Plenty of resources exist to find that perfect grant for your organization that has the style, flexibility and price tag you need – or maybe that’s the jeans. But here are a few resources to get you on your way to finding the necessary funding for your organization. It may require some sifting and searching on your part, but this will surely save you from those pesky grant-writing blues.

Square one on your mission to finding grants for your nonprofit starts here.

Grants.gov

Not only is Grants.gov a place to find grants, but it’s also a place to educate yourself on how grants work and what they’re all about.

If you find a federal grant that interests your organization, you’ll need to go through the following stages:

1. Pre-Award Phase
   This is the phase where you’ll seek out new grants that are applicable to your organization and work toward submitting an application that matches the given criteria.
2. Award Phase
   The award phase occurs when federal agency staff members make decisions to grant your organization the funds to continue with a project.
3. Post Award
   While this seems like it should be the easiest phase of the grant process, it’s actually one of the most labor-intensive. The post-award phase involves implementing the grant that your organization has been awarded and actually documenting the progress of what your organization said they’d do. In order to succeed at the process, you’ll need to submit a report detailing both the financials and the program progress.

Make sure to fully utilize the educational aspects of Grants.gov. Search the site and sort by the newest or most relevant grants by sorting them into various categories.

Local foundations

The best place to start is a foundation that understands the work you’re doing. Search online for foundations in your area or try to meet funders through networking events in your community. If the marketing and storytelling you’ve been implementing in your community has been doing its job, foundations should already have some sort of understanding of how your organization operates. That helps give you a leg up in the funding world.

While this option seems to be the vaguest, it could have the most promise for your organization. People love to give locally because it helps stimulate their own economy and helps give back. So get out there, open your eyes and consider the possibilities happening in your own backyard.

GrantWatch.com

This site could be suitable for your organization if it fits into one of the following (ample!) categories: universities, hospitals, government agencies, schools, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, research institutions and some small businesses and individuals.

That’s a ton of opportunity for your organization. Plus, this site adds new grants and archives old grants daily, ensuring you’re getting the most out of your time. Keep in mind, this is a paid option, and there are other paid options out there to consider. Start slow and determine if the return could be worth it for your organization.

Now you have the browsing power to at least begin your search into the grant world. Check them all out, see which resources work best for your organization and apply to the grants that matter.

Additional options:

Foundation Center – This site lets you browse over 2 million foundation and corporate grants for free. Filter and search by location, grant type, subject, recipient type and more. Useful tools like grant trend data reports and foundation profiles provide valuable context. Create a free account for saved searches, tracking, and email alerts on relevant grants for your nonprofit.

GrantStation – GrantStation gives you robust search tools and custom alerts for finding new grants for your nonprofit. The extensive database is updated daily. Use calendar reminders for upcoming deadlines. Run statistical reports to identify your most fruitful funding sources. The premium features make it easier to spot and track relevant grants for your nonprofit.

Corporations/Foundations – Keep major national corporations in mind for grants for your nonprofit. Companies like Target, Google, and Walmart operate philanthropic foundations offering grants in key focus areas. Browse their websites for grant programs aligned with your nonprofit’s mission and work.

Nonprofit Support Orgs – Connecting locally with groups and community foundations can uncover grants for your nonprofit. Discuss funding opportunities for community programs. Partnering on grant proposals can increase your chances of securing funding together.

Your Network – Speaking with peers at other nonprofits, volunteers, donors, and partners can provide insider knowledge on potential funders and opportunities. Collaborating with others who share your focus makes your grant applications stronger. Personal outreach and relationships may get your foot in the door with a funder.

Searching far and wide using large databases, local networking, and personal connections will help uncover the most promising grants for your nonprofit. Cast a wide net in your pursuit of funding opportunities and be relentless in your efforts.

Our friends at Instrumentl put together a list of helpful websites for grantseekers you may want to check out as well.

Originally published 5.24.17—Updated 8.31.23

The post Where to Find Grants for your Nonprofit Organization appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

I always find it a little funny when I hear someone say, “The future is now.”

My immediate thought tends to be, “But what does that even mean?” Frankly, it sounds like somebody is trying to be a little too philosophical. I liken it to when someone is sharing “the secret to life,” but really just spewing nonsense.

This common phrase should be shifted to, “The future depends on the now.” Or, as Mahatma Gandhi put it, “The future depends on what you do today.”

This much rings true for your nonprofit organization and the next generation of do-gooders. Succession strategy planning needs to start today. While succession planning sounds intimidating, it simply means putting a plan in place for choosing the new leaders in your organization and giving them the tools they need to succeed.

Take a good, hard look around your organization. These are the people who have your back; these are the people who understand your mission – and they could be the next generation of leaders for your organization.

Set aside time to think about who’s up to the plate and will become that next generation. Murphy’s law states, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Let’s talk about why we need succession planning, how to do it and the best places to look for new talent.

Why succession planning is vital

In the 2016 Nonprofit Sector Leadership Report, Marc Pitman found that 77 percent, or 3 out of 4 nonprofits, said they did not have formal succession planning in place. This number is insane when you think about all of the aspects you can’t control with leadership leaving or even an expected leave with no formal process in place. Your organization should be alarmed if you don’t have succession planning strategies in place, but also know you’re not alone.

Picture this: your executive director is offered a new position right in the thick of your biggest fundraiser of the year. Without a succession plan in place, that sends your organization into full-on crisis mode.

Do you think you’d stop the fundraiser to find an executive director? Absolutely not. Do you think funders will ask questions as to why there’s no executive director and what you’re going to do about it? Absolutely.

Maybe you’re convinced your executive director wouldn’t do that to you. Just remember that life happens – spouses get new jobs in different cities, people decide to retire earlier than expected and so on.

Plus, it’s important to remember that succession planning isn’t just about the unexpected happening, although this helps with that. Succession planning is vital because it sets your organization up for years to come. It helps identify potential leaders to ensure a long and healthy life for your organization. Think of it as a wellness program for your nonprofit.

It takes a village

Welcome to another episode of “Whose job is it anyway?” Where you’ll need to make everything up, probably come up with a points system for evaluating prospects – and the points will matter. Now that we know why we need succession planning, who needs to step up and make it happen?

Maybe you’re the marketing manager sitting there thinking, “Clearly this article doesn’t apply to me.” Au contraire.

It’s true, the primary party concerned with succession planning is the Board of Directors, our all-powerful governing body. But while board members should be heavily involved in your organization, they simply can’t be involved in every aspect of the day-to-day grind. So if you’re a staff member sitting back thinking you don’t have a part in this process, you’re wrong.

Board members will most likely seek guidance from you. Some boards will even weigh heavily on your opinion. And if you don’t have any succession planning tactics or processes in place, now is the time to approach your board with the concept. Heck, bring this article with you for moral support.

Plus, who do you think is going to be around to train the newbie once they’re hired? Your organization puts itself into a pickle when you rely heavily on one person and nobody else knows how that person does their job.

Where to start

Write down job duties

A good place to start is to come up with a list of responsibilities and duties from each staff member and board member. Get it all down on paper. Don’t just use the descriptions for the jobs that were posted when you were hired. As you know, positions change and people start to absorb other duties. Try to make these lists as accurate as possible.

Talk about it

I know that nobody loves meetings, but it’s important that once the roles are written down everybody understands who is tackling what. This can be an opportunity to say that you would like to have more responsibilities or put other responsibilities on another team member if it makes more sense. Then you can solidify those job duties.

Cross-train on tasks

Make sure that at least two people in your organization know how to do every single task. Or, if that isn’t possible, make sure you have detailed instructions on specific tasks so that anybody could pick up the manual and learn.

Determine your plan

Talk with your board of directors. Come up with a list of what the ideal executive director would be, the types of skills and traits that person would possess and their past experiences. Outline how you would search for that candidate and how that candidate would be trained.

In an article by Blue Avocado, writers Jan Masaoka and Tim Wilfred perfectly encapsulate the uncertainty of a leadership change by stating:

“More nonprofits are realizing that the executive director transition is a crucial moment in an organization’s life: a moment of great vulnerability as well as great opportunity for transformative change.”

Go out and seize that feeling. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable because vulnerability means you’re making changes. And whatever you do, don’t put this off. After all, the future depends on the now.

The post Succession Strategy: Mapping the Next Generation of Leadership appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

So how do we gain their trust in the first place to secure those fundraising dollars?

At the 2014 AFP Conference, we caught up with Firespring CEO Jay Wilkinson to talk about how your organization’s website plays a role in fundraising and why your website should be a priority for your organization.

Transcript:

The website is the core center of the universe of the brand for every nonprofit organization. And more than 90 percent of the people who give money to an organization go visit the website before giving money. And there are far too many organizations that are casting the website off to the resident ‘go-to geek’—somebody on their staff, whoever the most intelligent person that relates to the web is, and saying, “Here, you take care of that.”

And what we find is that so many nonprofit organizations are leaving their brand left for someone else to take stewardship of. And leadership teams; development professionals at nonprofit organizations need to be focused on building their website out as the core center of their universe, and far too few are doing it.

The post The Reason Your Nonprofit Brand Revolves Around Your Website appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

We caught up with master storyteller Lori Jacobwith at the 2014 AFP Conference in San Antonio. Check out the short video below of Lori explaining why it’s so important that your board members get on board with nonprofit storytelling.

Want more great tips from Lori? Check out her FREE webinar with us on Turning Your Board Members into Superstar Storytellers on April, 9th 2014.

The post Why Board Members Need to Be on Board with Nonprofit Storytelling appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

But are millennials worth the time and money it takes to court them?

The answer may surprise you.

Why Marketing to Millennials Won’t Get You Major Donors–But That’s Okay

Transcript:

Nonprofits marketing to millennials. Should I do it, how do I do it, WHY should I do it?—All things your organization could be kicking and asking itself about.

Let’s cut to the chase – should nonprofits market to millennials? In short, yes—but it’s a commitment and process of the “time is money” mantra, which also means time equals money.

You can’t market to millennials and just expect fundraising dollars to increase. A millennial is someone born anytime from around 1982 to 2001. So while there might be 80 million millennials just in the United States alone, how much do you think that group is making in a year on average? Not a whole lot. Older millennials might be doing well for themselves, but a majority are either just starting their careers or still in school—with the weight of student loans and other forms of debt on their shoulders. Not a lot of disposable income right there.

That’s why nonprofits marketing to millennials need to focus on building a relationship rather than gaining fundraising dollars. Let’s focus on this time equalling money process—you’ve all heard the saying “time is money.” Since many millennials aren’t in the financial position to make a significant donation, focus on a donation of their time instead. Once you have millennials who have a passion for your organization, nurture that relationship. Keep them involved with volunteer activities that interest them and figure out their preferred means of communication. And make sure you don’t dumb down your message. We’re smarter than you think, so keep to a message that’s consistent to your organization.

The strong buying power of millennials will only get stronger as our generation shifts and gets older. As we become more stable, so do the nonprofits that are near and dear to us. Just because we can’t give a monetary donation now, doesn’t mean we won’t in the near future.

So when marketing to millennials, don’t focus on increasing fundraising dollars—at least right now. Build and maintain relationships with millennials so it’s your organization on the top of their minds when they’re financially stable. When they have a close relationship and connection to your cause, you’ll start to see an increase in not just time volunteered, but money donated as well.

Thanks for watching.

The post Why Marketing to Millennials Won’t Get You Major Donors–But That’s Okay [VIDEO] appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

That’s why the donor page is probably the most important individual element of your nonprofit website. It’s critically important to understand what donors want from your nonprofit website, but at the end of the day, effective donor pages are what allows the website to pay for itself.

Watch to learn the three essential elements of online donation pages.

3 Can’t-Forget Essentials for Effective Donor Pages

Transcript:

It’s probably the most important page to your website, which means that it’s easy to stress over. We aren’t blaming you, but we’re begging you—don’t overthink your donor landing page. Effectiveness can be boiled down to three specific words—simplicity, security and consistency.

Let’s start with simplicity. Nobody wants to jump through hoops to donate. If they’ve made up their mind to donate, they could just as easily switch back when they become frustrated at the complexity it takes to give.

Make it easy. One click of a donate button and entering credit card details should be all that it takes. 

Which brings us to security. You wouldn’t give your credit card information to a stranger. It just doesn’t make sense. Make sure your organization uses a secure site and that your donors know you’re using it. We suggest a site like PayPal or PaymentSpring. A site with a solid reputation gives your users a sense of security. They’ll be more likely to give.

Finally, be consistent. Just because your donor page is special doesn’t mean it should have a different design than your website. Keep the same color scheme, same design and same flow. It deserves to be special, but it should match the rest of your site. 

Simplicity, security and consistency. Remember those three concepts and you’re sure to prevail with your donor page. Thanks for watching.

The post 3 Can’t-Forget Essentials for Effective Donor Pages [VIDEO] appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

But major donor fundraising (and really, all fundraising) doesn’t stop after the first donation.

We’ve found nonprofits who put the donor first, instead of their bottom line, experience dramatic improvements in donor retention and satisfaction. Here are three ways to develop a major donor relationship, instead of leaving things as a one-time transaction.

Watch to Learn 3 Major Donor Fundraising Tips:

Transcript:

You’ve met with a major donor, gotten to understand their needs and why they’re passionate about your nonprofit’s cause, and now they’ve decided take the plunge and donate.

Awesome. Congratulations!

But your work doesn’t end there. 7/10 new donors only donate once. As any couple in their golden years can tell you, the courtship doesn’t end after you put a ring on it.

Here’s three ways to keep donors coming back, and keep the fire alive.

Number 1. Always, always thank them! But don’t just send them a boilerplate thank you or a receipt for their tax records.You’ve spent weeks or even months getting to know your donor–use that to thank them! Tell them exactly how their gift will make a difference in the terms that matter most to them. And remember: never ask for more money in a thank you.

Number 2. Ping them.

Pinging is just a way of staying on your donor’s radar–it could be an email, dropping into their office or even a text. The point of pinging is to stay at the top of your donor’s mind–but also to offer them value. A great way to do this is an email newsletter or a brief phone call from a board member.

Finally, Number 3. Don’t wait too long to ask them again. What’s the biggest reason donors give money again? Because they’re asked. Remind them that the continued support of loyal donors is what changes the world.

Thanks for watching!

The post 3 Major Donor Fundraising Tips to Get that 2nd or 3rd Donation [VIDEO] appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Probably not.

“Stop trying to figure out Millennials and just include them.”

That’s a powerful quote from the research Derrick Feldmann, CEO of Achieve, presented at the AFP International Conference 2013. And it can’t get simpler than that.

Before your nonprofit can engage these next generation donors, spend time understanding how they want to be engaged. And through Achieve’s research, the top three ways Millennials want to be engaged and learn more about your organization are through your:

1. Website

2. Social media.

3. E-newsletters.

Start focusing on these three areas to better engage Millennials. But how exactly can you improve these aspects of your organization to do just that?

Focus on these takeaways from Feldmann and Achieve’s research:

Nonprofit Websites Need

• A unique, purposeful and concise mission statement.

• Easy to use navigation that doesn’t make users dig for information.

• A clear call-to-action.

• Photos that help show what you do—not tell.

Nonprofit Social Media Tips

• Send messages using a campaign theme.

• Share compelling stats and ways a gift can impact your mission.

• Find leads to post and share stories on your behalf.

• Create a Facebook app to encourage giving—some can even collect donations.

• Send reminders during final days of your campaign, and goal updates throughout.

• Some posts can include direct asks, but not all.

Nonprofit Email Appeals Include

• A series of 2-3 emails.

• Catchy subject line that’s personal.

• Concise and visually compelling.

• Options for gifts at different levels.

• Showing how donations affect your cause.

• Links to other great online content.

BONUS: Nonprofit Mobile Sites

• If over 5% of website users are viewing on mobile devices, you need a mobile strategy.

• Make your site mobile-friendly.

• Include a clear link to donate and easily accessible contact info.

• Make sure to incorporate an ask – don’t just put “an envelope on a table.”

• Have mobile giving options – text or mobile pledge site.

Take this info to heart, beef up your online engagement tools and, “Stop trying to figure out Millennials and just include them.”

How have you found success in connecting with Millennials?
_________
For more info on Derrick Feldmann’s research, check out The Millennial Impact.

The post How to Engage the Next Generation Donor appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Creating video for your nonprofit has become easier than ever. Forget about the big budget for fancy equipment and software—and start thinking about better SEO results and a higher viewership.

Watch our short In Kind video below as our Video Producer, Cole Jensen, explains more in depth why you need video in your nonprofit marketing plan – and how you can get started.

Adding Video to Your Nonprofit Communications Mix

Transcript:

Video is one of the most powerful tools that a nonprofit can utilize. But video is usually the last thing a nonprofit thinks they can handle. With updating their website, staying relevant on social media, and keeping with the day to day of the nonprofit; jumping into video can seem daunting. 

That’s why I’m here. I’m going to walk you and your nonprofit through everything that you’re going to need to begin using video. Cameras, audio, editing, software, hosting, utilizing video, shooting a video. In short 1 minute videos, we’re going to cover it all, and make it extremely understandable.

And we’ll start with why you need to start utilizing video.

The fact is, technology has now reached an intersection. Internet speeds now are fast enough to support good quality video without needing long buffering times. While the technology to shoot and edit high quality video has become affordable and uncomplicated.

So now, even nonprofits with the smallest budgets can make a video, and people can watch it without having to wait. Which is extremely important because you have 10 to 15 seconds to capture a viewer’s attention.

And now lets throw some numbers at ya. 

According to internet giant Alexa, Youtube is the third most visited website in the world, behind Google and Facebook

Comscore says 85% of internet viewers will watch online videos. 

According to a study by Forrester Research, it is 50 times easier to get a video to rank on the first page of Google than it is to get a standard web page to rank on page one

If after listening to all that, you STILL think your nonprofit can’t put out good video and that you shouldn’t listen to me because I’m better equipped then you are… 

Well, I shot this on my phone. 

So I hope you now get that adding video to your communication mix isn’t out of your reach and is something that will help take your nonprofit to that next level.

The post Why You Need Video in Your Nonprofit Marketing Plan [VIDEO] appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Take a minute and 26 seconds to learn how Facebook Graph Search for nonprofits works:

Transcript:

Well, Facebook did it again.

First it was the newsfeed, then timeline, and now it’s a little something Facebook is calling “Graph Search.”

Graph Search is a major change for Facebook, but what does it mean for your nonprofit?

Basically, Graph Search is just Facebook’s existing search, only better. Instead of just searching for friends, groups, or interests, Graph Search means you’ll be able to use several search terms at once.

Ok, let’s get concrete. Say you want to search for “Nonprofit Organizations” that “your friends” in “Chicago” like. BOOM! Graph Search will figure that out in seconds, and give you a list.

Let’s say you want to find a new board member. Search for “Executives in Tulsa whose interests include Philanthropy,” and you’ll have a list of folks you should connect with.

But remember– donors will be using Graph Search to find YOUR ORGANIZATION as well. That’s why you need to make sure you have an accurate “About” description on your page, and the appropriate Category and Subcategory that your nonprofit falls into. That way, you’re making sure that when donors come looking, you’ll be easy to find.

Now that you’ve got Graph Search figured out, it’s time to go tackle that mission. Thanks for watching.

Want More Videos?

Here are some of our latest:

• Focus on Your Nonprofit Target Demographic
• 3 Ways to Embrace Nonprofit Technology in 2013
• 7 Steps to Starting a Nonprofit

The post Facebook Graph Search for Nonprofits – Explained [VIDEO] appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.