Grants are not a quick fix (sorry)
Some members of the hardworking team, celebrating their accomplishments at a staff conference.
I get this call at least once a month.
A nonprofit exec seeks my help because they need funding, and they need it now. They’re surging with enthusiasm and passion for a project, or they’ve found the “perfect” open grant opportunity that just popped up. "Can you help us write the grant? We need the money in the next couple of months."
And I usually have to be the bearer of bad news: Grants don't work that way. I wish that I had a magic wand (and an unlimited tolerance for caffeine) to conjure up grant dollars on demand. But the truth is, grants are a long game. And if you're going to play the game, you need to understand what you're signing up for.
The Grant Timeline Reality Check
Here's what most passionate organizations don't realize: From the moment you identify a funding opportunity to the moment money hits your account, you're typically looking at 6-12 months. Sometimes longer. Let's break that down:
Prospecting and identification: Finding the right funders who align with your mission, geography, and project type takes time. Not every funder funds every type of work, and almost all funding opportunities come with budget line item restrictions that will make you pull your hair out. Applying to mismatched funding opportunities is just wasted effort.
Preparation: Most grants require detailed budgets, project plans, organizational documents, letters of support, memorandums of understanding with partner organizations, and outcome metrics. If you don't have these ready to go, you're adding weeks or even months to your timeline.
Writing and review: A solid grant proposal isn't something you polish off in an afternoon. A good proposal requires research, strategy, subject matter expertise, clear writing, and usually several rounds of review.
Submission and waiting: After you submit, you wait. Most funders take 2-6 months to review applications and announce awards. Some even longer.
If you're awarded: Celebration time! But even then, there's often paperwork, contracts, and reporting requirements before you see the first check.
Why This Matters for Your Organization
I'm not sharing this timeline to discourage you. I'm sharing it because understanding this reality is the first step toward building a sustainable funding strategy.
When you treat grants as an emergency solution, you end up:
Rushing applications that don't reflect your best work
Applying to misaligned funders just because a deadline is approaching
Creating a feast-or-famine funding cycle
Burning out your team with constant urgency
But when you approach grants strategically, you can:
Build relationships with funders over time
Craft compelling proposals that truly showcase your impact
Diversify your funding streams
Plan programmatically instead of reactively
Increase your chances of winning the funding you so desperately need!
So How Should You Approach Grants?
Start before you need the money. If you're thinking about a new program for next year, start researching grants now. Build your funder relationships now. Get your organizational documents in order now.
Think portfolio, not lottery ticket. Don't pin all your hopes on one big grant. Develop a mix of funding sources, such as individual donors, grants, earned revenue, and other streams. Grants should be one piece of a larger puzzle — including Board-led fundraising!
Clearly define your mission. The organizations that succeed in grant funding can articulate their mission, demonstrate their impact, and explain their approach clearly and compellingly. If you're still figuring that out, that's a higher priority than any grant application.
Build your infrastructure. Funders want to support organizations that can deliver results and report on them. That means having good financial systems, solid organizational governance, and the capacity to manage grants effectively.
Be honest about capacity. If you're a small organization running on limited staff capacity, you might not be able to chase every grant opportunity. That's okay. It's better to develop two excellent applications than five mediocre ones.
The Good News
Here's what I want you to know: While grants aren't quick fixes, they are absolutely worth the effort when approached strategically. The key is shifting your mindset from "We need money now" to "We're building sustainable funding for lasting impact." That might mean starting with a smaller local grant to build your track record. It might mean investing time in getting your house in order before applying to larger funders. It might mean being more selective about which opportunities you pursue.
I know this timeline firsthand. When I led Veterans programs at a large local nonprofit, it took me six years to build our grant funding from $750,000 to $2.4 million annually. Six years. That growth didn't come from chasing every opportunity or writing hasty proposals. It came from patience, keeping my eyes and ears open for the right opportunities, staying connected to what funders cared about, and above all, making sure our current programs were performing well and our existing funders were happy. Strong programs and strong relationships created a foundation that allowed us to grow strategically, not desperately. That's the kind of sustainable growth that actually changes what an organization can accomplish.
The organizations that do well in the grant rat race are the ones who pace themselves, plan ahead, and stay focused on their mission. Whatever path you take, remember this:
Grant funding is a marathon, not a sprint.
Stay vigilant! -Zoe
