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Grants are a cornerstone of nonprofit funding, but success doesn’t just happen—it’s built through strategic planning, tracking the right metrics, and refining your approach year after year. In the recent Start Your 2025 Grant Strategy Off Right! webinar, Diane Leonard shared key insights into how nonprofits can optimize their grant-seeking efforts and measure success effectively. Here’s how to ensure your grant strategy is set up for success in 2025! 🚀
Grant professionals juggle multiple applications, deadlines, and funder relationships. But beyond the number of grants submitted, tracking meaningful metrics can elevate your grant-seeking game. The right data helps you:
✅ Evaluate past performance and set informed goals
✅ Strengthen relationships with funders
✅ Identify areas for improvement and growth
✅ Communicate impact effectively to stakeholders
Your award percentage measures the number of successful grants compared to total submissions. Instead of comparing with other organizations, focus on improving your own trends:
Current award percentage: X% ➡ Aim to increase by Y% in 2025
Identify what’s working: Higher success rates with government vs. foundation grants?
Adjust strategy: Improve prospect research, refine proposals, or target more aligned funders.
Are you consistently receiving full funding, or are you being partially funded? Understanding the gap can guide your approach:
If most grants are partially funded, consider adjusting your ask amount.
Align requests with typical funding levels of grantmakers.
Strengthen relationships with funders for multi-year commitments.
Securing new grants is essential, but retaining existing funders is just as important. Track:
Percentage of grants renewed from the previous year
Whether renewed grants increased, decreased, or remained stable
Actions taken to steward and cultivate funder relationships
💡 Pro tip: If retention rates are low, enhance communication with grantmakers, provide detailed impact reports, and engage them beyond just reporting periods.
Expanding your grant portfolio requires bringing in new funders:
Track the number of new funders secured in 2024 vs. 2025
Measure the percentage of total funding coming from new sources
Develop strategies to improve outreach and relationship-building
Align grant-seeking with organizational sustainability:
What percentage of your overall budget comes from grants?
Are grants supplementing or replacing other revenue streams?
How does this compare to past years?
Rushing to meet deadlines increases stress and reduces effectiveness. Measure:
Average number of days between grant preparation and submission
Identify ways to streamline processes for earlier submissions
Use 2024 performance metrics to guide 2025 goals. Define targets such as:
Increasing award percentages
Improving funder retention
Securing a set number of new grants
Ensure that grant applications align with your nonprofit’s mission, capacity, and strategic goals rather than chasing every available opportunity.
Tracking metrics is easier with digital tools:
Asana & Trello: Project management & tracking submissions
Grant Management Software: Helps organize deadlines, reporting, and funder engagement
CRM Systems: Maintain donor & funder relationships effectively
Stronger relationships lead to more renewals and higher funding levels. Build relationships by:
Providing transparent & timely reports
Engaging funders beyond just funding requests
Showcasing the impact of their contributions
A strong grant strategy isn’t just about writing more proposals—it’s about tracking meaningful data, refining your approach, and building lasting relationships with funders. By measuring key metrics and making data-informed decisions, your nonprofit can increase funding, improve sustainability, and make a greater impact in 2025! 💡