Ongoing grant writing services to help fund your nonprofit’s mission

Grant seeking is a long-term process and investment in your organization.

You could apply for one-off grants here and there, stringing them together as part of your fundraising efforts, but that’s not a true strategy.

With the Grant Services Retainer, I partner with your organization for at least 6 months to deeply understand your program and goals, and map out a grant strategy. You receive ongoing grant support to help your organization increase capacity through a sustainable process.

Grant Research & Cultivation

  • Research and identify potential funding sources

  • Collaborate with internal team to ensure effective cultivation and stewardship of grantmakers, including developing a strategy and drafting communications, and attending grantmaker meetings

  • Use grant-seeking databases, Listservs, 990s, and other resources to identify potential corporate and private foundation grant opportunities aligned with your organization’s programs

  • Work within your organization’s preferred software, or suggest suitable tools, to develop/maintain a grant calendar

  • Conduct and synthesize recent data and research to develop a strong grant proposal

Grant Writing & Reporting

  • Prepare grant submissions for prospective, current, and lapsed funding opportunities

  • Revise and edit proposals; Solicit and incorporate funder feedback (if any) into grant materials as appropriate

  • Write midyear, annual, or final reports as requested by each foundation/corporate funder based on data collected and managed by your organization

  • Create grant portal logins and submit grant applications on behalf of your organization, as needed

  • Work with your internal team to prepare or develop necessary attachments to complete the application

  • Work with your organization’s finance team to prepare budget information, as necessary

  • Attend information sessions or view recordings, when possible, to stay current on grantmaker requirements

Project Management

  • Lead/participate in monthly meetings with development and programmatic leaders to discuss funding opportunities, program details, and other grant-related items

  • Provide a Weekly Update via email detailing current, recently completed, or upcoming tasks to your organization’s primary contact (and other designated team members)

  • Manage and track deadlines

  • Communicate with the internal team to ensure the best quality submission

  • Manage supporting attachments to help your organization keep track of all of the moving parts in the grant process

Monthly investment: $3,500 - $5,500

To benefit your organization’s budget, Tiffany Thibodeau Consulting focuses on outcomes and does not track hours. This means you do not incur additional fees if additional time is needed to complete the monthly scope of work.

This service is for you if:

  • you understand the value of having an experienced grant writer on your team, but don’t have the funds to hire a staff person.

  • you feel like you’re always chasing grants and you’re ready for a change.

  • you know relationship cultivation is a not-so-secret ingredient to reaching your organization’s goals.

  • you’re ready to free up your (and your program staff’s) time to focus on your mission.

FAQs

  • Tiffany Thibodeau Consulting specializes in serving New England-based youth-focused nonprofits. We also have a history of working with organizations outside of the New England market. This includes nonprofits in nature-based education, literacy, STEM/STEAM, college access, and youth workforce development to name a few.

  • Depending on the services, retainer packages range from $3,500 - $5,500.

  • To see if you qualify for one-off projects, you can book a call.

  • Managing the grant-seeking process is skilled work regardless of the outcome of funding. Several factors contribute to a grant being awarded and not all are within a grant writer’s control. A strong grant writer can help you develop an application whose contents can be repurposed. Most grantmakers do not fund activities that happen before the grant is awarded. The Grant Professionals Association and other professional organizations also forbid this practice.

  • An organization’s decision to work with a grant consultant boils down to your organization’s goals and capacity. If you have a staff member interested in learning how to write grants effectively and you can carve out enough time in their day-to-day to manage the process, you may not need to hire a grant consultant. Instead, you can seek professional development to help train your staff. If your team is busy with other aspects of fundraising or program delivery, or simply doesn’t have the time to learn, you may want to consider a grant consultant who is knowledgeable about the grant process, understands the funding landscape, and engages in ongoing learning.