In this first phase, Alloy sets up or improves the tools and strategies for a successful grants program. We look at past funding requests, understand the organization’s culture, check financials, research competitors, review donors and prospects, and create strong narratives.
By the end, we provide a clear grants strategy and action plan. Many clients choose a monthly retainer for ongoing proposal writing and research, ensuring continuous progress and success.
Most Alloy clients opt for an ongoing retainer partnership. In this model, your Alloy client manager collaborates closely with your team to enhance best practices, prioritize relationship development, and complete monthly grant proposals. Our retainer services include:
- Continuous prospect research using industry publications, funder databases, peer organization reviews, and extensive community knowledge
- Management of the proposal pipeline, including ongoing additions from prospect research
- Completion of monthly proposals, typically ranging from 1-4 proposals per month, depending on the number of qualified prospects identified and the scope of the required proposals
- Strategic guidance for pre- and post-submission cultivation
This approach ensures a steady flow of well-crafted proposals and strategic support to maximize your organization’s grant success.
Our comprehensive pre-award services for city, county, state, and federal funding opportunities include:
Government Proposal Development
- Project management
- Write, review, and/or edit narrative
Prospect research for government grants
- Development and management of a public funding grants calendar with prospective grant opportunities
- Monthly research based on client programs and strategic priorities
- Compilation of opportunity briefing sheets
Government Proposal Development
- Project management
- Write, review, and/or edit narrative
These services ensure that your organization is thoroughly prepared and strategically positioned to pursue government funding opportunities successfully.
Relationship-building is essential for grant success. Alloy shares best practices to build a culture of fundraising among stakeholders for long-term financial sustainability.
- Offer strategy for outreach to funders (note that Alloy does not solicit on behalf of clients, but we will reach out for administrative purposes to clarify guidelines, etc.)
- Meet with Board and/or Board Committees to discuss the importance of the grant process and cultivation necessary to achieve goals
- Consult on emails, letters, and call scripts for outreach
- Encourage organizational best practices to continue increasing grant success
Grant revenue can fuel projects and programs, support strategic initiatives, and help sustain ongoing operations. Relationships developed with foundations and corporations bolster other revenue streams, and the financial and operating background documentation required for grants shows other donors that basic best practices are in place. In combination with other types of fundraising, grants can support long-term financial sustainability and growth.
Research and relationships are key. Start by identifying your organization’s needs and goals, then identify funding sources that align. In addition to online and database research, leverage your organisation’s board, partners, and network to talk with community stakeholders about opportunities for funding
Grant win rates can vary widely depending on mission area, community connections, and demonstrated quality of the program, project, and grant proposal. To improve your chances, ensure your proposal is clear, concise, and compelling. Follow the grant guidelines carefully, provide detailed and realistic budgets, and demonstrate your project’s potential impact. Building relationships with funders and seeking feedback are also crucial success factors.
Nonprofits must meet basic requirements to be eligible for any grant, such as having an active nonprofit status (or a fiscal sponsor) and filing annual Form 990 with the IRS. Beyond eligibility, the most successful client-consultant relationships have open lines of communication and a strong commitment to implementing best practices that make an organization and its mission attractive to grant funders. You don’t need to have a robust staff or an established database to get started!
Every professional grant consultant or firm works a little differently, so ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable! Alloy client managers assist with prospect research, managing deadlines, project management, narrative development, and ongoing coaching for funder relationship-building. Fees vary but they are usually hourly fee-for-service, project fees, or ongoing retainer fees. The Grant Professionals Association code of ethics states that pay-for-performance compensation is unethical.
