated Funding Announcement
Examine Three Key components Impacted by Funding
Prepare for Efficient Outcome Measurement
Contingency Planning
Acknowledge Receipt of the Award
Celebrate and Recognize Contributions
Communicate the News
Conduct Scheduled Team Meeting
Review Reporting Requirements
Implement Internal Processes
Ensure Compliance Communication
As you can likely gather, there’s a ton that goes into securing grants. Without a clear timeline, you may find yourself racing against deadlines, but a well-organized grant timeline is essential to keep your team on pace and ensure no steps are missed. Keep reading and we’ll show you how to build one!
To elevate your grant strategy, investing in a cloud-based grant calendar—like the one from Instrumentl—is essential.
My journey with Instrumentl began through my blogging hobby, which aligns with my passion for writing and nonprofit fundraising. From the first trial, the value of Instrumentl was immediately apparent. The interactive grant calendar has quickly become an invaluable asset for my team.
Instrumentl’s cloud-based grant calendar allows you to track everything from task assignments to final application deadlines, including supporting documentation and vital reporting requirements.
Organizations not leveraging tools like Instrumentl are missing out on significant advantages. If you want your organization to go further faster, this is one of the best ways to streamline operational efficiency.
Carefully review Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and mark all due dates. (By the way, when you save a grant in Instrumentl, its deadline will automatically be added to your calendar for intuitive tracking!)
Pro Tip: Always create a buffer. Building in at least a week of buffer time before the actual due date safeguards against unexpected delays.
Once you’ve added in your deadlines to your grants timeline, it’s time to start assigning responsibilities.
Manual or non-cloud-based grant management is exhausting, especially if managing more than a few grants per year. Fortunately, features like assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress are seamlessly managed through Instrumentl’s software.
Instrumentl’s digital interactive calendar streamlines efficiency, tracks progress, and ensures your team meets deadlines. It’s a comprehensive solution for nonprofit organizations.
Don’t just take my word for it—the Salesian Sisters of Tampa successfully ditched their Excel sheets in favor of Instrumentl and quickly raised $129K.
Scheduling regular check-ins is essential for maintaining progress and team morale.
Whether it’s a 15-minute weekly check-in or a three-hour full-team session once a month, providing face-to-face time helps ensure continuity and offers opportunities to discuss proposal progress and key learnings.
Upon receiving the thrilling news that your team’s hard work has secured a grant, carefully review the award agreement and promptly incorporate the reporting deadlines into your calendar.
With Instrumentl’s Awards dashboard, you can easily manage all of your awarded grants and track your reporting deadlines for each.
Wrapping Up
Integrating a cloud-based calendar into your grant management process is a game-changer, and Instrumentl can help guide your stress-free process. With features that seamlessly blend scheduling, task management, and progress tracking, nothing falls through the cracks.
From pre-award planning to post-award implementation, Instrumentl provides the tools your organization needs to streamline efficiency and boost success in securing and managing grants. You can try it out yourself with a free, 14-day trial today.
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