The Tools I Use to Get the Information I Need

It’s a tale as old as time. You’ve got a grant to write, but you don’t have the information needed to complete the application. You’ve emailed, you’ve called, you’ve begged, and you’ve pleaded.

There’s got to be a better way.

Good news – there is!

Kimberly and I recently shared insights on a previous podcast HERE and blog post HERE about communicating with your colleagues, clients, and partners when working under a deadline.

In it we shared tips about meeting people where they are, creating internal deadlines, and building a grant library. But that will only get you so far. Sometimes you need other resources to cross the finish line, and that’s the topic of our latest podcast episode. Take a listen HERE.

I’ve recently learned the value of templates. When you’re juggling multiple clients, internal departments, or projects, creating a system that streamlines your documentation collection not only makes your life easier, but essentially trains your grant team to understand what is usually expected from them.

I’d recommend templates for each of the following purposes:

• Deadlines – it’s not helpful to get everything you asked for a day before the deadline. You need time to review attachments, get them properly formatted, and reference them within your narrative. You also need time to synthesize all the information, stories, and data shared so you can draft a beautiful and easy to understand narrative that answers all the funders questions in the order they were asked. Create an internal timeline that lists deadlines and the responsible party for each aspect of information, attachments, edits, and writing necessary to get to an application ready for submission.
• Attachments – some funders provide a list of all attachments necessary for a complete application, but many do not. It’s helpful to not only have a list of attachments, but also list who is responsible for completing said attachment along with a deadline reminder.
• Content Questions – no matter how well you know your organization and programs, you will still need the help of subject matter experts. Having a template with a list of questions can either be used for said experts to draft a response or to have a head start on understanding what questions you’ll be asking of them in an upcoming meeting.

Whether you have three separate templates or one document that outlines all of this, the structure around templates helps you gather the data, information, and documents needed for a complete grant proposal.

Templates are not the only tool for grant writing. Grant or project management software is also another great way to help your grants team understand what is needed and when.

Kimberly and I are big fans of Asana, and we use its free version to track deadlines, ensure everyone understands their role, and recognize bottlenecks when deadlines are not being met. It’s not a way to shame someone for not getting their job done, but if you realize that maybe it’s taking your mayor up to 3 days to get an application signed, then you know to ensure that you’ve got a 3-day buffer before the deadline to ensure that vital step isn’t missed.

Other tools to help with grant writing deadlines and responsibilities include GrantHolster, GEMS, Amplifund, ClickUp, and Monday.com. I’m sure there are others out there. If you use a system that helps you get the information you need in a timely manner to meet all your grant deadlines, I’d love to hear about it. Email me at hello@haydayservices.com.