Non-profit and charity organizations get a significant amount of their funding from grants, but how do they learn to write a good grant proposal? What do funders want? Are there secrets to a successful pitch?
With these questions in mind, the Greater Victoria Community Funders Network recently joined forces with Volunteer Victoria to conduct a workshop entitled “Building and Honing your Grant Writing Craft.” As a member of the network, the Victoria Foundation was among the presenters.
The session provided the more than 40 participants with the basics of good grant writing, as well as introducing them to a handful of individual granting organizations offering their views on what a successful grant application should look like. In return, participants were able to share their challenges with the granting process and explore opportunities for future learning needs.
Continually improving the granting process has long been a focus of the foundation. Within just the past year, we’ve been incorporating feedback from applicants into our community grant program and seeking ways to make updates that reflect best practices. If there’s a better way to align our granting with our community initiatives, or increase the impact on community well-being, we’ve been eager to look at it.
This week, the latest round of the foundation’s community grant applications will open. The online process will include some changes over last year, as will the evaluation and support aspects of the program. When applications close on Aug. 15, we’re hopeful that the adjustments we’ve made will have translated into both a smoother process for grant writers and also a better calibre of applications for consideration.
As the region’s largest non-government funding agency, we grant more than a million dollars every month. Last year alone, we distributed more than $15.5 million in grants and scholarships throughout the capital region and beyond.
It turns out that finding the best way to get all-important funds like these into the hands of the worthy organizations that need them is a two-way street. The organizations applying for grants need to do their homework and submit good applications. And the businesses, foundations and other granting organizations cutting the cheques need to have application processes that make sense and aren’t too onerous to complete.
By listening to each other and working together, we make our organizations — and the community — a better place.
Sandra Richardson is CEO of the Victoria Foundation.
