Last year I agreed to work with a client that was not 100% grant-ready. It was understood that most grants would be out of reach for the organization until some significant progress was made.
I agreed to work with the client because I felt that we would be able to win one specific type of grant- corporate grants. Within 10 months, we were awarded $42,000 in corporate grant funding.
Your organization may not be ready to manage a complex federal award or even a community foundation grant.
Maybe your financial systems need strengthening. Maybe your team is still building reliable outcome data. Maybe you don’t yet have the staff capacity for a large, multi-year project.
That doesn’t mean you have to put all grant-seeking on hold.
Corporate grants can sometimes provide a more manageable opportunity to build experience, support a focused activity, and strengthen your case for future funding. They may have less intense applications, simpler requirements, limited financial requirements, or a closer connection to a company’s local community priorities.
Related: Add this to your corporate grant proposals
If you are interested in applying for corporate grant opportunities, but don’t know how or where to find them, consider downloading this list.
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But “corporate grant” does not automatically mean “easy money.” Requirements vary, and some corporate programs are highly competitive or come with detailed marketing requirements. Read the guidelines carefully and make sure the grant fits the work you already do.
For a potential quick win, look for opportunities that:
-Support a program already in operation
-Offer a manageable award amount
-Have requirements your team can meet
-Align with a company’s stated giving priorities and service area
-Don’t require a match or reimbursement structure your organization can’t sustain
-Allow enough time to submit a thoughtful, accurate application
-A small award can help your team practice building a budget, organizing attachments, tracking a restricted fund, and reporting on results. That experience -can be valuable, but don’t promise a new program or outcomes you aren’t prepared to deliver just to get started.
Think of a smaller corporate grant as one possible step in building your funding capacity, not a substitute for sound financial systems or a broader fundraising plan.
You don’t have to be ready for every grant.
Start with an opportunity your organization can pursue and manage with responsibility.
Here is a list of opportunities.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants