As nonprofits continue to face funding uncertainty, many are left wondering how to navigate the shifting grant landscape. Grants Plus CEO, Lauren Steiner, recently presented at The Nonprofit Partnership in Western PA to break down the latest trends, common pitfalls, and winning strategies to secure funding in 2025 and beyond.
Below are practical actions to help nonprofits adapt, compete, and thrive in today’s changing funding landscape:
1. Refocus Your Strategy
Stop chasing every opportunity. Reassess your grant-seeking strategy to prioritize funders whose missions align with yours. Less scatter, more focus.
2. Build a 12-Month Grants Calendar
Create a rolling calendar of deadlines, cultivation milestones, and reporting dates. Don’t just track submissions—plan your moves.
3. Invest in Reusable Content
Develop strong boilerplate language for common sections—organization overview, program descriptions, leadership bios, and impact data.
4. Clarify Internal Roles
Define who does what in your grant process—research, writing, approvals, reporting—and use a shared system to keep things moving.
5. Set Realistic Grant Goals
Make sure your revenue projections reflect opportunity, not pressure. Overpromising on grant income can create budget stress and team burnout.
6. Deepen Funder Relationships
Reach out when you’re not asking for money. Schedule stewardship calls, share impact updates, and explore shared priorities.
7. Track Key Performance Metrics
Monitor your win rates, renewal rates, number of proposals submitted, and new funder relationships. What gets measured gets improved.
8. Stay on Top of Trends
Understand shifts in government and private funding—like changes to DEI policies, political impacts, and corporate giving patterns.
9. Align Your DEI Language Thoughtfully
Frame your work around equity, access, and inclusion in ways that reflect your mission while navigating today’s legal sensitivities.
10. Create Space for Strategic Pause
Schedule quarterly reviews of your grant program. What’s working? What’s not? Adjust based on data, team input, and funder feedback.
You don’t need to do all 10 at once. Choose 1–2 to act on now—and revisit this list each quarter to continue strengthening your program.
