Why RTB takes a fundraising approach to grant writing 

 

When David first reached out to RTB about grant writing support, he described his organization’s approach in terms that sounded familiar: “We are looking for someone to write our grants.” 

What they needed – and what most organizations ask for – is everything: prospecting to identify viable leads, written narrative to draw upon, compelling stories to share, and then, of course, the writing and submission of proposals. 

When we begin working with organizations, we conduct discovery to learn more about their programs, their culture, the ways they conduct their client or mission service, and the ways they operate overall. 

Often, in order to be ready to write compelling grants, the organizations need program strengthening, a process to evaluate their success, a robust fundraising program, a needs assessment or some type of evidence that their service is needed in and by the community, and a way to articulate their vision for the future that seems inspirational – one that funders will want to join.

Grantors (Foundations, companies and even the government!) as well as individual philanthropists want to bet on a winning horse, not rescue toothpaste circling the drain. 

Funders also want to know that an organization has contemporary ways of meeting today’s needs, especially if they pride themselves on being around since the beginning of time.

Our response surprised him: “While we’re discussing proposals, let’s also talk about relationships. Do you have a list of foundations and companies that have funded you before, or ones where you’ve applied in the past? Do you know anyone at these foundations? Have you attended any events where their program officers might be present? 

Crickets.

We see this all the time – nonprofit leaders and board members have been conditioned to believe they can find quick wins through grants and relieve themselves of “the devil of fundraising.” 

David was confused. He thought he was hiring grant writers, not fundraising consultants. What he discovered is that at Raise the Bar Consulting, we don’t see a meaningful distinction between the two. Here’s why.

Grantors Are Donors Who Happen to Require Paperwork

The foundation of Raise the Bar’s approach to grant writing starts with a simple recognition: institutional funders are donors. They have philanthropic goals, limited resources, and multiple options for achieving their mission. They want to support organizations they trust to deliver meaningful outcomes.

The difference between a foundation program officer and an individual major gift prospect isn’t their motivation to give—it’s the application process they require and the decision-making process they follow. But the fundamentals of donor development apply to both relationships.

This means that successful grant writing starts long before you sit down to draft a proposal. It starts with understanding the funder’s formal priorities, knowing who the decision makers will be, building authentic relationships with foundation staff, and positioning your organization as the kind of partner institutional donors want to support.

Why Traditional Grant Writing Approaches Fall Short

Most grant writing approaches treat proposals as the primary tool for securing institutional funding. Organizations spend significant time crafting compelling narratives, developing detailed budgets, and meeting application requirements, but invest little effort in building relationships with foundation staff or understanding the broader context of foundation decision-making.

The saddest part is that most nonprofits don’t even try to build a relationship with the funders even when they are funded!

This approach generates frustrating experiences for both nonprofits and funders. Foundations receive hundreds of proposals from organizations they don’t know, for projects that may not align with their current priorities, written in tones that don’t resonate with the reviewers. Even when they do fund proposals, funders decry that they rarely hear from the funded agencies, unless they require a report.

When organizations approach “grant writing” in transactional ways, they limit the potential for long-term funding partnerships. It’s a missed opportunity to deposit a gift without building a relationship that could pay off in spades for your future.

Raise the Bar has successfully secured thousands of grants through the years, and we have seen firsthand that when organizations treat institutional funders as major gift donors rather than grantors, they see higher success rates, larger awards, and more sustainable funding partnerships over time.

The Relationship Development Framework for Institutional Funders

Effective relationship development with institutional funders follows the same principles that guide individual donor cultivation, adapted for the institutional context and decision-making timelines.

The process starts with research that goes beyond foundation websites and funding guidelines. We investigate the funder’s tax returns, foundation staff backgrounds, recent grants, and strategic priorities. We look for connection points between foundation goals, their actual funding patterns, and our clients’ expertise. We identify opportunities for authentic engagement that create value for the foundation beyond just requesting funding.

Foundation relationship building often includes attending sector conferences and convenings where foundation staff participate, contributing to policy discussions in areas of foundation interest, and collaborating with other organizations in ways that demonstrate thought leadership and sector knowledge.

The timeline for institutional relationship development is typically longer than individual donor cultivation. Foundation staff are often managing large portfolios and complex strategic initiatives. Building meaningful relationships requires patience and consistent engagement over time.

How Raise the Bar Integrates Donor Engagement Strategies into Grant Writing

When we do write proposals for institutional funders, the process reflects our understanding of these relationships as donor partnerships rather than grant transactions.

We begin by serving as a member of our client’s fundraising team. Where teams have dedicated staff and involved executives, we encourage them to pick up the phone and schedule an in-person or virtual meeting with the funder to get to know them and share their projects. And we encourage them to ask funders for advice whenever possible. Where clients are resource limited, we begin these relationship building steps for them. 

Our proposals focus on shared goals and mutual benefit rather than just organizational need. We position our clients as partners in achieving funder objectives rather than simply recipients of foundation generosity. We emphasize outcomes and impact in ways that demonstrate alignment with funder values and strategic priorities.

The proposal process also includes relationship stewardship activities that extend beyond the written submission. We recommend thank-you notes to program officers, updates on relevant organizational activities, and invitations to agency events or site visits that allow foundation staff to see the organization’s work firsthand.

Grant reporting becomes an opportunity for relationship development rather than just compliance. We help clients create reports that provide valuable information to foundation staff about sector trends, program learnings, and strategic insights that go beyond basic grant requirements.

Different Approaches for Different Funder Types

The relationship-first approach to grant writing requires different strategies for different types of institutional funders, but the core principle of treating grantors as donors remains consistent.

Corporate Foundations and Giving Programs

Corporate funders often have dual motivations: philanthropic goals and business objectives. Relationship building with corporate funders includes understanding their business context and identifying opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships that extend beyond traditional grant relationships.

This might include employee volunteer opportunities, cause marketing partnerships, or thought leadership collaborations that provide value to the corporate partner while advancing organizational mission.

It’s also important to know who is tasked with reviewing proposals, and write to that audience in the tone and content. In an effort to include all workers in corporate philanthropy, several companies have moved to processes whereby their front-line workers are decision-makers. These employees often approach decision-making differently than a group of corporate executives, and their personal life experiences can drive the charitable support a company gives. The more your proposals are relational, simple, clear, and emotionally compelling, the better chance you’ll have of meeting the moment. 

Family Foundations

Family foundations are often the most similar to individual donors in terms of relationship development needs. Foundation family members may have personal connections to the issue area and benefit from direct engagement with organizational leadership and program participants.

Relationship building with family foundations often includes invitations to organizational events, opportunities to meet program participants, and updates on program activities that allow foundation families to see the direct impact of their support. 

Some family foundations are intent on honoring the intent of their founders, while others change their funder over time to meet the interests of the family’s successor generations. Successful donor stewardship efforts may also include ways to connect with second-, third-, and fourth-generation stewards of the family’s philanthropic legacy.

Government Funders

Government grant relationships require understanding of policy priorities and decision-making processes that differ significantly from private foundation approaches. Relationship building with government funders often involves participation in policy discussions, collaboration with other grantees, and demonstration of organizational capacity to manage public funds effectively.

While relationship-building is different and typically influences funding decisions less than in the private sector, being “in the room” matters, both before and after an organization receives funding. 

There are times when government funders will contact organizations to give them extra grant money because another charity was unable to follow through on their grant commitment or could not spend the money. The truth is that the program officer will look at their list of current grantees and consider the high scorers, high performers, geographic areas where they want to invest more, and programs and people they enjoy working with, and make a short list of agencies worthy of additional funding. 

While you may have won your grant with a high score, you might come into additional funding because of proven performance and solid relationships.

Using Your Grant Writing Efforts to Build Relationships. 

You don’t have to stop grant writing or wait to submit grants until you have the perfect funder relationship. We’ve seen organizations do that, and it’s often counterproductive. 

Start small. Begin building your relationship by adding a few steps into every grant proposal you submit. 

1. Conduct more thorough funder research, so that your proposal is a much better match. Forego writing proposals to long shots.
2. Add donor cultivation touches into your grant writing processes: call or email the funder to introduce yourself and ask for a meeting to discuss their priorities and your interests.
3. Give them the opportunity to see your mission in action. Add prospective funders to your newsletter list and begin inviting them to your organization’s program events and open houses (not fundraisers). 
4. When funded, thank your funders quickly with phone calls from your executive and board president the same day a gift is received. Make it a point to invite your funders to every significant program event, send them an annual status report whether or not they require it, and meet with them in-person at least twice yearly with updates on the success of your programs and upcoming endeavors.

Get to know your funders like you would a new friend.

And, by all means, continue submitting applications in the meantime. Often, the actual grant submittal is a step in the relationship-building process. You’re honoring the funder’s relationship-building preference by submitting an application and by playing by their rules. 

Build the relationship as you go, because this process is both/and, not either/or.

And remember… funders are people, too! No matter the chair they occupy, all funders, all donors, want to feel inspired by the work you do. So whether you’re connecting with individual philanthropists, corporate giving representatives, foundation stewards, or government program officers, remember first and foremost to treat them like people with their own dreams and ambitions, and invite them to help make the world a better place by partnering with you. 

 

Book a Grant Strategy Consultation

Ready to transform your approach to institutional funding? Let’s discuss how relationship-building can improve your grant writing success.