How To Prepare for the Future of Grant Funding

Read time: 3 min

👋🏾 Hey! I’m Sid and this is The Philanthropy Futurist, a weekly advice column preparing you for the future of the nonprofit sector. Each Friday, I tackle reader questions about measuring impact, driving growth, and managing your nonprofit.

This Week’s Newsletter at a glance:

• How To Prepare for the Future of Grant Funding

• Philanthropy News From This Week

• Sid’s Book Recommendation

How To Prepare for the Future of Grant Funding

I met a Grant Writer who raised over $45+ million in grant funding for Nonprofit organizations, and her name is DeaRonda. Needless to say… she is a grant funding BOSS!!!

DeaRonda Harrison is the founder of June First Firm, a grant writing firm that helps Nonprofits secure funding from both private (foundations and corporations) and public (federal, state, and county) funding sources— with a particular focus on housing, healthcare, and workforce education. If you’ve ever felt like grants are a mystery or a gamble, DeaRonda is the kind of person who can bring clarity… and receipts.

Stability, Stability, Stability

When I spoke to DeaRonda, we talked about a whole bunch of things but one of the more foundational topics was stability. Her take is pretty much that… you can’t scale what you can’t sustain. DeaRonda told me that, “Funders want to know that you’re sustainable.” So, it’s not just about having a powerful mission or being a fast-growing org on paper. It’s about proving that your programs, people, and infrastructure can go the distance.

Funders and grantmakers want to make sure you’ll still be around far after they’ve awarded you a grant. This means that ‘giving programs’ and ‘consistent revenue’ are both major green flags!

Diversification is a Strategic Necessity

Many of us understand the importance of balancing grants with a mix of fundraising streams— like individual giving, major gifts, events, earned income, corporate partnerships, etc— but we don’t always do that in practice.

During our chat, DeaRonda’s exact words to me were: “Diversification isn’t optional anymore.”

With federal funding becoming less and less reliable, diversification has moved from best practice to a strategic necessity. Her advice is for Nonprofits to "Diversify now, not later.” Because, even if you feel stable today, investing in a broader revenue mix is probably one of the smartest ways to future-proof your mission.

Coalitions Over Competition

We also talked about collaboration when applying to grants, and how too many orgs see each other as competitors when they could instead be building coalitions. DeaRonda said, “We need to change that narrative!” The power is in our hands, but it’s up to us to take action and truly make it happen. Because… “Funders don’t want to see 5 organizations coming to them for the same thing. They want to see what you’re going to do together.”

So a great way for your org to stand out is to maybe consider standing alongside others, especially if you support a similar community or cause.

I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with DeaRonda. She shared endless gems, and I could only include so much in this short newsletter. BUT if you want to keep learning from her and stay ready for the future of grant funding, subscribe to DeaRonda's newsletter!

As a bonus, DeaRonda was also generous enough to share her “9 Questions to Ask When Vetting Your Grant Writer.” You can grab it [here].

Hope these resources are helpful. Until next time y’all! ✌🏾

Have questions you want answered? Submit questions using this form and I’ll work hard to get you the answers by way of this newsletter.

Philanthropy News From This Week

• #TeamWater raises $10M+ in 5 days to give clean water to millions of people

• Giving Pledge is falling far short of its promise, Report Finds

• The Power of Doing Good When So Much Is Bad

• How to Raise Money in a Volatile Economy

Sid’s Book Recommendation

Each week, I recommend a book or film that has impacted my life in a positive way. My recommendation this week is:

Fundable & Findable by Kevin L. Brown

This book is a strategic framework for Nonprofit leaders and teams looking to transform their fundraising potential by first strengthening their organization's brand and communications. The author emphasizes that to attract more funding, Nonprofits must be FUNDABLE (aka have a compelling mission, strategic clarity, and board alignment), and they must be FINDABLE (aka have strong branding, messaging, and marketing). It's a really great read. Learn more.

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