Grantseeking is a Contact Sport

In our ongoing quest for insights to share with our community, we interview current Members of GrantStation. Venetia Weeks has been a Member since 2005 and she talked with me about her practices.

David: I’m so glad we could reconnect after our initial conversation months ago. How has your work changed during “these challenging times”?

Venetia: I’ve never been so busy. People are pursuing grants right now since so many have put their annual campaigns on hold. Facebook is exploding with opportunities for grantwriters.

David: All the fundraising events have been cancelled as well. Our Members have been busy on our site also, so that means we have been too. So, tell me about your current organization.

Venetia: I am the Director of Grants and Sponsorships at a YMCA Association that includes 5 branches in Central New Jersey. 

David: What is your background in nonprofits and grantseeking?

Venetia: I began my work with nonprofits in 1991 at a Lutheran summer camp and retreat center named Camp Beisler in New Jersey. I was not Lutheran, but I had a background in child development. While there, I enrolled in a grantwriting workshop to find out how to get funding for a senior citizen program that we wanted to implement. The workshop opened my eyes to the “world of grants”, and it was fascinating to me. The instructor said something to the effect of “There is funding for just about anything out there. There is one grant that funds a companion (human) to stay with thoroughbred horses at night so that their families can go away for the holidays.” I remember thinking that if there was money for horses to have a companion, there must certainly be funding for my programs for seniors, children, individuals with special needs, etc. I was hooked!

I have since participated in more than 25 grantwriting workshops and in 2006 I received a Certificate of Grant Development and Communication from The Grant Institute and Howard University. 

David: That is a wealth of experience. How has grantseeking changed?

Venetia: In the early days of my grantwriting work, BEFORE I knew about GrantStation, I would get a roll of dimes and an empty notebook and spend a few days at the County Library. There was a reference copy of Foundations, a book that listed all foundations and their priorities, contact info, etc. I would then copy each page that I thought might be a match (hence the roll of dimes) and it would take me a few days to get through the process. Now all of the information and more is available in a GrantStation search that takes less than a minute.

David: It’s amazing what the Internet has made possible! We talk of it as a time-waster these days, but it can still be a time-saver. 
You mentioned to me that you now teach workshops on grantseeking. What are some of the things you tell your students?

Venetia: I say that you can become a grantwriter and you can change the world. The whole field is ripe with possibilities. There is so much room for entrepreneurship. And that you can write a grant from anywhere. I have written while on ski trips in Aspen, I have written on the beach, I have written while holding my newborn granddaughter, and while visiting my mother with Alzheimer’s.

I have always loved jigsaw puzzles, and I approach grantwriting as a jigsaw puzzle. That is the way my brain approaches any problem solving. So we start with the four corners, the cornerstones, then the borders, then fill in the like colors, and finally add a touch of interest. This is usually an easy analogy to follow, and it actually keeps the whole process fun yet manageable.

I also tell them that GrantStation is the only resource you need! Everything is there and easy to use at your fingertips.

David: Well that’s great to hear because that is our goal! One of the key aspects of grantwriting is writing. How do you advise others on that?

Venetia: I tell my students that simplicity is key. Don’t use buzzwords or industry speak. Use jargon only if you have to. Your proposal should be understandable to someone reviewing the topic for the first time and to someone 30 years in the field, to a child and to someone with a Harvard degree.

David: Interesting how I have heard that in other interviews as well. Most everyone needs to be coached on the skills around simplicity. What are some areas where folks need to scale back?

Venetia: One area is that people get passionate about their work and they can run on. Turn that off. Answer their questions, and then just stop! You do not want to run the risk of muddying waters. If they ask you “How many people have been served during a 30 day period?” and if the answer is “700”, just say “700.” They want you to just answer their questions.

I had one client who was applying for a grant specifically for education around cancer, and it did not include funding for treatment. Yet the client carried on about their work in treatment. They didn’t get the grant. A funder can see a response like that and have concerns that their monies might not be spent exactly on the program that they were interested in funding. So answer their question, and then stop! What is so great about grantwriting is you do not have to GUESS what they want to know. They are telling you in writing exactly the information they need.

But fully answer their questions with details and with clarity. Don’t just say that you have an afterschool program. Instead say that there are 60 children, K-8, in the building from 2:30 to 7, M-F on days when school is in session. That lets them know how long your program is and the size of your reach. This is why it’s so important to have my script ready before I call them in the first place.

David: Tell me about that process, about how you call the funders before you submit a request.

Venetia: I learned in a workshop about research showing that a phone call raises your chance of getting a grant by 300%! So it’s something I live by.

David: We also try to preach that practice of calling ahead when we talk with Members. It’s a great way to confirm that you are match before you go forward with an application.

Venetia: Exactly. If they aren’t a match, then that revelation is a win/win for both of you. But if you are, they may offer a tip, like a code to use for their online app, or a contact person to send information to. Or they may say that they are in austerity mode for now—at least you have made the contact.

you can become a grantwriter and you can change the world

 

David: How do you approach that call?

Venetia: I prepare for a three-minute conversation. I have my Letter of Inquiry in front of me. I like to have a script, an “executive summary”. That keeps you from going on a tangent or leaving anything out.  So read your first paragraph. Then tell them that you have researched funders and that you found them to be a good match with the same priorities. Tell them that you want to confirm that because you don’t want to waste their time or yours. They always appreciate it. I have never had an experience that wasn’t positive. I can even get referrals.

David: I’d like to hear more about referrals.

Venetia: If it turns out that they aren’t a good fit, then I make a point to ask them about other grantmakers who might be. I will even call some grantmakers where I already suspect that they aren’t a fit or are just outside their geographic scope. Foundations know each other. And foundations often have the same staff over the years. And they are merging. So they are in the business of helping you find your funding, and they are especially happy to refer you if they aren’t the right fit!

David: Ha, I bet they are!

Venetia: And then I make a point to ask them “Can I use your name?” They always say yes. I like to say that grantwriting is a contact sport. You do need to build your stable of contacts. You always need to develop and protect your reputation.

David: What are some specific ways to build a reputation?

Venetia: From the first email or first phone call, stay in touch. And then I make sure that every interaction is of high quality, that my information is accurate, that I never miss a deadline. Then if I have a new funding opportunity for them, they will trust me.

David: I like how you phrased that: a funding opportunity that you are presenting to THEM. That’s how you get to approach a grantmaker when you have developed your reputation!

Venetia: I even do this with selecting the grants I apply for. There may be a grant that isn’t very large, but it’s from a grantmaker known to be strict and with careful vetting. If I get that award, I can use it as a reference. When I mention it on a call with another prospective funder, they will think “Well, if THEY gave to you….” So some grants will open doors for other grants.

David: It’s funny how well these conversations go when so many people have “phone phobia” these days.

Venetia: Not so much since COVID-19! Phone calls are coming back. It’s a break from your work. If you’re a grant manager, it’s your job to answer your phone, to talk with people to give money to. Then you’ve got their ear.

David: Still, there is some anxiety to work through for that initial call.

Venetia: Well that gets to the larger issue of the fear in the whole process. It’s a major issue that comes up in the people I work with. People will say that they don’t have the time. But after I talk with them, turns out they are just not comfortable asking for money. So they don’t even start. People are intimidated by other people who have money.

It’s part of our culture to not ask for money. Many of us were taught by our parents that it’s not polite. So we got our money from our grandmother who slipped us a $20.

David: Indeed! My husband’s grandma used to wad it up in the Kleenex that she carried up her sleeve, then would shove it in his hand and whisper-shout “Don’t tell Grandpa!” His cousins called it getting “tissued”.

Venetia: We all learned it early on like that, and we have to unlearn it. We even have to be especially bold—we have to ask for a specific amount of money!

David: So how do you help people get past this?

Venetia: My goal is to demystify “the man behind the curtain” of a grantmaker. The people reading the application are just like you—they have a job to do. They are volunteers, they are usually reading your application at night, they have deadlines, and they follow a To Do list. Put yourself in their shoes as you approach them.

You have done your search in GrantStation or whatever resource you are using. You have found this organization to be a match. You aren’t going in blind about this. So you can have confidence. You already have something in common with them. You share the same priorities. You have something to talk about with them.

So make their job easier. Answer their questions so that they can get back to their families.

David: That harkens back to the point of clarity in the request. So many people think they have to be clever in their approach.

Venetia: People will ask me “How do I not repeat myself in an application?” I say it’s okay to repeat yourself! Don’t come up with a different answer! Give them the answer they want to know.
It’s especially important if the application is split up among the reviewers by page number. One reviewer might get page 1, another page 2, etc. So if you have important information in an answer on page 1, and if you don’t include it in page 2 on a related question, then that reviewer will miss out. So don’t worry about weaving a new tale.

David: In other words, grantwriting isn’t necessarily a creative-writing exercise.

Venetia: On the contrary, this is textbook writing. People will tell me “But I’m not a good writer.” I tell them “You don’t need to be!” You need to be a good organizer. Facts are good.

There is one place where you get to be creative, where you get to be passionate, and that is the compelling need statement. And then that’s just two sentences, maybe a paragraph, regardless if it’s a 175-page app or a one-and-a-half page app. That’s where you want them to see your work through your eyes. “Imagine looking out your window and seeing….” Or use the words of a client: a child or a parent or a veteran.

They don’t want to hear about you! They want to hear about the people. They don’t want to know how hard you work or how late you were up last night or how you’re not paying yourself. They want the numbers.

David: And then it’s up to them to make their decision. So you have to leave it in their hands.

Venetia: I still get a pit in my stomach when finishing a proposal. And I’m deflated when it is rejected or under-funded. The agony of defeat—you have to power through it. It’s a numbers game.

David: What do you do when a request is declined?

Venetia: I reach out to them. I explain that I thought they were a good match so I would like to hear feedback. I even ask for the scores if they are available.

David: How is their response to requests like that?

Venetia: They always tell me! No one has ever said no. I was in a workshop where the instructor queried the group if they ask the funder for feedback. 50% of the group said that they would never do such a thing! But I have always found it a good experience, and sometimes I get the grant from them the next time. Sometimes you can tell from the funder that it was simply personal, that one of their reviewers just knows another organization better than yours. That’s information. You can reframe your next request with whatever you gather.

David: It sounds like you have had a lot of good interactions with grantmakers.

Venetia: I read that book Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders, a former executive at Yahoo.com, and that’s how I formulated my methods of approaching funders. Get to know them. Keep in touch. If you run across an article that makes you think of them, pass it on. It doesn’t have to get crazy! But in these days of COVID, you’ll learn what type of dog they have that’s barking in the background, or if they are going to work on their garden during their lunch break.

David: Like you said earlier, grantmakers are people, just like the rest of us. Thank you so much for sharing all of these insights with us!