Grants 101 - Relationships with Grant Funders

Session Description: Session 2 of the Grants 101 Series

Many agencies make the mistake of not treating grant funders as they do their major individual and/or corporate donors. This is understandable, especially with larger foundations, given the formal nature of requesting funds and the disconnect that can result from the typical grant process. Nonetheless, there are many important and valuable strategies to develop, maintain, and cultivate strong relationships with your grant makers that can increase the chances of ongoing funding.

In this training, Julie Assel, GPC, will dive into the various ways we as grant writers can use best-practices in funder cultivation, mission alignment, as well as how we can engage others in our agency to participate in that process alongside us. Through this session you will ultimately learn how to shift your agency’s perspective on grant makers from just being “funders” to viewing them as true partners in your work. 

What you will learn:

  • How to align your mission to grant funder priorities and identify ways to approach various foundations
  • Discuss communication strategies to cultivate relationships with current grant makers, report your progress, and recognize their contributions through a transparent and open relationship 
  • How to prepare and structure tours and site visits and get others at your agency involved in that process 
  • Dive deeper into new trends in funder relationships such as participatory grant-making and trust-based philanthropy 

 

GPCI Competencies and Skills:

Competency #8: Knowledge of methods and strategies that cultivate and maintain relationships between fund-seeking and recipient organizations and funders

Skill 8.1: Identify characteristics of mutually beneficial relationships between fund seeker and funders
Skill 8.3: Identify methods of relationship cultivation, communication, recognition, and stewardship that might appeal to specific funders
Skill 8.4: Identify methods for collaborative efforts among the grant manager, program manager, and support staff during funder site visits and site evaluations

The trainers for these sessions are all credentialed grant professionals (GPCs) through the Grant Professional Certification Institute and Approved Trainers with the Grant Professionals Association.

Length: 60 minutes


GRANTS 101 SERIES

Grants are about so much more than just grant writing. This series of grant trainings will guide you through:

1) Researching opportunities
2) Building relationships with funders
3) Designing high-quality programs
4) Organizational readiness
5) Writing grant proposals
6) Managing grants

In addition, to guide your continued learning, we have a training to help you decide where you want to grow next based on the career path options available to you.

These sessions are designed to give basic knowledge to a nonprofit professional who is just starting to learn about grants or who has had no formal training in grants. This program breaks the concepts down into manageable pieces that can be learned over time. 

Session 1: Researching Grant Opportunities

Session 2: Relationships with Grant Funders

Session 3: Organizational Readiness

Session 4: Describing the Need

Session 5: Describing the Key Components of Your Program 

Session 6: Evaluating Your Program and Presenting this Evaluation using Logic Models

Session 7: Grant Budgets

Session 8: Sustainability

Session 9: Common Attachments

Session 10: Grant Ethics

Session 11: Basic Grant Management

Session 12: Continued Grant Professional Development and Career Path Opportunities

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome: Let's Get Started

    2. Video: Grants 101 - Relationships with Grant Funders

    3. Session Evaluation

    4. Quiz: Grants 101 - Relationships with Grant Funders

About this course

  • $25.00
  • 4 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content