Casebook PBC Blog

Leveraging Nonprofit Software to Create a Successful Grant Proposal

Written by Casebook Editorial Team | May 8, 2023 6:22:00 AM

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the great resignation, businesses across many industries have experienced an uptick in employee turnover. This trend has been especially prominent in the nonprofit sector, where limited budgets and resources often make it difficult for organizations to retain their top talent. High turnover can have serious consequences for nonprofits, including reduced productivity, decreased morale, and increased costs — all of which directly affect the quality of services these organizations provide to their constituents. Finding and receiving just the right grants for your growing nonprofit can be a crucial step in securing the funding you need to move forward with projects that will make a difference, and leveraging nonprofit case management database software when creating your applications can be an important step in keeping everything you need in one place and writing strong applications that showcase everything your organization has to offer. Here is an overview of how to write a grant using nonprofit software and why nonprofit grant writing case management systems play an important role in creating successful modern grant proposals! Keep Past Information Organized to Choose the Best Possible Donors Even the most charitable donors are often unable to contribute to every grant request that comes their way, and keeping track of a wide range of data about each donor you have worked with or requested funds from in the past can help you begin your search with the specific donors that are the most likely to be willing and able to support your project. Many donors prefer to work with the same grant recipients over time to build a strong professional relationship with promising newcomers to their field, while others prioritize spreading their funds out among more people to help them get their foot in the door. If you are requesting a second or third grant from a donor you have had success with in the past, it can be helpful to remind them of the results of projects you have previously applied their funding to and how much that work benefited you or the organization you represent. Nonprofit software provides an easy and streamlined option for keeping this information and details about past communication with potential donors in one convenient place, and reviewing this information before deciding who to reach out to first can increase your chances of finding early success and minimizing the time it will take to secure the funds you need. Quickly Find the Best Grants for Your Organization Many grants have very specific guidelines for the types of projects they are to be used for, and reading through dozens or even hundreds of grant descriptions to find options that may be appropriate for your nonprofit can be quite time-consuming and reduce the amount of time your team can spend on other aspects of running your organization. Many grant management software programs come with a built-in, searchable database of common grants, and these programs can quickly compile a list of grants that most closely match your criteria. With this option, you can be intentional about putting the majority of your time and other resources toward creating the best possible applications for the specific grants that are most likely to be a good fit for your nonprofit. Establish Your Credibility If you are new to your field or representing a new nonprofit organization that has applied for few or no grants in the past, it can be difficult to create a concise and accurate picture of what your organization stands for and how the project you are seeking a grant for will ultimately benefit your community or your field. A strong grant management software program can be a valuable tool for compiling background information about your nonprofit to share with potential donors to show them why you are representing a credible and reliable organization that will use their money wisely. Although it can be easy to assume the reader of your grant application knows something about a cause that is important to you, it is generally best to write your application as though they have never heard of it to provide the most well-rounded explanation for why they should consider supporting your organization.