Grant Experts Share How to Scale the Number of Grant Proposals You Send This Year

Do you want to increase the number of grant proposals you submit each year?

As someone who constantly strives to manage my grant workload efficiently, I do!

With the right strategies and tools, scaling your number of grant submissions is entirely achievable. Here, seasoned grant professionals from Instrumentl’s Expert Council share practical advice to help boost your submissions and secure more funding for your nonprofit.

Matt Hugg, President and Founder of Nonprofit.Courses, shared with us the solutions he recommends for grant writers who want to scale their productivity and number of proposal submissions:
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“A dedicated calendar is an essential proposal writing tool, even if it's as simple as setting up a specific, shared Google Calendar for the job. Then "backdate," which is a process of starting with the submission date, then going backwards from there with specific deadlines for each part of each proposal.” –Matt Hugg

Grant writers are familiar with the challenges of managing numerous grant deadlines. A well-organized grants calendar can transform your workflow into a seamless process and help you stay on top of multiple tasks at once.

Backdating also helps you anticipate potential delays and manage your workload more effectively. Planning backwards allows you to allocate sufficient time for research, writing, reviews, and revisions, leading to higher-quality proposals and a more organized workflow.

Key Takeaway: Using calendars and backdating techniques removes the guesswork of submission and task deadlines, ensuring you and your team can manage multiple grant deadlines efficiently.

Arnisha T. Johnson, CEO and Lead Grant Writer at Manifesting on More, shared with us the most common mistake she sees organizations make when juggling multiple grant projects and how to overcome it:
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“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…It's important to stay on top of all these things and in a well-organized manner.” –Arnisha T. Johnson

To scale the number of grants you apply for, avoiding disorganization is essential. Arnisha recommends that grant managers identify a tracking system that works for them and their teams.

‍Key Takeaway: A tracker will help keep tasks from falling through the cracks. This guide can help you identify what kind of system is best suited for your team: Tracking Your Grants: Should You Use Spreadsheets or Software?.

Having a standardized process for grant writing is crucial for efficiency and success. Consistency is key, as Matt Hugg explains:
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“Develop a process from discovery of an opportunity to completed proposal, and stick to it.” –Matt Hugg

Establishing a clear workflow for each step of the process—from identifying opportunities to submitting proposals—will allow you to handle more applications without feeling overwhelmed. If you’re looking to make your grant-seeking endeavors more streamlined and efficient, check out: How To Optimize Your Team For The Grant Application Timeline Cycle.

‍Key Takeaway: A consistent process improves coordination among team members and allows for better time management, ultimately increasing your ability to apply for more grants.

Peggy Beisler-Homesly, CEO and nonprofit consultant, shared with us the importance of leveraging technology when managing multiple funding opportunities:
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“I need a tool that jumps out and reminds me. It isn't as simple anymore as writing it down in a journal or something similar; I need bells and whistles from available technology.”–Peggy Beisler-Homesly

More grants means more things to remember. Technology can take some of the stress off of your plate by automating and streamlining administrative tasks.

‍Key Takeaway: With the right tools, grant managers can spend less time on administrative tasks and more time pursuing good-fit funding opportunities.

Collaboration is key to successful grant management. By fostering a collaborative environment, you can leverage your team’s diverse skills and expertise, ensuring each aspect of the grant application is handled effectively.

Erin Sekerak, a Grant Specialist, provides a simple example of how she effectively engages with her clients and their teams:
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“In Outlook, I add grant and grant report deadlines and invite those I will need information from with the questions and prompts in the calendar body.” –Erin Sekerak

By using a tool to set deadlines and coordinate tasks, you ensure that everyone working on a grant knows their responsibilities and timelines. This approach fosters teamwork, prevents misunderstandings, and ensures all tasks are completed on time, ultimately leading to more effective and efficient grant submissions.

‍Key Takeaway: Clear communication and collaboration are essential for successful grant management and will elevate the quality—and quantity—of your grant submissions.

Scaling the number of grant proposals you submit each year is achievable with the right strategies and tools. You can streamline your grant writing process and increase your chances of success by:

• Prioritizing tasks and deadlines with a well-organized calendar.
• Avoiding common pitfalls through effective tracking.
• Developing a consistent process.
• Leveraging technology.
• And fostering team collaboration.

Ready to take your grant writing to the next level and increase your number of grant submissions? Try Instrumentl’s grant management solutions for free to enhance your grant management efforts today.