Hello! I hope everyone rested well over the weekend and is ready for a short work week and much-needed family time. Let’s not forget this kicks off that Thanksgiving is the Olympics for the world’s superior and overlooked culinary experts- the home cooks. We all know that some family members could have Michelin stars pinned to their cupboards, and we are not upset about it in the least. 😊 The world in 2024 has been challenging…It’s like 2020 hit so hard we still feel the shock waves. However, it is up to us to take the rest this holiday season and start the year on a mission to make 2025 unforgettable.

For those of us in the grant writing world, this is a little breather before the next round of grant writing. I hope your last season was fruitful and the fall has been full of awards and happy notifications. The waiting periods are challenging, but it’s getting ready to be busy for most of us.

So, what are some things you can do right now to help you hit the ground running after the new year? In a word, preparing!

Hopefully, you have met with the groups you are working with and know what funding you need this coming year. If not, back up and make these meetings a priority. You can’t prepare for what you don’t know will be required. If you are fundraising, this is the time to set that fundraising goal for the next 12 months and start working with those contacts before they allocate their philanthropic gifts for 2025. Many companies and funding groups will set some of those allocations in their first board meeting of the new year. You need to have been in their ear about your needs before that meeting. Remember, holiday parties are great…but if you are a fundraiser, you are on the clock at those events.  If you aren’t into events (or live in an area like I do where there aren’t that many), you can drop a lovely tin of cookies with a little card and one-sheet proposal, offer to buy a quick lunch, or meet for coffee, and make a pitch; there are lots of techniques. Will they know what you are up to? Yes. Does that matter? No. You need these VIPs to know who you are working for, what you are doing, and why you need their support. Be casual but direct; I find that people respect that approach.

Provided you have all the fundraising and grant info you need, this is the best time of year to dig into some grant research. Federal and state grants are probably slow (Especially since there is an upcoming change in leadership), so keep an eye on state and federal grant forecasted opportunities, but focus primarily on local and foundation funding sources. I have spent the past week or so researching dozens of grants and foundation funding opportunities for my clients. When you are in the thick of things, it is tough to take the time to research because you are trying to get things completed and out the door. However, during this little end-of-the-year slowdown, you can take full advantage. As a result, I have several new opportunities to present to my client boards. I have also found some capital investment opportunities for a client who needs to purchase their building. Also, I just gained some insight into the projects funded by some groups that did not select my organizations for funding this round.  

But how do I research? Fortunately, I used a list of the local foundations and could check their sites for information. As you are working with grants and foundations, creating your database of information is essential to building continuity in your funding strategy. Application dates, types of funding, contact information, and other general specifics are vital to keeping organized and completing reports, etc. Foundations don’t always like reports, BUT if you can send an annual review or updates/new letters with your yearly donor letters, your chances of continued funding significantly increase.

Now, if your organization has a membership to a grant/foundation search engine like Candid or the Foundation Directory and others, research for you is a breeze. Those of us working with smaller organizations take it old school and rely on Google, CauseIQ, word-of-mouth, etc., to find out who is funding what and where to find them. These methods work well for sleuths in rural areas; however, I imagine that in more urban situations, the number of foundations would be significantly higher, and you would need to find funds to invest in a system like that to take advantage of the opportunities available. It’s also great if you have a larger organization that may use one of the research engines and would be willing to pull a report for your area; that is what I have, and it was so helpful. It’s worth the ask.

 Large corporations in your area generally have foundations: Walmart, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kellogg, Amazon, coal or energy companies, etc. “Famous” or “wealthy” families often have foundations; those are always great places to start. Local banks are also holders of many family trusts that provide funding. The bank may be unable to tell you the specifics about how or what the funds can be applied towards, but they may give you a website or contact person to get things started. (You must speak to someone other than a teller for this information.) Again, a well-crafted Google search will open many of these doors. Please don’t get discouraged. I promise you will find that it’s not that difficult.

The point of this post is to use this time to get busy finding sources and making those initial contacts. If you wait until it’s time to start writing again (aka late January-February), you will either miss excellent opportunities or be scrambling to pull things together to meet deadlines.

So, I wish everyone luck as they sleuth on the internet, looking for clues to help grow their organizations. I also wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving, whether you are celebrating with family or just by yourself. Not having a family to celebrate with can be rough, but plenty of folks will be envious of your quiet time over the next few days. Ha Ha!   Also, remember that family isn’t determined by blood. Your tribe includes all fur babies and those who love and support you; no DNA is necessary.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Wordy Friends.

Also if you happen to be in need of a unique gift for someone, I have a store. Would love to help you find the perfect gift for all of your wordy friends. wordzrlifedesigns.printify.me

~Tiffanie