Picture this: You are writing a grant. You have written a killer client-centered, data-supported needs statement. You have fit your amazing project description into the 1,000 characters or fewer you are given. You have even been able to answer the question about what you'll do when/if you aren't funded. 

And then, you run into this wall: "How do you measure your success?" 

Oh, buddy. 

Here's the bad news - this section is non-negotiable and you have to do your due diligence to make it good. It will take thoughtfulness and creativity, and oftentimes a good bit of teeth-pulling to get your programs to comply. 

The good news? A good outcome section can be the difference that gets you funded. Plus, once you've done it once you can usually just copy and paste. 

So, how DO you measure your success? Pro tip, if you said "we track the number of clients we have," you are not measuring your success. Well, not the success funders want to hear about. All client numbers measure is how many people your organization serves. It doesn't measure how well you serve them, nor how much of a difference you're making in their lives. 

Which isn't to say tracking the numbers you serve isn't important--it's critical! It just isn't an outcome (it's an output). Think of it like a school lunch program - it's awesome if you serve 500 kids a day, but it doesn't count for much if you aren't feeding them nutritious meals and they aren't eating what you're serving them. 

Before you panic, do this - remember your vision? Describe it. Paint the picture. Say more. What does it mean for the people you serve? How will their lives be different? What about the community you're in - will it be better because your clients are better served? 

Using the school lunch example: Students have access to nutritious meals every day. No child goes hungry at school for lack of access to food. Kids look forward to eating healthy foods. 

Got it? Congratulations! You have just described what success looks like, also known as your impact. 

Now, how do you know you have achieved those successes? What changes will you see in your clients and community? How can you tell? How can you count the change? 

See? Simple. 

Simple ... but not easy. That's because you need to take this seriously. You need to think about what you can and can't track. Because if you tell a funder you can measure it, they will expect you to measure it. And sometimes programs are not used to thinking in outcomes, which makes it hard to get them to tell you how they know they are making a difference and feel like you saying "but how do you know" is an insult to their work and frankly not worth their time.

Or worse, they oversell their impact and you are stuck with measures that are unrealistic (I don't care how amazing you are, 100% is never an attainable goal. If you are at 100%, you need to try harder.) 

Here are some outcomes, again using the school lunch example: 

• Each school lunch contains at least one item from each of the five basic food groups and contain no more than 10% processed sugar products. (Students have access to nutritious meals) 
• Students receive meals regardless of their account balance and families who need financial assistance are able to access anonymous lunch scholarships. (No child goes hungry at school)
• 25% of meals are from a student-informed menu, prepared meals are plated and served in an appealing manner. (Kids look forward to eating healthy foods)

 
Note that all these outcomes are not just measurable, but they are specific and strategic. 

I know that the outcomes question is hard and daunting. But if you start thinking about it now, you won't be coming up with measures at the last minute. 

If you need help with this step, call me. I like outcomes. 

I get this question a lot. 

When I tell people what I do, they ask what a grant is. I tell them it's basically a formal way of asking for money, and that I specialize in working with nonprofit organizations asking for support of their mission. I write answers to questions about an organization or project, and then I submit the proposal. Sometimes my proposals get my organizations money. Lather, rinse, repeat. 

They often respond with something along the lines of, "You LIKE doing that?" Lulz. 

I think too many people get flashbacks to research papers from high school and college. To be fair, that is a lot what grant writing is like. Perhaps that's why I like it so much. But for me, grants are so much more than just answering questions and filling in the blanks. 
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1. A grant is a conversation. One of the things I love the most about grant writing is the chance to tell potential funders about amazing work being done by my clients and why it matters. To do this effectively, I have to understand the issues not just as my clients see them, but also as the funder sees them. Then I use a combination of the head (data) and the heart (stories) to lay a path toward common ground and a shared understanding on both sides of the grant application. 
   
   
2. A grant is a promise. At its most basic, a grant is a gift. The gift is usually money, and it is given without expectations of paying it back. But that doesn't mean it's free. When you apply for a grant, you are making a promise to the funder that you will use any gift they give you to do the work you both agree is worthwhile. You promise to use their money to make a difference in the world.
   
   When I write, I am a stickler for solid outcome language and clear financial documents. This is because I know that funders need to trust my clients can fulfill their promises, and I know they are wary of plans that aren't thought through. 
   
   
3. A grant is a relationship. Grants are how people with money effect change. They can't do it themselves, so they are partnering with you to do it. The least you can do is to keep them in the loop. Well, no, actually. The least you can do is send one thank you note, do nothing for a year, and then show up next year asking for more. Don't do that. 
   
   Funders see your work as an extension of their mission, and they want to be part of it. They want to feel good about giving you money, and you want them to feel good about it too. The application is just the first step to forming a relationship that, if nurtured, can grow into a beautiful one for both people. 
   
   

A while ago, I took one of those Strengths Finder assessments. To the surprise of almost no one I worked with, my top two Strengths were Input (I accumulate information) and WOO (Winning Others Over). I couldn't see it then, but I think that's what makes me such a good grant writer. I love being the connection between people and using all the information out there to do it. 

And, while I know this isn't everyone's jam, it's mine. And I am so lucky I get to use my strengths and passions to make a difference in my way so my clients can get back to making a difference in their way.  

Like a lot of other grant writers, I kind of fell into grants.

I graduated college with a degree in Anthropology and the knowledge that I didn't want to be an anthropologist. I worked in a nonprofit childcare center for a bit before deciding to get my master's degree in public administration. Ah, the good old days where you could earn a living while figuring out what you wanted to do, right?

As part of my MPA curriculum, I took a class in grant writing and fundraising. Much to my surprise, I learned that my background in social science was a perfect fit for a career in grant writing. Not only was I used to writing that incorporated research and data, I was good at connecting the dots between what was being asked and what I had to say. 

I soon found a job writing grants for a family services organization. There, I managed family foundations and corporate grants as part of a dynamic and committed development team, and I was doing good. I found my spot in the world. 

But, I wasn't quite satisfied.

About a year after I started at this organization, my boss asked me to take over the agency marketing because I had a little experience writing newsletters. After that, I got a chance to write fundraising appeals and annual reports and case statements. I directed a major rebranding of the organization. I had caught the marketing bug.

I pursued marketing as a career for awhile, first at the family services organization, and then at my local public radio station and a short-lived stint in business resources. But, as I got farther down the marketing path, I was missing grant writing. I missed being able to tell stories and get my hands dirty in data. I missed connecting with people by sharing my organization's mission. I was designing, but I wasn't communicating. 

So I made an intentional move back to grant writing. I stepped off my marketing ladder and started over in grants. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made. 

Five years later, and I know now where I am supposed to be. I love grants. I love seeing the excitement of a program that just got funded, and I love seeing the excitement of a funder who is passionate about what they support. I love being a catalyst for change. 

As a grants consultant, I have a chance to be part of so many organizations' missions. And I love learning about my clients' challenges and successes across the country.

When I was starting out in the grown up world, I got the advice to do what you love and the rest will follow. I have been incredibly privileged to be able to follow that advice. I hope my work can make the world a better place so more people can live to work, not work to live.