Yesterday, I mentioned I would walk you through what I am doing to prepare for an upcoming grant follow-up call. Last year, we were awarded this big foundation grant for the first time. Last month, I submitted a final report with visuals and success stories for their review and consideration.
A few days ago, I got the meeting invite for some follow-up questions.
As I mentioned yesterday, they sent me a short list of topics to discuss. The list included:
- Organizational highlights
- Program challenges and successes
- Plans and priorities for the upcoming year
I immediately sent the items on the list to the appropriate departments within the nonprofit so they could compile the necessary information.
I now have that information back, along with notes from the Executive Director and Program Director, and I am organizing it. Since I have already submitted a visual representation, I am prepared for this meeting to be in a discussion format.
I plan to talk about:
Organizational highlights– A few new partnerships, a new location we opened, and two new board members
Program challenges and successes– Staff changes, a staff opening, high demand, and two additional success stories
Plans and priorities for the upcoming year– Expanding by increasing volunteers, Executive Director transitioning into retirement
My focus on the call is to be transparent and realistic while instilling confidence and growth for the future. Grant funders understand there will always be challenges. They want us to face them head-on and find solutions.
For the cherry on top, I researched the average increase in the funder’s award amounts from year one to year two, so I have a range for my ask amount and funding priorities to substantiate the ask.
The meeting is in 2 weeks so I will definitely provide an update about how it went and whether they increased funding for the upcoming cycle.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants