The Manna House Pantry: A true story on how to become “grant-ready”.
- Pat Kelsaw
- Jun 17, 2024
- 6 min read
Want to find out what it means a nonprofit is “grant-ready? As
a nonprofit & grant writing consultant, I work with many
novice grant seekers and writers. It is essential that my clients
understand grant readiness. I’m sharing some tips at my free
webinar on Saturday: “Grant Ready: Assessing Your
Fundability”. REGISTER
Being grant ready means a nonprofit has the administrative,
governance, financial, leadership, and programmatic know-
how to win and deliver on grants. For anyone involved in
nonprofit administration, particularly for a novice grant seeker, grant writer, or board member, getting a start-up or new nonprofit “grant-ready” is important to its financial success and sustainability. Grant readiness depicts whether a nonprofit organization is adequately prepared to apply for, receive, and manage a new grant.
Just because you see or hear about a grant that your nonprofit may be eligible to apply for,
doesn’t mean the nonprofit is READY to apply. Considering that many grant opportunities
have short turnaround times for submission, how can you prepare your organization to be
ready to respond? Lead Like Big Mama’s weekly posts, webinars, and coaching services
(coming soon) provide another pathway to determine your readiness to become a grant seeker and/or writer.
You may have a great idea, but is it fundable? Are YOU, the organization, prepared to
manage and implement your idea? What are the steps to take your idea to a potential funder? “Give a man to fish, and you feed them for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” – Lao Tzu
Now that you have a definition of what grant readiness means, I want to highlight common
situations where a grant-ready assessment is critical and how as a consultant, I use my own
grant writing experience to support novice grant seekers and writers. My goal was then, as an educator/nonprofit consultant, and as well as now with Lead Like Big Mama, is to “teach a man (a person) to fish;” how to make sure the organization - or, if you’re a grant writing consultant, your nonprofit clients—are prepared to succeed with grant funding. As a consultant, especially working with new nonprofits, this is a crucial step, and can help the organization build their finances and manage their budgets efficiently, thereby building your grant writing prowess.
This is my personal quest to “feed him (a community) for a lifetime.”
Here are three situations where an assessment of grant readiness is useful and critical:
For a new/start-up nonprofit and you’re applying for a first grant. A grant readiness assessment ensures you understand the administrative and financial basics. This assessment, whether using an online tool or with a consultant, like this resource, can guide you in preparing the materials that nearly every funder is going to be asking you for.
As a grant writing consultant when you’re talking to a potential client. You need to be sure any new client, no matter their track record of success is truly prepared to apply for and receive a grant. Otherwise, you could both end up wasting a lot of time, scarce resources, and money. Don’t chase money! And, as the old saying goes, “All money ain’t good money!”
Make your grant fundraising more efficient. Even if your organization has received grant funding, that doesn’t mean the internal grant process is efficient. I have heard horror stories about long standing, well-established organizations using outdated systems that impacted their ability to accurately report their finances, losing millions of dollars.
The Manna House Pantry. A case study in grant readiness.
The Manna House Pantry is a food ministry that was originally established within the
Fellowship Hall of Mt. Prospect Baptist Church in Rock Hill, SC and officially incorporated in
2017, as a 501c3 non-profit organization. During its inaugural year as a nonprofit organization, The Manna House Pantry distributed 241,500 pounds of food, serving over 6,000 families. In order to access funding opportunities to address the increase in demand for services and to support the food pantry operations, the Pantry’s board began a search for a grant writer.
Where it all began. Back in 2018, I responded to a colleague’s email about her church’s
food pantry in need of a grant writer. From that initial engagement, in the annex of the church, I met two board members - the Pantry’s board president, calling in from out of state and vice president, sitting across a table from me. During my visit, to discuss my grant writing services and their readiness to apply for grants, I went on a short tour of their cramped, small quarters that stored several old refrigerators and freezers in dire need of replacement. As a relatively new organization with an annual budget less than $50,000 at that time, this reality left very little money to cover my grant writing fees.
Grant funding to replace the current refrigerators and freezers would allow the Pantry to
store more foods- meats, fresh vegetables & fruits and in turn, serve additional
clients/families. Also, the updated food storage options would be more energy efficient
therefore reduce the agency’s increasing utility costs. I believed in their mission, their vision,
passion and fortitude. This led me to find a way to offer some on-the-job-training, in other
words, “teach a man to fish.” Through this partnership, an initial undertaking and major step,
the Pantry successfully acquired a $15,000 grant from a local foundation. I recommend that
new/start-up organizations, as grant seekers, begin at the local/community level to build your credibility and establish relationships.
During 2022, due to the impact of COVID, like many small, community-based, volunteer-
dependent agencies like the Pantry saw a steady increase in demand/need for services along with rising operational costs. This increase in demand also triggered a need for a new business model. That year, the Pantry distributed over 665,000 pounds of food. This growth also meant that the Pantry’s old financial bookkeeping and grants management model needed to be upgraded. What a problem to have, right? Through building that first relationship with a funder, the Pantry has been able to receive several grants from this foundation and many others, some unsolicited! That means that the funder called THEM and asked about any critical needs that their grant dollars could support!
I’m very proud of the work done by the Manna House Pantry’s board and the trust they
placed in me to help them navigate a pathway to accomplish their goals. I am grateful for the experiences working with this agency, and the many other organizations to help feed others, literally and figuratively. Some are wins. Some are lessons.
And don’t forget to register for the webinar! Another request, let me know your thoughts, questions etc. about nonprofit development. Thank you to those who have dropped me a line to share your thoughts. Your words of encouragement, love, and feedback are truly appreciated and keep me inspired! info@leadlikebigmama.com
Knowledge is Power. Share This Resource with Others!
Find out what you need to get ready for soliciting grants. Also, preview my three-part
course: “Beyond Writing: Tools & Strategies for Winning Grants”
Can’t attend?? Register and get the recording and materials!
Last day to register is Thursday, June 20th
Both the webinar and the course are designed for novice grant seekers and grant writers withinnonprofit organizations looking to prepare, establish, and enhance their grant programs.
Join me at my next Big Mama’s Table:
Free 1-hour webinar:
“Grant Ready: Assessing Your Nonprofit’s Fundability”
Date: Saturday, June 22 nd - 1:00 – 2:00 EST
Weekly wisdom, in their own words:
“None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here
because somebody—a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony, or a few nuns—bent down and helped us pick up our boots....”
— Thurgood Marshall (1908 - 1993)
From Big Mama’s Playbook:
Did you know:
Grant funding success: It is an art. It is a science. And more…
Applying for a grant as a novice grant seeker and/or writer, it's important to learn that it is more than about the money. You must build relationships.
Free 1-hour webinar:
Find out what it takes BEFORE you begin asking for money from donors or funders!
Join me at this free 1-hour informational session for novice grant seekers and grant
writers.
Learn some initial steps non-profits should take BEFORE the writing process!
Hear about FOUR KEYS to grant funding success…why it’s more than just getting the money!
“Grant Ready: Assessing Your Nonprofit’s Fundability”
Date: Saturday, June 22nd - 1:00 – 2:00 ET
AND ALSO
Hear about my upcoming course to start/enhance your proposal writing!
Comments