October 1, 2025, dawned with no approved federal budget. It’s not the first time we’ve been here, but it feels like the worst.
It’s reasonable to panic. I’m already wondering about the status of grant funding. How long until the shutdown is over and new grant opportunities start to appear again? If I have a grant that is due in the coming days, will that due date remain the same? If I’m currently managing a grant, are reports still due at their regularly scheduled time? If I spend money, will I get reimbursed soon? Or at all? And on and on…
But before you fall into a doom spiral, take a deep breath. And another. Then think about all you and other grant professionals have survived. We dealt with loss and the overwhelming needs during a global pandemic in 2020. We survived an influx of federal grant funding in 2009 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Heck, this year alone we’ve made it through a pause in funding, followed by a crazy month with so many federal opportunities, all with unrealistic deadlines. And we’re still standing.
In times like this, I like to fall back to the basics.
FIRST, I remind myself that organizations have a fundraising/sustainability plan for this very reason. That reason being that you never know what’s going to be thrown at your organization from year to year, or month to month. Kimberly and I often preach that grants should never be your agency’s sole source of funding, because grant funds are never guaranteed. This is why we diversify our funding portfolio through individual giving, fundraising events, in-kind donations, fees for service, volunteers, taxes (for the government agencies reading this), collaboration (to reduce expenses), and more. And maybe it’s time to have some serious conversations with the decision makers in your organization about what is realistic when it comes to grant funding expectations over the next few months and years. (Don’t know what’s realistic? Plan for the worst-case scenario.)
SECOND, until funders tell you otherwise, expect that all rules, requirements, and deadlines stand. That means you continue to draft grant proposals and get them submitted by current deadlines. If they give you more time, BONUS! If you have a report due on the 15th of the month, have it ready to go and submitted by the 15th.
Things get tricky when you talk about spending on current grant awards. Now’s a good time to take stock of your ability to incur expenses knowing it may be later than normal before you’re reimbursed. Are there things you can hold off on purchasing without negatively impacting your programming and the needs of those you serve? These can be tough conversations to have. No matter what you do, document your decision-making process. This will help if you need to ask for a time extension to complete your project.
THIRD, if you find yourself with some extra time on your hands, because no grant applications are due in the near future, take this opportunity to brush up on your professional development. Reach out to other grant professionals and ask what they are working on, to make sure you aren’t overlooking something important. Delve into an on-demand course you’ve been putting off for a while. (HayDay Services will have a whole host of on-demand content at varying price points by October’s end.) Think about what advocacy you and your organization can do. Raising awareness about the community you serve and how your programming makes a positive difference is ALWAYS a good idea.
FOURTH, continue to communicate and document everything. Even if you don’t know what’s going on (and let’s face it, there is a ton of unknown right now), make sure key staff at your agency are on the same page. Document everything: any meetings and important discussions. Jot down issues and highlight successes during this time.
AND FINALLY, if there is anything HayDay Services can bring to this community to help, please reach out at hello@haydayservices.com. We don’t have all the answers, but we’re always happy to share what resources we can.
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