1. Reduce the Workload of Executive Director
The beginning of the year is an excellent time to reflect on the capacity needs of your nonprofit. What areas could use more support? For many nonprofits, grants research and management is a necessary piece of fundraising often put on the backburner. Grant responsibility is either tossed around internally or sits on the shoulders of the Executive Director. Benefits of hiring a grants consultant should not be overlooked.
Executive Directors are expected to maintain smooth operations by managing the team, the budget, and the vision of the nonprofit. All this while being the face of the organization and building relationships with donors. A burnt out Executive Director stretched too thinly may rush an important grant deadline or forget entirely. In short, the dreams of a nonprofit may never materialize with leadership that is perpetually overstretched and fatigued.
Grant Writing is a Lot More Than Just Writing
Producing high quality applications requires a high level of attention. First, you must prospect the grant. Then, build a relationship with the funder. Next, complete specific application questions (within character count!) or draft a proposal including all pertinent information and supporting data, submit under deadline, and wait for the word. Once awarded, then comes the management and writing lengthy reports which call for more data, especially clear outcomes and outputs.
What would your priorities look like if grant writing wasn’t on your to-do list? What would happen if you passed the hat to an expert to manage? Would you scale or design a new program? Provide professional development opportunities for your staff? Or build that community partnership you’ve been thinking about? Perhaps just enjoy no longer trying to meet grant deadlines on evenings and weekends?
Two of the most significant benefits of hiring a grants consultant are the time and money saved. Hiring a consultant to manage all parts of the grants process reduces a large responsibility for an Executive or Development Director, and costs significantly less than hiring an employee. Even if the timing isn’t perfect for an application, being aware of the opportunity allows the nonprofit to begin building relationships with funders well in advance to prepare for the following cycle.
This proactive approach transforms grant seeking from a reactive process to a strategic one. By keeping an ongoing watch on opportunities, a grants consultant positions nonprofits to be ahead of the curve, allowing Executive Directors and leadership to focus on other high priority tasks.
2. Expertise of Consultant
Hiring an experienced team of consultants will bring your non-profit a high level of expertise specific to grants. In the past decade there has been a larger demand for grant writers. This need has created more educational opportunities to carve out a professional niche. Now, a large pool of qualified consultants specialize in this work. Premio Services has developed from this legacy of grant writers, passionate about elevating this profession while supporting the excellent work of nonprofits. We take the quality of the grants process seriously.
Our grants expertise goes beyond writing the proposal. Winning grants requires multiple steps of preparation. As consultants, we first help organizations exhibit preparedness. Our team works with nonprofits to develop language and documents for building compelling cases for support. We use the perspective of funders to guide collaborative strategy and strengthen an organization’s baseline argument.
Our second form of expertise is found in research. Before writing any application, the funder must first be thoroughly examined for mission alignment, geographic focus, and giving history. This process takes a keen eye and considerable amount of time. Our detailed findings result in a 12-18 month grants calendar, strategically aligned with your nonprofit’s programs and funding goals.
The third form of expertise is grants management. This practice includes writing proposals that have a tasteful combination of powerful stories and concrete data. We also help organizations develop outputs and outcomes that demonstrate measurable impact. Each step requires nuanced skills that a seasoned grants consultant will provide.
Grants are Our Specialty
Our expertise continues with long-term engagement with the nonprofit team. The longer we work with your nonprofit, the more familiar we become with your programs. This informs our research and writing as we strategically target funders to build your grants portfolio. From identifying and helping fill internal gaps to creating relationships with funding sources, we develop sustainable strategies. Our work in year one will lay the groundwork for developing strong funder relationships that can result in multi-year funding for decades.
Consultants also often have a diverse portfolio of clients and projects, exposing them to different funding opportunities and best practices across various sectors. This breadth of experience equips consultants with valuable insights and strategies that can benefit the nonprofit they’re working with, leading to more successful grant applications and portfolio expansion.
3. Access to Tools
A key component of a grant writing consultant is conducting rich, detailed research to identify funders best aligned with the nonprofit’s work and funding needs. This requires using high quality research tools to sift through complex information. A professional consultant has their own toolkit of databases with information about a funder’s giving history and will sort through this data to determine which opportunities are worth pursuing. The outcome is a funder assessment, presenting a ranked list of funding targets, along with insights and recommendations for next steps.
This comprehensive approach ensures that the nonprofit is not merely applying for any available grant but strategically targeting those that align with its mission. The result is a living list that acts as a roadmap for strategic grant-seeking and informing a rolling grants calendar that enables efficient planning. These tools become invaluable assets for the organization, guiding them through the complex landscape of grant opportunities.
4. Expanded Grants Portfolio
The benefits of hiring a grants consultant plays a crucial role in diversifying a nonprofit’s grant revenue. Instead of relying on smaller, more restricted awards, the consultant guides the organization towards larger, less restricted funding opportunities. This shift allows the nonprofit to save time and resources that would otherwise be spent managing numerous smaller grants.
By going for bigger grants, nonprofits can see greater growth of their programs. Stepping away from the low-hanging fruit – which often uses up valuable resources – enables the organization to better utilize its existing capacity. The grant writing consultant strategically directs efforts towards opportunities that align with the nonprofit’s mission while maximizing the potential for substantial financial support.
5. Reduce Cost
An immediate benefit to hiring a grant writing consultant is the cost-effectiveness it offers to nonprofits. Employing a full-time grant writer on staff has additional expenses to salary such as taxes, benefits, and overhead. These additional costs can significantly impact a nonprofit’s budget, especially for smaller organizations with limited resources. Hiring a consultant eliminates these costs. Consultants typically work on a contract basis, which allows nonprofits to allocate resources more efficiently.
By paying for specific services rather than a full-time salary, nonprofits can also optimize their budget allocation. This strategic approach allows organizations to invest in other essential areas of their operations while still accessing high-quality grants expertise.
Grant writing consultants bring a wealth of specialized knowledge and experience to the table. Unlike hiring a full-time staff member who is likely to have varied responsibilities within the organization, consultants are solely dedicated to grant related work. This focused expertise translates into more efficient, targeted, and timely grant-seeking outcomes.
Save Precious Time & Money for Your Nonprofit
Consultants invest time and energy in understanding the mission, goals, and operations of the organization, aligning their grant seeking efforts accordingly. This level of engagement fosters a collaborative relationship between the consultant and the nonprofit team.
Consultants care deeply about the success of the nonprofits they work with, as their reputation and future opportunities are often tied to the outcomes of their projects. This vested interest ensures that consultants remain committed to supporting the nonprofit’s mission and development goals throughout the engagement. Access to a professional grant consultant’s network can also connect your organization to opportunities that would otherwise not have presented themselves.
By opting for consultant services, nonprofits can receive the expertise and support they need without the long term financial commitments associated with hiring full time staff, focus on success in their areas of expertise within the organization, and enjoy more space in their schedules to ensure better health for themselves and the organization as a whole. This flexibility allows nonprofits to adapt to changing needs and priorities, unencumbered by fixed overhead costs and an overburdened staff.
These are just some of the benefits of hiring a grants consultant. Does your nonprofit need a grants professional? Contact us today.
Learn more about our services and see how we can help breathe new life into your grant goals!
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