Key Findings From The 2022 State of Grantseeking Report

Respondents to our State of Grantseeking surveys self-select, so an interest in or participation in grantseeking and grant-adjacent activities is to be expected.  So the fact that 91% of respondents applied for grant funding in 2021 did not come as a surprise.

Compared to the same period in the prior year, 58% of respondents applied for more grants and 46% were awarded more grants. In addition, 42% reported the receipt of larger awards. And we know that applying for at least three grant awards increased the frequency of winning an award. Twenty-five percent of organizations that submitted one application won no awards. However, the percentage of organizations that won at least one award was high among organizations that submitted three to five applications (91%), six to ten applications (96%), or eleven or more applications (98-100%).

The grant process takes staff. Among the organizations with active grantseekers, 75% reported that one to two people were directly involved with the grant process. The grant cycle length—from proposal submission to award decision—for the largest grant award was between one and six months for 60% of respondents. For the largest individual award, we asked respondents to tell us how much time was spent on research to support the statement of need, development of the strategic plan, writing the proposal, coordination of the attachments and submission, and post-award reporting. Research (67%), planning (52%), submission (69%), and reporting (53%) took three days or fewer for the many of respondents. However, writing the grant application took more than three days for 55% of respondents.

It is unsurprising then that a lack of time and/or staff (23%) continued to be the greatest challenge to grantseeking among respondents. Increased funder practices and requirements (15%), competition for finite monies (14%), building funder relationships (11%), and difficulty in finding grant opportunities that matched with specific missions, locations, or programs (11%) were also frequently cited as the greatest challenge to successful grantseeking.

Beyond the award size information from all respondents, we know that the dollar amount of grant funding ranges by funder type, organization budget, mission focus, and even organization age. Here are a few of the median largest award sizes from The 2022 State of Grantseeking Report, to give you an idea of the variation:

• The median largest award from non-government funders (an aggregate of private foundations, community foundations, corporate grantmakers, and “other” funding sources) was $37,000.
   
• The median largest award from government funders (an aggregate of local, state, and Federal government) was $259,000.
   
• The median size of the largest individual award ranged from $10,000 for small organizations with annual budgets under $100,000 to $2.2 million for extra-large organizations with annual budgets of $25 million or more.
   
• The median size of the largest individual award ranged from $20,000 for Animal Related organizations to $2.5 million for Educational Institutions.
   
• The median size of the largest individual award for organizations that were ten years old or younger was $25,000 while the median largest individual award for organizations that were 11 years of age or older was $100,000.

The State of Grantseeking results provide you with actionable organizational tools. Here’s how:

• Positioning: Because GrantStation begins the survey with demographic questions, we can provide you with fair comparatives by organization budget and mission focus (beyond an all-respondent aggregate). 
   
• Volume and Recency: Because we turn the free reports around within four to eight weeks of the survey, the data is fresh and actionable, reflecting recent (and still valid) financial and experiential information.
   
• Bedrock Data: We report on the number of grant applications submitted, the amount of time each facet of grantseeking takes, the number of staff doing this work, and the number and value of awards received. The results enable you to realistically plan for grantseeking in terms of time and staff, and to see the quantity of awards you can expect from your efforts. 
   
• Dollar Data and Fair Comparisons: Remember back when I mentioned results by annual budget and mission focus? These two demographic items have a huge effect on your grantseeking ability and the size of your grant awards. Just as you wouldn’t want to compare apples to oranges, an animal rescue should not be compared to a food bank, nor should an organization with an annual budget of $100,000 be compared to an organization with a budget of $1,000,000. The State of Grantseeking results provide you with information that you can present to your board and stakeholders for accurate measurements of success.
   
• Funder Data: We report by funder type (Private Foundation, Community Foundation, Corporation, and Federal, State, and Local Government), including median award size and award frequency to organizations with a particular mission focus or budget size.
   
• Real-Life Data: Subjects, including overhead costs, collaborative grantseeking activities, and grantseeking challenges, help you to gauge additional factors that can affect grantseeking.

Finally, you can compare your grantseeking to other similar organizations with the free Benchmarker.

• With GrantStation’s Benchmarker tool you can get customized benchmarks from the grantseeking experience of over 1,750 nonprofit leaders who responded to The 2022 State of Grantseeking Survey and Report about their grantseeking work in 2021. The Benchmarker is a resource that can strengthen your ability to secure grant awards by providing a realistic framework for your grantseeking plans and goals.
   
• GrantStation Members can use this report along with the R3: Revenue Review and Report to set grants program objectives that define how much to pursue and from which types of grantmakers.

The State of Grantseeking is underwritten by: