Services

Strategic Grants provides a suite of services designed to work with non-profit organisations and charities at whatever level is required, and in alignment with and complementary to available organisational resources.

For an effective grants program to be developed and sustained, it is essential to develop appropriate fundraising processes. A successful grants strategy very much relies on the understanding of the concept of donor intent and the notion of “Linkage, Ability and Interest.”

Are there links between the organisation and the funding body?

Does their ability to give match the funding that is required?

Is there likely interest from the funding body in the organisation? That is, are there synergies in the funder’s giving criteria and the project’s outcomes?

The services offered by Strategic Grants have been designed to ensure optimal outcomes are received from your organisation’s grants program, meeting fundraising targets and most importantly, funding your mission through project delivery.

Feasibility:

While it is our business to work on developing and sustaining an effective grants program, not all charities are in a position of readiness to embark on this fundraising strategy. If we don’t think you are ready for a grants program, we’ll tell you. We’ll also give you advice on what you need to do to get ready and can help with that process by linking with you the resources that you’ll need.

If you are ready, in our initial free consultation, we will ask questions including the following:

What are your organisation’s internal policies and processes that define who is responsible for the identification of and approach to trusts and foundations and other funding sources?
How are project needs identified?
Are they in line with strategic plan objectives?
Has the organisation received grants in the past?
Have past grants been appropriately acquitted and project outcomes effectively reported?
Have relationships with previous funders been managed and sustained?
Is anyone currently researching prospective grant funding sources?
What current methods for strategic project matching are being employed?
Are applications in adherence to the funding guidelines, demonstrating the need and identifying how the project will fulfil that need through the delivery of measureable outcomes?
Does the organisation have the capacity to deliver the project, measure it’s effectiveness and report on outcomes?

Once we have determined exactly how Strategic Grants can strengthen your organisation’s grant seeking program, we will prepare a proposal that will recommend exactly which of the below services will best help your organisation receive optimal funding results.

Grants Research:

With over 2000 philanthropic Trusts and Foundations in Australia alone and hundreds of local, state and federal government grants rounds every year, where do you start with identifying prospective grants that suit your non-profit’s needs?

One of Strategic Grants most sought after services is the compilation of the “Annual Philanthropic and Government Grants Funding Calendar” that is designed to specifically match the funding needs of your organisation.

A complete 12 month calendar is provided in easy to navigate excel format, that details relevant funders names, their closing dates, average grant amounts, areas of interest, key giving criteria, and links to web-sites. Columns are also included for future use that include history and application information, so that you can keep track of interactions with funders and what application outcomes have occurred over a 12 month period.

Strategic Grants subscribes to Philanthropy Australia's on-line database, Our Community Easy Grants e-newsletter and other industry specific grants resources. Director, Jo Garner, also meets with funders, attends relevant industry seminars and keeps abreast of changes to funding deadlines and grants giving criteria.

Strategic Advisory and Professional Mentoring Services:

For organisations that have a grants program operating but want to look at ways to improve outcomes, this service includes an audit of current grants management practice, recommendations on ways to further develop and improve processes and advisory and mentoring services to organisational staff. The objective of this service is to enhance organisational capacity in managing the grants program internally, through improving processes and up-skilling existing staff.

Grants Program Management:

For organisations who are looking to outsource the majority of the grant seeking function, this service entails one of the Strategic Grants team members working with members of your organisation’s Senior Management team to: Identify projects suitable for grants funding; Strategically match projects with the right funders; Develop applications in consultation with project delivery staff; And ensure appropriate internal grants management, acquittal and reporting processes are in place.

Submission Writing, Editing and Critiquing:

Strategic Grants will first confirm the project’s eligibility and suitability for funding and will advise the organisation if it believes that the project is not a good fit for the funding round in which the organisation is looking to apply.

High quality funding applications are written in accordance with the funding guidelines. Particular attention is given to ensuring that all statements are endorsed with demonstrable evidence, to ensure that the application stands the best possible chance at receiving funding.

Based on Strategic Grants’ extensive interactions with funders and experience with writing successful applications, pre-written applications can be provided to Strategic Grants with the funding guidelines. The critique is then performed, tracking suggested amendments and including comments where it is felt that additional or alternate information is required to strengthen the application.

Evaluation & Grants Acquittal Services:

The evaluation process is vital in measuring and demonstrating the impact that a project has had in the community and the effect of the funder's grant on that project. Strategic Grants has an Evaluation Specialist on the team who has the expertise to assist organisations with the external evaluation of their services and projects. Effective evaluation and being able to demonstrate and substantiate outcomes is essential to sustaining a grants program. This service helps non-profit organisations to effectively report outcomes of their programs and comply with funders' acquittal and reporting requirements.

Grants Training Program:

Grants training packages are developed in accordance with your organisational needs. Why not get a group of organisations together to make the most of the opportunity to hear from the experts.

For Grantmakers:

Strategic Grants is in frequent contact with funding bodies to discuss prospective applications and to keep up to date with changes in funding guidelines and deadlines. Advice on application processes that are user-friendly for applicants and assistance with identifying community projects that fulfill philanthropic funding objectives are provided on request.

Copywriting Services:

Copywriting services in addition to grant applications include direct mail, appeals, newsletters, web copy, brochures, information booklets and annual reports.

We can assist your non-profit organisation at whatever level you require whether it be professional mentoring, grants research, writing applications or completely managing your grants program.

Contact us today for a free initial consultation.