If your grants program is underperforming, it is not too late to reassess your grant strategy and improve your chances for success. Below are some useful insights and tips from Grants Plus Founder and CEO, Lauren Steiner, on evaluating and resetting your grants program.
Development leaders often tell me the same thing:
“I just have a feeling our grants program could be doing more… but I can’t quite put my finger on what’s wrong.”
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and you’re not imagining it.
As we head deeper into the second quarter, this is a key moment for nonprofit leaders. Whether your fiscal year ends June 30 or you’re planning for calendar year-end results, there’s still time to course-correct—but the window is shrinking.
Five Signs Your Grants Program May be Underperforming
Take a moment to consider:
- You’re reacting to deadlines, not working a strategy. If grant deadlines feel like surprises rather than steps in a plan, you’re likely in reactive mode.
- You’re recycling the same funders—or losing them. If you’re stuck in a loop of familiar names (some who’ve gone quiet), you’re likely missing better-fit prospects.
- You’ve had staff turnover—or the work is fragmented. If your grant writer left or no one owns the process start-to-finish, momentum may be lost without anyone realizing it.
- You can’t connect your grant efforts to revenue goals. If leadership asks, “What’s the ROI?” and you don’t have an answer, that’s a red flag.
- You’re behind on proposals—or the pipeline is thin. If you’re crossing your fingers something comes in soon, it’s time to pivot from hope to plan.
Your Practical Q2 Reset Plan
You don’t need to overhaul everything—but you do need to get focused. Here’s how:
1. Use this 5-minute self-assessment to diagnose the gaps.
We’ve created a quick Grant Seeking Program Assessment Tool to help you quickly evaluate the strength of your program—and pinpoint where support may be needed.
2. Rebuild your funder pipeline, even if just 3-5 names.
Look ahead. Which new funders could you reasonably identify and begin cultivating in Q2? Even a small refresh can yield strong results by fall.
3. Anchor your grants calendar to strategy.
Take your top 1-3 strategic priorities (not just programs) and identify which grants will advance those goals. This keeps you out of the scatter zone.
4. Assign clear ownership—or outsource.
If you don’t have a staff member with the time, experience, or bandwidth to take charge, it’s time to bring in outside support. You’re not failing—you’re being strategic.
5. Schedule a mid-year “grants tune-up.”
Block 60 minutes before the end of May to review performance, reallocate capacity, and set specific targets for Q3/Q4.
Ready for a Grants Reset?
If you’re seeing even a few of the signs above, we can help.
At Grants Plus, we’ve supported hundreds of organizations to:
- Assess and strengthen their grant seeking programs
- Identify new funders with high alignment
- Fill staffing gaps with interim writing or strategy support
- Rebuild their grant calendar around real goals—not just deadlines
Let’s make sure your grants program finishes the year stronger than it started—fiscally and strategically.
Make Sure Your Grants Program is Built to Clear the Bar and Reach New Heights
