"Someone told me..."

When someone starts a conversation with that, I almost instinctively shake my head before they finish. I know, I know, let the person finish! But I just know something untrue about fundraising is about to verbally regurgitate. Out of all the new non-profit organizations that I have spoken with, the most common is "someone told me that I can just hire a grant writer and they’ll get me money for my organization!”

And one big misconception that is.

Like most things in life, one simply does not just ask for money without a plan. Alike in the non-profit sector, no fundraiser can access money with a stroke on the keyboard and a click of a mouse. If you’d like to compare it to the business world, a bank is not going to lend you money without seeing your business plan. And you sure as heck aren’t going to have much luck writing your business plan without, well, a plan.

For new organizations and/or programs, grant writers exist to translate credibility and proposed ideas. If you or your organization is requesting money without a concrete program plan, it will sadly be a waste of your already limited (or non-existent) resources to even pursue any funding. Programs that are funded are highly developed and well prepared before writing an application. That means securing community partnerships, figuring out activities and outcomes as well as assessing the program’s needs (i.e. staffing, equipment, etc.). Beyond that, you are competing with hundreds, if not thousands of others who have valuable programs that also need the same pot of funding.

So before approaching your next grant writer, please save them the disappointment and plan for your program with staff and/or community members first. What crazy myths do you come across as a fundraiser? For grant seekers who have had “someone tell you” something similar, has your perception changed?