Hiring a professional grant writer might save you money, time, and keep you focused on your daily responsibilities fulfilling the mission of the organization. Professional and reputable grant writers are normally very familiar with the whole grant application process and are equipped with the necessary skills and abilities to extract information from the client and convert it into the required format. Professional and comprehensive grant proposals generally make a favorable impression on funders.

Below are a few helpful tips to consider when hiring a grant writer:

• Look for Certified Grant Writers;

 

• You may also seek a grant writer who is in the process of being certified or recently got certified. Many “newbies” will help you with a grant for free, as it is beneficial for them to volunteer in order to gain experience and receive a positive reference from you;

 

• Be prepared that some experienced grant writers will charge $50-$100/hr for the grant-seeking service, and $50-$125/hr for the grant application/proposal preparation; some grant writers will charge a percentage of grant funds received.

 

• Request your grant writer candidate’s resume and references. Grant writers normally include all their projects and you can easily see how experienced and successful they are.

 

• Before you hire a grant writer, do some due diligence research. A simple google search would show if anybody ran into serious issues with him/her. If a grant writer works for a company, check Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Yelp to determine whether there have been any major complaints.

 

• Make sure to interview several grant writers before you hire and get a quote for the total cost of the project. Take into consideration their price, experience, success of previous proposals, and ability to listen and understand your needs.

 

• Be prepared that there might be no guarantees that the grant will be awarded to you. However, you can make certain that your grant writer meets the deadlines and prepares a well-worded proposal that is accurate and reflects your organization’s specifics and needs. Proofread the documents before the submittal. Trust but verify.

 

We wish you success!

Managing a nonprofit corporation and always searching for cost-effective ways of operating is not only challenging, but also an opportunity for the Board members to find the best operational systems and available technologies the nonprofit should use. In this newsletter we would like to share 12 technologies that will help you in running and managing the daily activities of the organization. We came up with 12 software, applications and informational resources that will help you run your nonprofit. All the suggested technologies are either for free or you need to pay a small fee. Our suggestions are as follows:

Communication Technologies:

1. VoIP – it’s an integrated phone system that will help your nonprofit grow and don’t miss any calls. Nowadays most businesses are using VoIP systems for their incoming and outgoing calls. VoIP systems are easy to set up and use; internet connection is required. There are lots of companies that provide VoIP systems and their price varies based on the services provided.

 

2. Conference Calls – it is very common for the board of Directors of the organization to be residing in different states. In this situation most of the Board meetings take place over the phone through conference calls. There are plenty of software available online that your nonprofit can use to do conference calling. Some familiar technologies for conference calling include: Skype, ooVoo, also there are some companies which provide free conference calls and charge additionally for upgraded services. One of them is: www.freeconferencecall.com

 

Document Management Technologies:

3. Files Keepers – each corporation should have a well-established document retention policy. Speaking of files keeping, you shouldn’t rely on one computer only. Lots of businesses use DropBox, Box, or Google Drive to keep their files. The systems provide online storage for securely sharing and accessing files. The technologies also allow multiple users to see and edit the files.

 

4. Files Operation – Evernote is one of the online applications you can easily download to your computer and organize your files. The technology gives you the chance to save all the content you find online, and at the same time you can share ideas, run projects, etc. Another application with similar features is Microsoft OneNote.

 

5. Online Surveys – the online surveys are a very good source of collecting feedback about the work of the nonprofit organization. Whether your nonprofit organization had a charitable event or organized workshop, you might want to collect some feedback on how your nonprofit organization met the expectations of the participants. Some nonprofits prefer to provide feedback questionnaires right after the event; others prefer to follow up with the participants by an online survey. If you decide to do it online, you can use the following link to create your free survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com

 

Advertising & Promotion Technologies:

6. Social Media – nowadays more and more organizations seek funding and promote their activities through social media. You need to consider creating a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram Some corporations also promote their activities through Pinterest. Social media is a powerful tool to find sponsors and supporters to your charitable cause, and at the same time it’s an easy way to invite people to your nonprofit’s events. If you do not plan on advertising, the above mentioned social networks are all for free.

 

7. Website & Blogging –If you plan on creating an informative website without a lot of features, you can try to do it yourself. Companies like WordPress provide free services and tutorials for successfully creating your nonprofit organization’s website and/or blog. However, please be reminded that the very first thing you need to do before you create your website/blog is to reserve a domain name and a hosting company.

 

Financial Management Technologies:

8. Accounting Software – the choice on which accounting software to purchase for your nonprofit corporation should depend on the activities and services your nonprofit organization provides. Some small organization might need simple accounting software with no additional features. There are companies online that provide special discounts for nonprofits. The most popular accounting software is http://quickbooks.intuit.com/. Some more information is available on the following link: http://charity.lovetoknow.com/charitable-organizations/free-accounting-software-nonprofits.

 

Meetings & Project Management:

9. Pushing Technologies – in this category follow all of those technologies that create urgency and remind you about important tasks. The e-mail calendar is the most common one. You can schedule appointments, push notifications, sent e-mails with a delay, etc. Another option is to take advantage of the online technologies tools, such as www.Todoist.com (manage and organize your task list); BaseCamp (it’s a platform for you and your team helping you run projects, share ideas etc.).

 

10. Online Presentation – one of the best ways to share the nonprofit goals to potential donors & investors is to prepare a presentation. Lots of businesses use a web presenter. You can find some good examples on the following link: https://prezi.com

 

11. Project Management – depending on how big your nonprofit organization is and on the complexity of its projects the Board of Directors should consider using software to manage all the projects. Some free subscription is available on: www.wrike.com

 

Monitoring & Support Technologies:

12. Remote Support – the remote support and access gives you the chance to remotely log in to your team member’s/customer’s computer and provide online support. As if you’re in front of your computer, you can provide the technical support remotely. You can do this using: www.teamviewer.com

 

Did you know that you may apply for several grants using the same application in the same area?

It is possible in quite a few states now. Groups of grantmakers have been working together to develop a unified grant application format which would allow nonprofit organizations to apply for grants from several grantors within a specific community in that particular area. The common application form is aimed to make the application process simpler and save processing time for both grantmakers and grant applicants.

The list of the funders who accept that particular format can be found pretty easily either on the website where the form is located (see the links at the bottom) or within the form itself.

Prior to using a common application form, please remember to do your research on what type of programs this particular grantor supports, their guidelines, and if there are any other additional documents required along with the grant application. You also have to be aware of such important things as the submittal’s deadline and the required number of application copies.

Some common grant applications contain several documents that must be submitted, such as cover sheet, proposal summary, full proposal narrative, diversity data form, and budget templates. Thus, make sure that you submit everything that is required.

Normally each common grant application is accompanied with detailed instructions and helpful tips; please read them carefully. When applying for a grant by using a common grant application, use your creativity to make your application unique, but clear and concise. Follow the directions, provide the answers in the required order, avoid repetition, and finally and most importantly – proofread everything before the submittal.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the application process, do not hesitate to contact the grantmaker for help. Please remember that many foundations are working on a skeleton crew, so allow them some time to get back with you.

Below is a list of a few websites, where you can locate common grant applications by your geographical area. Good luck!

Associated Grant Makers

California-San Diego Area Grantmakers

Colorado Grantmakers

Connecticut Grantmakers

Delaware Valley Grantmakers

Illinois-Chicago Area Grantmakers

Maine Grantmakers

Maryland Grantmakers

Michigan Grantmakers

Minnesota Grantmakers

Missouri Grantmakers

New York-Rochester Area Grantmakers

New York and New Jersey Grantmakers

Northwest Grantmakers (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington)

Ohio Grantmakers

Washington Grantmakers

Western Pennsylvania Grantmakers