Time flies when you’re having fun, and we’re already halfway through the year!
Now, when was the last time you checked in on your overall funding strategy?
If it’s been a while, this is the newsletter for you. In this week’s edition, we’ll share insights on how to conduct a mid-year check-in, provide examples and tools you can use, and so much more.
Grab your coffee and settle in.
Welcome to The Impact.
Pitfalls and Pointers
⚠️ Pitfall: Using a Set It and Forget It Mindset When It Comes to Your Grant Strategy
Many nonprofits don’t keep their funding strategy updated. Instead, they set it and forget it and hope for the best at the end of the year.
Not referring back to your grants strategy puts you at risk of pursuing every new opportunity you come across, i.e. falling prey to “shiny object syndrome”.
Unfortunately, this can lead to missed funding targets, wasted time, and a smaller ROI.
💡 Pointer: Schedule Regular Check-Ins to Track Your Progress
The best way to stay on track with your funding strategy is to regularly check in on your progress.
Here are some best practices to keep in mind:
- Consider the cadence. How often you check in on your grant strategy depends on how complex it is. Some nonprofits can conduct check-ins on a quarterly basis, while others should do so monthly.
- Compare your plans to reality. Did you make all your deadlines? Did you receive your anticipated funding? If you didn’t, did you apply for more grants or diversify funding in other areas (e.g. crowdfunding, fundraising event, new giving appeal, etc.) to close the gap? Make note of what worked as anticipated and what didn’t.
- Ask for feedback. Consult with your team and key stakeholders to understand how they’re feeling about your grant strategy in practice. Does it feel manageable? Have they identified new areas that need funding? Is the program working as intended or were there adjustments that needed to be made?
- Make adjustments as needed. Look at the information you collected and see if there are any themes, patterns, or shortcomings. Make changes based on the feedback. The sooner you identify potential shortcomings, the faster you can course correct.
👉 Keep reading to learn more about building and refining your grant strategy!
Tech You Should Know
What:
The Nonprofit Organizational Assessment Questionnaire is a fantastic tool that can help you determine your nonprofit’s health. Provided by Authenticity Consulting LLC and adapted from a tool used by the Greater Twin Cities United Way, it’s a series of questions that can help influence your overall funding and programming strategy.
How Grant Writers Can Use It:
- Analyze your nonprofit’s strategic planning activities. Identify what your organization is doing well and any gaps in your overall operations.
- Assess best practices. You can easily compare how your nonprofit stacks up against industry best practices.
- Identify opportunities to improve. Your assessment results help you and your leaders understand what you can be doing better. These results should inform your overall strategy.
Keep in Mind:
- To get the best results, you’ll need multiple people to take the assessment. Set a deadline to ensure a timely response.
- Honesty can be difficult, but it’s the only way to get a true read on your organization. Consider making it anonymous to foster candor.
✍️ Take the Nonprofit Organizational Assessment Questionnaire for yourself!
🎁 A Gift for You 🎁
When you’re looking to set your annual grants strategy or add new programming, it’s important to understand your nonprofit’s capacity.
One way you can do this is by completing a nonprofit feasibility study. It will help you understand if you should pursue a new endeavor or add it to your plans for next year.
Our free nonprofit feasibility study templates can help you assess capacity, gain stakeholder buy-in for viable projects, or provide data to support why you should pass on a new initiative.
🔥 Download the free feasibility study templates today!
Opportunities Spotlight
🌟 Ayrshire Foundation Grant
Who It’s For: Community-focused nonprofits
Next Deadline: September 15, 2025
Grant Amount: $5,000 or more
The Details:
The Ayrshire Foundation is committed to empowering communities, focusing their efforts on education, health, science, cultural initiatives, and general welfare. While preference is given to organizations in California and Michigan, they accept applications from all locations as long as the projects advance community interest and are scalable over time.
💫 McGraw Foundation Grant
Who It’s For: Nonprofits focused on helping people in need
Next Deadline: February 1, 2026
Grant Amount: $2,000-$10,000
The Details:
The McGraw Foundation helps fund projects focused on education, health, human services, and civic and cultural issues. These grants are often leveraged as match opportunities to garner more funding. While preference is given to the Chicagoland area, they have awarded to nonprofits across the United States.
🔍 Explore thousands of other grant opportunities now!
Networking Nook
📅 Conference: Cause Camp 2025
November 4-5 | Pittsburgh, PA
Celebrated by Forbes as a must-attend event, the Cause Camp Nonprofit Conference brings together leaders from around the world to share practical tips to take your nonprofit fundraising to the next level.
Don’t Miss Out!
To check out more recent and upcoming live events, go here.
In Case You Missed It
📑 Article: How Are Nonprofits Funded? 7 Fundraising Strategies
Explore 7 strategies to help you diversify your funding and improve your nonprofit’s financial health. By the end, you’ll feel ready to explore new revenue streams in exciting ways.
📼 Video: Grantseeking Strategies for the New Year
Check out this 60-minute workshop to help you identify new grant strategies to transform your funding plans. You’ll learn how to be more proactive with your grantseeking and map your funding needs to your strategic priorities to garner buy-in.
Don’t Forget to Check In
Your grant strategy is just words on a paper unless you actually follow through with your plans.
Grant management tools can help keep you on track, and there’s none better than Instrumentl. We offer robust end-to-end grant management tools, including task management, a dedicated grants calendar, reporting, and more.
