Q & A’s About the Grant Application Process

This article is dedicated to all the nonprofit organizations that are a bit unclear on the details of how the grant process actually works. I’ve taken some time to create a quick question and answer guide to provide you with some clarity on how grant writing and the grant application process works. All answers are gathered from our professional grant writers.

As the coordinator for GrantWriterTeam.com, I have the privilege to hear the hopes, dreams and financial needs of a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, each day. Additionally, I am in frequent contact with our knowledgeable team of dedicated grant writers who are eager to assist in the grant process. I want you to know that grant writing is not as easy as 1,2,3.

The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever NeedCan you guarantee that I will get the grant? 

NO! Absolutely not. No one is able to guarantee that you will be awarded a grant.

When you hire a grant writer from GrantWriterTeam.com, you’ll be working with a professional that is trained to best articulate the needs of your nonprofit. However, that advantage does not mean they can make any guarantees regarding grant approval. Grant approval can only be confirmed by authorized representatives of the funding source.

Will I have immediate access to funds?

Whoa! After your proposal is submitted to the funding source, their committee weeds out the unqualified candidates. This process generally takes 2-3 weeks. If you do not hear anything back within a month, it may be a good sign that you are still in the running.

When you are awarded the grant, the funding source will most probably do a more careful review of your proposed budget.  They will let you know when the check will arrive and/or if there is additional paperwork required to receive the funds. How long this takes varies greatly from government agency to foundations.  We have seen less than thirty days to as long as a year.  There really is no rule of thumb, but patience is a virtue because the money is generally not immediate.

If you are looking for a snap your fingers, ASAP way to receive money for your nonprofit for urgent expenses, grant writing is not the route.

What can I do to raise funds while waiting on a grant approval? 

To raise funds that support your nonprofit, there are a few options available. You can go to your Board, have a fundraising event or crowdfund your campaign on Uhelpfund.com.

The Uhelpfund.com platform is part of our family of grants websites with a dedicated crowdfunding mentor who is tasked with helping nonprofits launch of their crowdfunding campaigns,

Crowdfunding :  A Guide to Raising Capital on the Internet

“Seeking and applying for grants combined with crowdfunding is a great two pronged approach to obtain funding!” – Libby Hikind, Founder & CEO

About the Author: Tracy is a Coordinator for GrantWriterTeam.com.