Many grant applications have a section titled, “Program Activities,” but this is kind of a misnomer. When we’re talking about social impact, we don’t want to simply fund activities. We want to fund change. Before diving into what your program does, establish why it matters.

Enter the Grant Research & Funding Strategy. Your roadmap to guide the grant opportunities you will pursue for the year. By implementing a strategy and preparing the associated deliverables, your organization can be thoughtful about where you invest your time, energy, and resources to apply for grants that are well-aligned to your program or project. The goal here is a return on investment, so focus on grants your organization has a strong chance of winning and ticks all the boxes for aligning with your mission, funding needs, and grant management scope.