Earlier this week, I crowdsourced a few Facebook groups for grant writing tips that led to success. I was grateful to have received so many responses. I will include most of them in the upcoming emails’ Grant Writing Tip of the Day section.
One of them stood out, though. It is way bigger than a simple tip. It is a tool of strategic analysis.
PESTLE
P. Political
E. Economic
S. Social Factors
T. Technology
L. Legal
E. Environmental
PESTLE analysis addresses external factors outside of the organization’s control. Nonetheless, they create part of the context within which a project will exist.
If your organization includes PESTLE analysis as part of its overall strategic plan or when developing programs, use it in your grant proposals.
Here are a few ways to use the analysis in grant writing:
- Organization History- the analysis can help describe the founding of the org and the macro context within which the mission is relevant and timely.
- Community Needs- PESTLE analysis can form a baseline of needs and a projection of needs to come.
- Program Design- The analysis can help formulate project objectives and actionable activities while creating a program.
- Evaluation- Compare outcomes to PESTLE analysis findings. PESTLE provides a framework for content analysis.
Applying the PESTLE analysis is effective when responding to a grant question like, “What potential challenges and risks do you expect your organization to face in the next three years, and how do you plan to adapt?”
Grant funders don’t want to throw their money at organizations that aren’t prepared for challenges and don’t recognize the risks.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants