CHAPTER 6: WHAT TO DO AFTER
YOU GET THE GRANT
Congratulations! Now what?
about their funding by name. In your annual report
and financial statements, you can list the donor as
“anonymous,” but don’t ever list them by name. In
conversations with people outside the organization, you
can refer to them as “an anonymous donor.”
ALWAYS thank your donors! When you receive notice of
an award, send an email or call the funder to say thanks.
A personal note or card signed by the executive director is
a nice gesture.
When you receive the official paperwork, be sure to
review it carefully, and make note of any reporting
requirements. Keep a file with all the foundation
paperwork in it, and put any reporting deadlines on
your calendar. Toward the end or after the grant period,
you will be required to send a progress report and/or a
financial report to the foundation detailing what you
achieved how you spent the grant funds. Make sure you
keep track of this well in advance!
MAINTAINING YOUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE FOUNDATION
Getting a grant is just the start of your relationship with
the foundation. The worst mistake you can make (besides
failing to thank the donor) is to forget about them until
the final report is due. You want to continue to cultivate
a positive relationship with the foundation so that they’ll
want to fund you again!
Give your program officer regular updates on your
progress, Don’t let them forget you, but don’t get in
touch too frequently (weekly might be too much;
quarterly is reasonable). When you have good news
or important developments to report, let them
know right away. Don’t let them be surprised at the
end of the grant period.
Some foundations will send you two originals of an
award letter and ask you to sign both of them and return
one, keeping one for your records. Others will just
send you a letter and your grant check or ask for bank
wiring instructions. Send back any required paperwork
(signed by the responsible person in organization –
usually the executive director) promptly. Keep a copy of
the letter and the check on file: it’s important for your
financial records.
Sign the foundation’s program officer up for your
newsletter/mailing list, if you have one, so they get
regular communications from your organization.
Send a formal thank you letter on your organization’s
stationary to the foundation when you receive payment.
Be sure to include in the letter the title of the project,
any grant number assigned by the foundation, the grant
period, and a brief summary of the project (one phrase or
one sentence).
up meetings a couple of times a year to talk
Set
about progress on your grant. These can be done
by telephone, but it’s even better if you can do an
in-person meeting. If you plan to travel to the city
where the foundation is located, ask whether you
can come visit the foundation’s office and meet with
program officer. You can also invite the program
officer to your location if he/she has any plans to
travel to your area.
Don’t forget to acknowledge your donors. Don’t just
thank them personally, but also list them as donors on
your website or online profile, in your organization’s
annual report, at your fundraising and other public
events, and in your publications (especially if grant
money supported production of these materials). Some
foundations include information about how they want
to be acknowledged in their award letters and grant
agreements or on their website.
Invite the foundation to visit your organization
or project during the grant period. If you plan to
organize any public events, invite them to