This is also a great time to submit grant proposals-it's not too late! Many foundations meet during the month of December before the holidays to wrap up their giving for the year. Be sure to look at their printed materials for specific deadlines, or call the foundations if printed guidelines are not available.
One of the best things you can do now to enhance your future grant proposals is to assess the programs that are already in place. Be sure to engage your program people in this process. After all, they are the ones on the front lines delivering the services. They will have a unique perspective as to what is working and what isn't. Some of the items that you want to review are:
- Were all of the grant funds spent?
- How were the funds spent? What did you purchase?
- How many people did you serve?
- Demographic information such as: Age, race, sex, and other information that is important to your particular program or project.
- What specific activities took place to help meet the needs of your constituents?
- What were the outcomes, or what benefits did your constituents gain from the program activities? How were their lives enhanced.
- What methods did you use to evaluate the effectiveness of the program? These could be simple participant surveys, or more elaborate data collection methods.
If you get all of this information on paper now, you will have a nice report to send to your funders-even if they don't require one. You can also utilize this information for an annual report or other communication tools.
Happy Grant seeking and Happy Holidays!
