How to Tackle Grant Writing: Hot Takes & Tips

The learning curve for grant writing can seem insurmountable and certainly astronomical. We are six years into the realization that Old West Church (OWC) would not survive without continual massive injections of funds from grants and I still find the process daunting.

Perhaps you do too.

Most pastors could write a book on the things we were not taught (but really need to know how to do) in seminary. Grant writing is the top of my list. Unlike some pastors I know, like Rev. Tamra Tucker of The Crossing, my undergraduate degree was not in religious studies AND non-profit organizational management. Granted, many of us might not have known in undergrad that we were going to end up pastors. C’est la vie. It still means that we have this missing skill set and a steep learning curve. 

Thus, though not complete, here are a few things I think can help when considering grants for financial support.

Hot Takes and Some Tips

1. Create a team at your church to manage grant writing/ help your grant writer.None of this would have been possible without the team at OWC. They made this happen. Not me. The OWC team consists of two lay people who are both incredible storytellers and meticulous writers. Those are not my gifts. This team is the powerhouse behind the grants. They work with Jane constantly to make sure everything is done. Without them doing this incredible work, I would not be able to pastor/ lead my church. As a pastor, you have three options: A) you either need to have a team, B) not have a work-life balance and thus run a greater risk of burnout, or C) not pastor while you write grants. As a congregation/ layperson, you have three options: A) step up be on/ help create a team, B) expect too much of your pastor and drive them to burn out, C) step up and help do the pastoral needs (pastoral care, lay preaching, etc.) while they write the grant. Basically, this cannot be done by the pastor. It is not sustainable and should not be expected. If you want to undertake major grants, it HAS to be a team effort. Lay people have to be willing to step up and take this on. Pastors cannot do this alone or in isolation. The OWC is incredible at this. While I am there for some of the meetings, they take on the brunt of this work. Without them, none of this would be possible.
2. Tell your story and tell it well. Your church’s story is important. If it isn’t, well, consider option C from the previous blog. Honestly. But if it is, then you need to be able to tell that story in a compelling way. You/ your church/ your team has to be able to do this because the grant writer can only do so much. They don’t know your story, your vision,or the way you do what you do. Be clear about your story. This includes not only who you are now but where you are going. If you aren’t going anywhere, go back to option C. Seriously.
3. Gather key information. You are going to have to have certain pieces of information for almost every grant budget. This includes your yearly budget and proof of tax exemption status, including your EIN. These are fairly basic components, but it is necessary to have them on hand. Because if you don’t, you won’t be able to fulfill most grant requirements. Seriously, trying to get the EIN number from the conference was like pulling teeth. It took me months of asking and continuously being sent to different people saying it wasn’t their job or they didn’t know. I need their number because MA has a little law that basically states churches are automatically tax exempt and therefore don’t need EIN numbers. Not helpful if it’s required. Thus, OWC had to use the conference number as we are under its umbrella. This can be tricky because we are not asking for money for the conference, but a particular part of its “umbrella.”
   PR0-TIP:Create a google drive folder to store all key information. This includes your annual budget, EIN number, contact information. I would also recommend putting photos in here. They need to be high quality, engaging, dynamic, and captivating, even if they are just of your building and grounds.
4. Distinguish your asks – between secular and sacred. Yes, we use our building for the work of the church. That work is sacred. HOWEVER, the work we do, like the restoration, though it benefits the sacred work of the church, is a secular endeavor. We are restoring a national historic landmark. In many cases, those things need to be distinguished, especially if you are applying for statewide or citywide grant programs. For example: we know a church that asked for funding from the Community Preservation Act to restore a Tiffany window. However, the window depicted religious scenes. That was not funded. But the entrance facade and the ramp to get into the building was. Note the difference.
5. Develop relationships before asking for examples. There are a lot of churches who have gotten grants before. IF (and only if) you have a good relationship with that congregation, ask them if you could see their grant. Trust has to be built. Grant requests can be deeply revealing about the finances, visions, and goals of the church. These are personal and sometimes, can contain confidential (not yet public) information. You might be asking for very sensitive information. And people don’t just give that out willy-nilly. AND, if you do have a good relationship, make the ask. Make sure they know they don’t have to give you the info and you will understand either way (and make sure you do actually, understand and won’t be bitter about it if they cannot/ won’t share it with you. We are in fact, not owed anyone else’s work). If they do share, thank them. If it is appropriate, you can give them credit in the ask (for help with the project), and certainly, if you are awarded a grant, again you can give them credit. For example: OWC would not be where we are without examples from churches like Union (we LOVE Jay!!), HopeGateWay (Yay, Sara and Allen!), and the grant writer recommendations from young leaders at Harvard-Epworth (Shout out to Steve and Kim). 
6. Big grants first. We had done a few small grants, but we knew 5k here, 2k there, even the occasional 10k, wasn’t going to add up fast enough to do the repairs, and even those grants were an incredible amount of work. So, identify a major grant that you want to apply for. THAT is what you pay a grant writer for. The bigger the grant, the more work it is on your end. But at the end of it, you will have most of the component pieces you need for smaller grants. Thus, you are able to apply for smaller grants (or even comparable grants) with the same data, saving you time, money, and stress in the long run.
   PRO-TIP: Not all grants are going to work for you and your church. As Jane Bowers puts it, “ finding prospects — organizations, foundations, individuals — who might make a good match for a grant or gift is a key step.” Find organizations that fit your interest. And often, once you find those, they will lead you to others.
7. Don’t skimp on who you hire. It is worth the investment in the long run. Whether it is your grant writer or whom you hire with the grant, I cannot stress enough the importance of balancing what is cost effective but also and perhaps more importantly, what is the right fit for your context. For example, when we began our renovation process, we had no idea where to begin. We just had a massive financial hurdle and no clue what to do next. So, we hired Spencer, Sullivan, and Vogt (SSV) to do our restoration assessment. SSV is the Tesla of historic restoration in and around New England. They are the best of the best and are priced accordingly. When we sought bids for our renovation assessment, SSV was far and away the most expensive. However, we realized that we would get what we pay for. That initial investment came before we did any fundraising. But, we knew it would set us up with the tools we needed to fill out even the most rigorous grant application.
   And, we were right.
   Lynne Spencer, the principal preservationist is absolutely brilliant, tenacious, compassionate, and thoughtful. The finished deliverable was a massive document, detailing the history and needs of our space. It also included a budget for each phase of restoration. Lynne and her team took what was a 5.6 million dollar cost and broke it down into achievable goals. Additionally, Lynne practically held our hand through many grant processes, advocating on our behalf at hearings (ex: Community Preservation Act requires approval from the Boston City Council before funds are distributed), went to grant meetings with us, and has continued our relationship even after the final deliverable was, well, delivered. I cannot stress enough the importance of that decision and our relationship with SSV. The same can be said for our grant writer, Jane Bowers. Those relationships were critical to the success of our grant writing campaign. 
8. Matching grants can be frustrating but also magic. If it is a matching grant, make sure you make an ask you can match, so you might have to start smaller. But the thing about matching grants is that you can match your match (once you have it). 
   For Example: if the grant requires a 1:1 match and you know you can raise 10k, ask for 10k. You can then take that 20k and match it with another 1:1 grant. And sometimes, grants will allow you to come back to them with that same match (woot!). You can now just turn around and double your money again with the same grant. 

Now, for some information that you probably wanted all along.
Where to start looking for those big grants?

Well, my recommendations are very Boston centric because that is my context. But you can take my suggestions and see what your area/ context has.

Here is what OWC has been awarded:

1. Henderson Foundation: matching grant/ awards up to ~40k

2. Community Preservation Act: includes awards for restoration, affordable housing, public space/ gardens. Grants can range anywhere in size (we know of a number of ~400k grants that were awarded)

3. Browne Fund: Public space and beautification (grants range but we know they can exceed ~100k)

The cool thing about the first two grants, you can reapply for them. If you get a Browne Fund grant, those are amazing because it is a continued partnership and they will continue to invest in what you do so it is an ongoing relationship.

Best of luck and happy fundraising!

Rev. Dr. Sara Garrard (she/her) / Pastor, Old West Church

2019 Foundation Rapid Response Recipient

Email Sara