Grant Management Made Easy

7 Ways to Track Grant Applications with Your Nonprofit CRM

In today’s dynamic fundraising landscape, grants remain an essential revenue stream for mission-driven organizations. A recent study underscores this importance, revealing that 90% of surveyed nonprofits applied for grants to help fund their missions. 

However, for many fundraising teams, navigating the vast sea of funding opportunities can be overwhelming. Grant opportunities are often complex and difficult to track, leaving many nonprofits wondering: How can we capture every potential grant and track opportunities effectively?

So, let’s unravel the complexities and discover how your nonprofit CRM can be a powerful ally in streamlining your grant management processes!

What types of grants should we track?

Grants come in all shapes and sizes, from small local foundations to massive federal programs. Some key categories to explore include:

• Government grants: Federal, state, and local governments offer a wide array of grant programs.
• Foundation grants: Private foundations, both large and small, provide billions in funding annually. Research family foundations, community foundations, and corporate foundations in your area.
• Corporate grants: Many businesses have dedicated charitable arms or offer grants as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. These types of grants can help fund your organization’s events, programs, and services.
• Specialized grants: Depending on your nonprofit’s focus, look for grants tailored to specific causes, such as environmental conservation, education, or healthcare.

Pro tip: Don’t overlook smaller, local grant opportunities. While they may offer less funding, they often have less competition and can be easier to secure. These grants may also support capacity building initiatives, which are often a primary need for nonprofits.

7 Ways to Track Grant Applications Effectively

Your nonprofit CRM isn’t just for managing individual contributions – it can be a powerful tool for organizing and optimizing your grant strategy. Here’s how:

1. Create a centralized grant hub

Use your CRM to create a comprehensive database of grant opportunities. Include details like application deadlines, funding amounts, and eligibility criteria. This centralized approach ensures that your team has easy access to up-to-date information, reducing the risk of missed opportunities.

2. Monitor grant application progress

Set up custom fields within your donor records to track the status of each grant application, from initial research to final decision. This allows you to see your entire grant pipeline at a glance. While entering and managing grant proposals in your CRM can be time-consuming, it provides reliable information essential for monitoring applications and tracking progress accurately. You can also assign tasks to team members for each stage of the process, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

3. Automate key grant processes

Utilize your CRM’s task management features to set reminders for application deadlines, follow-ups, and reporting requirements. Automation can help reduce manual work, allowing your team to focus more on crafting strong applications and building relationships with funders.

With DonorPerfect, you can schedule reports, such as creating a custom report to send quarterly with upcoming grant opportunities.

4. Organize and access grant documents easily

Store grant proposals, supporting documents, and past applications directly in your CRM for easy access and reference. Having all documents in one place not only streamlines the process but also makes it easier to review and reuse content for future applications.

5. Cultivate relationships with grantmakers

Track interactions with grant officers and foundation representatives, just as you would with individual donors. This ensures that you maintain strong, ongoing relationships, which can be crucial for securing repeat funding and building trust with grantmakers.

Check out Why Relationships Are the Quickest Path to Winning Grants >>

Pro tip: Community foundations are valuable resources for nonprofits, yet some fundraisers are not sure how to connect with these types of organizations. Check out these ways to seek grants facilitated by community foundations in order to maximize funding opportunities in your local network.

6. Analyze and refine your grant strategy  

Use your CRM’s reporting tools to analyze your grant success rates, identify trends, and refine your strategy over time. Regularly reviewing this data can help your team understand what’s working and where adjustments are needed, leading to a more effective grant-seeking process.

7. Align grants with overall fundraising efforts

By managing grants within your CRM, you can easily see how they fit into your overall fundraising picture, alongside individual donations and other revenue streams. This holistic view helps ensure that your grant efforts are aligned with your broader organizational goals and resources.

How to elevate your grant application strategy

You can boost grant success by adopting a comprehensive approach that aligns with funders’ priorities and addresses decision-makers’ needs. Start by crafting compelling narratives backed by solid data, showcasing your organization’s impact and potential. Leverage your CRM to manage deadlines effectively, ensuring you capitalize on every opportunity.

To further strengthen your applications, consider collaborating with like-minded organizations. These partnerships can enhance your credibility and broaden your appeal to funders. By personalizing your approach for each opportunity, nurturing relationships with grantmakers, and planning strategically, you’ll significantly improve your chances of success.

This multifaceted strategy positions your nonprofit as both savvy and impactful, opening doors to greater funding opportunities. Remember, a well-crafted grant strategy does more than secure immediate funding—it builds lasting partnerships with funders, creating a foundation for sustained support of your mission. 

By leveraging your CRM to streamline the grant process, you’re not just organizing information, you’re setting your organization up for long-term funding success. Remember, every grant application is an opportunity to share your vision and impact with the world. By leveraging the right tools – such as DonorPerfect’s grant management features – and implementing these strategies, you can unlock new levels of support for your cause and drive your mission forward