135: TEDx Talk: The Real ROI Of Grant Writing

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Join me on the Fast Track to Grant Writer www teresahuff com vip As a grant writer for about two decades and winning over 7M for my clients I ve learned that grant writing isn t magic but there is a formula to increase your chances of winning grant Today I m sharing my secret sauce with you in my TEDx Talk You can read the abbreviated version below or watch the full presentation complete with pictures on YouTube Where NOT to Start with Grant Writing Imagine you re at work when your boss walks by and says Hey I need a favor I m supposed to help at the youth shelter fundraiser on Saturday and I can t make it Can you step in for me As a team player and fan of the youth program you say You bet Happy to Relieved he says Thanks you re the best On the way out he adds Oh by the way it s a marathon Just get some good running shoes and you ll be fine Wait – what A marathon I don t know about you but I m sure not ready for a marathon on Saturday Yet I hear the equivalent of this all the time in the nonprofit world People hear someone wants to start a nonprofit and say Oh you should just get a grant for that Or You need a new building I ve heard there s grant funding out there Grants aren t that simple You don t just get a grant Like training for a marathon grants require preparation strategy and hard work Successful grant writing takes consistent effort uncovering misconceptions and willingness to approach strategy through a new lens We must look at grants as part of a much bigger process Start with ROI In business we know investors are looking for a Return on Investment or ROI We put money in and calculate How much profit will I get back In the nonprofit world ROI is more about creating a Return On Impact You won t get your investment of time money or resources back when you donate to a nonprofit In the same way grantmakers are looking forward They want to know How much impact can we make through this work How much of a ripple effect can we create by partnering together Even better by giving forward and investing in others we do get a return back – by way of meaning relationships and fulfillment That s why it s so important for us to band together to help nonprofits build this kind of ROI A Return on Impact ROI Framework How do we go about showing Return on Impact We do this through what I call the ROI Framework Relevant Optimize and Interact That s how we get the results that lead to impact Rather than simply writing more grants let s move upstream to look at the bigger picture and see how each grant opportunity fits in as part of the whole puzzle When we put grants into their proper context that s when we can effectively build the nonprofit s ROI Relevant Relevance is twofold in the context of building our ROI Framework Establish the relevance of our work to society Ensure our work s relevance to the grantmaker s mission First we need contextual research to ensure the community need for this project What statistics and data support this mission Why is this work so critical Then we should consider the relevance to the grantmaker Whose funding priorities best align with the nonprofit s mission What community gaps does the nonprofit fill How can they partner to meet those needs When thinking through this Relevance we should consider the logical proof of ROI To read today s full epsiode The Real ROI of Grant Writing Challenge Question What can you do to increase your nonprofit s ROI Connect with Teresa Huff Website www teresahuff com Watch the TEDx The Real ROI of Grant Writing Take the Quiz Do you have what it takes ot be a grant writer Social LinkedIn Community LinkedIn Instagram Pinterest YouTube Get on the Fast Track to Grant Writer www teresahuff com vip Click here to visit this podcast episode