Who’s Your Grant Valentine?

It’s February, which means love is in the air and if you’re a nonprofit, it is grant writing season. Building a relationship with potential funders can be seen as a courtship of sorts, where you develop a meaningful partnership based on shared values and a vision for the future. In the grant writing world, there won’t be much romance, but there is a way to build trust, commitment, and communication between you and funders.

If you’ve been on a first date, you’ll know an important first step is asking the right questions to understand your date on a deeper level and test compatibility. Researching a funder’s website is similar to going on a first date. Both scenarios involve finding shared values and gauging the likelihood of an ongoing relationship. However, like a first date, sometimes a funder’s website doesn’t have all the answers to your questions, sometimes the application instructions are confusing, and sometimes the forms you need to fill out just don’t work. Like in any partnership, you need to maintain a positive approach when addressing these challenges in order to pursue a successful future together. These are opportunities to reach out to the funder and develop a line of communication, allowing you to ask questions, better understand their priority areas, and make sure your project is a good fit. 

By building a personal relationship with funders, you can delve into their decision-making processes, giving you valuable insight other applicants may not have. The ability to establish a personal relationship with funders is not always guaranteed; however, if you’re able to connect with them, expressing your passion for the project can get funders excited about supporting your work, which is equally as important as a strongly written application. After building trust and confidence between you and the funder, you’ll be prepared to “pop the question” by sending in your proposal where you can reiterate those shared values, priorities, and interests to leverage a well-informed, strategic application. 

At YellowTree, we are more than just grant writers, we are matchmakers as well! We know the importance of building relationships with funders and can connect you with those who are best suited to your work. There are many funders helping nonprofits make a difference in communities across Canada, so let’s show them some love!

Grant Tip Photograph by Barbara Helgason