Securing Highly Competitive Grant Funds Through

Collaborative Efforts and Effective Marketing

Don Reinhart, PhDMadelynn Herman, MA

2011 ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference

Las Vegas, Nevada© May 2011

““I’m sure we can save the world, but first I’m sure we can save the world, but first we have to get funded.”we have to get funded.”

-Anonymous-Anonymous

Funding trends and what funders want

How to make your grant application highly competitive to funding sources

How effective marketing strategies will make both your project and grant

application more successful

Learning Objectives

What this Presentation is all About

“The difference between a winning and losing proposal can be as simple as being

organized, knowing what the funders want, and knowing how to sell (market)

your organization.”

Jennifer BrooksClosing the Gap, Looking for Money, April 1998

Funding Trends

State, Federal, and Local Grants

Foundation Grants/Corporate Giving

Fees for services that fund a specific project

Volunteers

Donations

Charitable Giving and Planned Giving programs

Legislative appropriations (ATJ Commissions/filing fees)

Programs can be enhanced in many ways…

Remember…

“People give to people,People give to people who

ask”

Business as usual

Mission drift, silos with blinders

That you are not meeting a critical need

Inflated budgets, over promising

Intangible results, little impact

Wordy proposals, touchy-feely anecdotal results

Flashy or overly ‘professional’ graphics

Funders do NOT want to see…

You to do more with less – a bigger bang for their buck

To see pooling of resources – partnerships/collaborations

Creativity, innovation – model programs for replication

To know that their money will be well spent/managed

To see sustainability planning and accountability

Funders want…

…to know that they are funding an organization that has a vision that matches theirs (Foundations)

…you to toot your horn about your program’s success (Marketing & Promotion)

…to make a difference in the world, just like you! (Branding, Vision & Mission)

Funders want…

How can your agency take advantage of

marketing awareness?

WHAT IS OUR BUSINESS?

WHO IS OUR CUSTOMER?WHO IS OUR CUSTOMER?

Two Critical Questions Raised byTwo Critical Questions Raised byPeter DruckerPeter Drucker

Deceased Professor, Claremont College, CADeceased Professor, Claremont College, CA

We must be able to answer these We must be able to answer these questionsquestions

In order to maximize our Agency’ s In order to maximize our Agency’ s potentialpotential

How do we secure highly competitive grant funding via

marketing techniques?

Define and frame the issues that require the attention and services of our agency with appropriate funding opportunities

Review your mission and vision statements as to those relevant grant funding opportunities

Identify your agency team, and engage stakeholders in this planning process

Create a sense of urgency and awareness in the entire organization

Conduct a SWOTT analysis

Comprehensive Planning is Key

When and Where to Use the SWOTT ANALYSIS

STRATEGY

Strengths

Weaknesses

Threats

Trends

Opportunities Action Plan

Developing Strategy Using a SWOTT Analysis

Barriers can be both internal and external to your organization.

Do you have the internal leadership support to move the project forward?

Do the grant goals and objectives fit within your agency’s mission?

Have you consulted with your stakeholders?

Identify Barriers that Affect Success

How do we identify our Brand?

Does your leadership team clearly understand the Vision and Mission via the principles of ‘branding’ your product?

Is the entire organization aware of the brand concept and this concept fits within the modus operandi of your operation?

What is our Brand & how does it Affect Success?

Keep current on trends, best practices, emerging issues

Has the economic downturn affected the clients you serve? Have their needs changed?

Have the demographics of your client population changed?

Use current research, trends, to show funder that your idea is on target.

Be creative and innovative. Innovation means different things to different people.

Follow trends and be innovative

Have the demographics of your client population changed?

Who is my customer? Have my customer

demographics changed?

How would I now describe my customer?

How do I express this change in my grant proposal?

Funders reward and often require collaborations

Include stakeholders in your planning efforts

Cultivate relationships in your community Communicate and share information Offer to help with projects, write a letter of support Join professional associations Forward grant solicitations, articles of interest

Leverage Relationships and Collaborate

Must fit the mission of your organization and that of partner organizations

Align with your organization’s strategic plan

Think long range solutions, not grant to grant

Include a sustainability plan in your application

Evaluate if it’s worth your time and effort

Be strategic in the grants you apply for

Grants are contracts

You must be able to do what you say you can do Make sure goals and objectives are realistic and

obtainable

Manage the grant well Under promise and over deliver

Keep your grant monitor informed of any problems

Make sure you have the capacity to manage and

complete the project

Are you targeting the right market?

Do you understand the role of marketing in project success?

Are your staffs aware of your project?

Have you chosen the right people to do outreach?

Have you publicized your project?

More marketing questions to consider…

Funders expect results Use evidenced-based practices

Collect data and measure performance Will help demonstrate impact

MOAs or MOUs will aid in accountability

Include an evaluation component Shows you are serious about performance and

outcomes

Results and accountability are huge

Your legal service organization has recently experienced an increase in clients who have come in seeking legal assistance due to problems associated with a pending home foreclosure or eviction notice. Your office is already understaffed and is having a difficult time handling the increase. It is clear that due to the poor economy, you will continue to see more clients with similar issues.

Scenario 1

Are there opportunities for collaboration/partnerships? If so, with whom?

Do you seek outside funding? If so, what type of funding or grants would you seek?

What type of marketing approach would you use to gain both internal and external support for your project?

Are there other innovative approaches that you could use to address this issue that don’t involve grant funding?

Scenario 1

In the last several years your community has grown in both population and diversity with a noted increase in an immigrant Spanish-speaking population. Your legal service organization has seen a huge increase in Spanish-speaking clients requesting assistance with petitions for protective orders. In addition to requesting assistance with protective orders, they don’t understand the legal/court system.

Scenario 2

Are there opportunities for collaboration/partnerships? If so, with whom?

Do you seek outside funding? If so, what type of funding or grants would you seek?

What type of marketing approach would you use to gain both internal and external support for your project?

Are there other innovative approaches that you could use to address this issue that don’t involve grant funding?

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

You work within a state court system or legal services organization that has functioned efficiently for many years without grant funding. You have developed several innovative or unique solutions to needs that have arisen over the years but have not publicized them. Therefore, few in the community know about your agency and its innovativeness. Now your challenge is to provide quality services with fewer dollars. The time is ripe to consider promotional and branding tools in order to increase funding opportunities and awareness in the community.

How can you improve the perception of your organization in your community?

What can you do to ‘brand’ your organization? How might this ‘branding process’ assist you

in seeking grant funds? How will you improve marketing awareness

within your organization? How will you convince your leadership of this

approach?

Scenario 3

Questions?

Securing Highly Competitive Grant Funds: 12 Lessons Learned from the Field of Marketing.” -- article by M. Herman and D. Reinhart

“Funding Sources/Resources for Legal Service/Court Organizations & “Grant Finding & Grant Writing Resources” – links to online resources – developed by M. Herman

“Marketing Terms Related to Grant Funding Proposals” –compiled by D. Reinhart

Resources

Don Reinhartdonrein@mindspring.com 520-444-9434

Madelynn HermanMherman@courts.state.va.us 757-813-5337

Contact Information: