How to Talk to Grantmakers

Often, the difference between a proposal getting funded or rejected is the relationships you have with your funding partners.

Of course, cultivating relationships with all of your funding partners and supporters can feel daunting. It can be time-consuming, especially for program staff who are “on the ground” or involved in the day-to-day work of your programs. It’s tough to know what to say, what to share, or what funders are looking for.

So how can you consistently get the resources you need to fulfill your mission? By seeing philanthropic organizations as partners, not funders. During this webinar, Stephanie Somerman, Senior Director at Elevate will lead you through the relationship-building stage of the grant cycle, including who to cultivate at philanthropic organizations and how to do it.

You’ll learn:

• the types of funding partners and funding available;
• how to approach relationship building as part of the grant cycle;
• who you should cultivate and why;
• strategies for cultivation and connection;
• stewardship strategies (once you’ve won the support!); and,
• how relationship building can help you write better grant proposals!

During this session, you’ll hear stories of relationship-building tactics that were successfully implemented in real client-funder relationships and the resulting grant wins. You’ll leave confident and prepared in your approach to deepening relationships with all your funding partners, whether you want to further steward existing funding partners or reach out and develop new relationships with potential partners.

This webinar is perfect for any nonprofit professional involved in the grantseeking process—because everyone has a part to play! Executive directors and development directors are often explicitly tasked with relationship building. However, staff such as program directors can enrich these relationships by deepening the connection directly to the work, making funders feel like true partners.