Future-Proof Your Grants Program

with Brittany Kirk from Cloudbreak Collective

Together, we will learn how to “future-proof” our funding by building a grants portfolio that has flexibility, resilience, longevity, and influence, even in the midst of changing funding priorities and uncertain futures. This session aligns with the conference theme Rooted Together by exploring how grant strategy can strengthen an organization’s long-term stability through shared purpose and collaboration between fundraisers and leadership.

Due to deadlines and pressures, grantwriters are often called upon to make quick strategic choices about organizational finances, program growth plans, impact measurement, leadership, and more as they compile grant applications. This means that grantwriters sometimes find themselves driving the organization from a backseat. In their quest to secure funds, many well-meaning grantwriters accidentally steer an organization into restricted grants that pigeonhole spending, create new program obligations, and create overreliance on one major funding source.

At the same time, grant applications can be convoluted, repetitive, and difficult to interpret. Many ask the same questions in different ways, without clear instruction or with jargony language that is hard to understand. Funders each have their own specific priorities and detailed requirements. All of this makes it difficult to write successful grants that truly advance an organization’s priorities.

This workshop will equip fundraisers and nonprofit leaders with the tools they need to overcome these challenges and to write grant applications that are as forward-thinking as possible, helping local organizations avoid overreliance on short-term or restrictive funding and instead build portfolios that support growth and sustainability.