2020 was quite a year! There was not much “business as usual” and we all had to adapt to new ways of doing things. Nonprofit organizations were significantly impacted by the epidemic and not only suffered from a lack of funds, but also saw an increase in people needing services. How do we move forward in our grant writing strategies in 2021? During this webinar, we discuss trends in giving, what has changed, and what remains the same so we can weather the storm and continue providing important, mission-driven services.

1. February 18, 2021
Grant Writing in 2021:
What’s Different and What’s the Same?

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Today’s Presenter
Alice Ruhnke
Founder and Owner
The Grant Advantage

6. Grant Writing in 2021:
What’s Different and What’s the Same?

7. Agenda
1 Poll Questions
2 Trends in Grantmaking/Giving
3 Be Proactive
4 Question and Answers

8. How did your nonprofit’s income change as a
result of the pandemic?
❑ No change
❑ Decrease of 25% or less
❑ Decrease of 26%-50%
❑ Decrease of 51-75%
❑ Decrease of 76%-99%
❑ We went out of business
❑ We increased our income

9. Which phrase best describes your
organization?
❑ The pandemic completely disrupted our operations and they are
not back on track.
❑ We were able to successfully pivot, enhance areas we could
control, and are serving at 50% or more of capacity.
❑ We made adjustments and continued to offer most of our basic
services.
❑ We expanded to meet demands.

10. How do you feel about 2021?
❑ We adjusted budgets and services and feel prepared to carry
out our mission.
❑ We likely won’t make it through 2021.
❑ We had such a decrease in income and our ability to provide
services that we are worried about our future.
❑ We had enough reserve to carry us through the storm. We
will make it.
❑ We are still in too much flux to know.

11. 2020…

12. “We are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm.”
--Damian Barr

14. COVID Emergency Grants
Government and Foundation
• Grantmakers shifted priorities
– Emergency funds
– Funding “funded organizations”
• “Tell us what you need”
• Faster turn around
• Less reporting

15. Foundations
• Foundations have faired
pretty well
• Anticipate reverting back to
“mission-driven” funding in
2021
Back to:
• Tell us about your impact
• Similar deadlines
• Similar reporting
requirements

16. Government Grants
• Anticipated last round of stimulus
funding
• Initial “firehose funding”
• “Traditional” streams to continue
flowing
• Changing priorities with new
administration

17. Racial and Social Justice Initiatives
• Funder priority topic
• Funder expectation of
nonprofit organizations having
a diversity, equity, inclusion,
and access plan

18. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
RWJF commits $9 million to launch
Voices for Health Justice
"We are excited to support community-led efforts to advance
policies that promote equity in health and health care. Now is the
time for foundations in the health justice movement to focus on
providing deeper investments in state- and community-based
advocacy to address the root causes of America's health
inequities because everyone deserves the opportunity to be
healthy and thrive."

19. Individual Giving
Nearly nine in ten (87%) respondents intended to give to charity in
2021, while 19% plan to give more than they did in 2020.
Plan to give at least $500 to charity in 2021:
• Millennials: 55%
• Gen X: 44%
• Gen Z: 33%
• Boomers: 26%
https://go.frontstream.com/FS/state-of-charitable-giving

20. Tax Deductions
• Above-the-line tax deduction for gifts of cash to
charity of up to $300 for individuals and up to $600
for joint filers for 2021.
• The difference is that for 2020, the deduction was
limited to $300 per tax return.
• Taxpayers who do itemize their deductions are not
subject to any caps on the amount of donations they
can deduct in 2021.

21. Creative Fundraisers
• Events to NOT attend (“UnGala”)
• Virtual fundraisers
– Peer-to-peer fundraisers
– Auctions
– Webinars, concerts, races, etc.

22. Be Proactive
Grants will be even more competitive going forward
--Craft new sections to tell your story
--Identify matching funds
--Build partnerships/mergers
--Increase grant writing skills

23. Writing/Enhancing Narratives
• Craft narratives that discuss your “new normal” (organizational
background, need, approach, outcomes, etc.)
• Opportunity to tell an enhanced story that discusses
organizational improvements
• Look for cost savings and adjust budgets (travel funds, meeting
expenses, rent, etc.)
• Plan A, Plan B (If/then scenarios)

24. Matching Funds
Do you have other funds to support
your grant request?
Most of the time, funders don’t like to
fund 100% of a project or proposal
Find match through real dollars or
in-kind funds

25. Possible Sources of Match
“Real Money”
• Organizational funds
• Financial donations from
individuals
• Money raised through
fundraisers
• Other grants
“In-Kind”
• Volunteer activity
– $27.20 in US (2019)
– $23.01 in WV (2019)
– Calculations by state
– Independent Sector
• Discounts—written
confirmation
• Donations (next slide)

26. In-Kind Donations
Services: meeting space, phone
answering service, copying, etc.
Goods: computers, software, furniture,
office equipment, etc.
Expertise: legal, tax, or
business advice; marketing
and web site development;
strategic planning; etc.
Valued at the cost of professional
service with written documentation

27. Partnerships
• Who else is doing the same kind of work in your community?
• How are you unique or different?
• How are you the same?
• How can you share resources or partner together?
• What other organizations/agencies can support your work?
• How can you assist other organizations?

28. Root Cause Analysis
• Identify the “problem” your target population
encounters with statistics and data (for example,
50 new cases of HIV in my county, which is a 35%
increase over the past 12 months, etc.)
• Now that you have the problem clearly identified,
ask yourself, “Why does this problem exist?”
• For example, Why is HIV spreading so rapidly?
Why are the rates of STD high in my community?
Why is IV drug use so high in the county? Why are
individuals homeless in our region?

29. Root Cause Analysis Partner/Gap
People are not wearing masks because there are not
enough masks.
People are not wearing masks because they don’t think
it matters.
There are not enough testing facilities.
There are not enough workers to keep up with demand
for testing .
There are not enough tests.
People are not social distancing in the work
environment.
People are not social distancing in their social
environments.
Problem:
COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the county (with numbers
and statistics).

30. Partnership Identification Tool
Businesses and Corporations Possible Motivations Potential Resources
Located in your community
Companies where your stakeholders work
Companies that sell to your stakeholders
Vendor corporations
Affinity corporations
Download a free copy at
www.thegrantadvantage.net
Resources Tab
Grant Writing Resources

31. Partnership Identification Tool
Community Assets Possible
Motivations
Potential
Resources
Social service agencies
Educational institutions
Communities of faith
Elected officials
Governmental entities
Civic groups
Community gatekeepers
Healthcare organizations
Media outlets
Funders
Public resources

32. Increase Your Grant Writing Skills
Become a Grant Reviewer Read Successful Proposals

33. Increase Your Grant Writing Skills
GrantStation
Online Learning Series
www.grantstation.com

34. Increase Your Grant Writing Skills
Mapping the Course:
A Practical Approach to Grant
Writing
http://bit.ly/2tqX8DK

35. Resources
• CARES Act
• Payroll Protection Program
• Deduction
https://independentsector.org/resource/relief/#1585589825605-ea
b7476c-8f1e
Federal COVID-19 Relief Legislation: How to Apply for Nonprofit
Relief Funds

36. Go Ask Alice…
Type any remaining
questions into the question
and answer box and we
will get to as many as
possible!

37. Alice Ruhnke
PO Box 5604
Charleston, WV 25361
304.400.4894 (office)
304.741.5815 (cell)
www.thegrantadvantage.net
alice@thegrantadvantage.net
Copyright © 2021 The Grant Advantage, LLC. All rights
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