Before an organization pursues significantly more grant funding, it should understand whether its infrastructure can support that growth.
You do not need a six-month consulting engagement to begin.
A quick infrastructure audit can reveal a lot.
Start with the basics:
Can the organization produce accurate financial statements and budgets?
Are program outcomes tracked consistently?
Can staff explain who is responsible for implementation?
Are grant contracts organized and accessible?
Are reporting deadlines monitored?
Are grant restrictions understood by the finance and program teams?
Look for the places where work depends on memory, informal communication, or one person’s personal files.
Those are often the areas most likely to create problems later.
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You should also compare fundraising goals with actual capacity.
If the organization wants to double grant revenue but has no additional time for research, writing, reporting, or stewardship, the goal may be unrealistic, or may require investment first.
An infrastructure audit is not meant to criticize the organization.
It is meant to identify the conditions required for sustainable growth.
More funding is not automatically better if the organization cannot manage it well.
Before increasing the pipeline, make sure the foundation can support what you are trying to build.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants