Many organizations set fundraising goals based on how much money they need.
But they do not always ask how much grant work their team can realistically handle.
Every application requires time for research, planning, writing, budgeting, review, and submission.
Every award creates additional responsibilities:
- Contract review
- Program implementation
- Expense tracking
- Data collection
- Progress updates
- Financial reports
- Funder communication
Related: My three step grant research and vetting process
If your team wins several grants at once, the workload increases.
That is a good problem, but still a problem that requires planning.
Before adding more opportunities to the pipeline, estimate the staff time each one requires. Then compare that workload with the time your team actually has available.
If the math does not work, the solution may be additional staffing, outside support, better systems, or a smaller pipeline.
More applications do not automatically create more revenue.
A pipeline that overwhelms your team can reduce proposal quality, delay reporting, and damage funder relationships.
The strongest grant strategy is ambitious enough to support growth and realistic enough to be managed well.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants