Improving Processes Reduces the Need for Grant Funding

I met with a new client the other day who was interested in learning about grant writing.

I didn’t know what to expect. I never do.

Sometimes people come to me with a grant application in mind, answers mocked up, and they’re seeking feedback.

Others are in the early stages and are unsure where to begin. This was one of those conversations.

Like most new-to-grant-writing client meetings, the conversation quickly took a turn.

It usually happens when I ask clients to tell me about their business or organization.

They happily oblige, giving a quick overview, and then they express the business challenges they’re experiencing.

In this case, the client was struggling with challenging staff, inconsistent income, and her inability to grow her business with limited income. She thought a grant would help.

In the short term, it might. She could possibly hire more reliable staff, worry less about money, and extend her programming.

But without improving her business practices, she likely will be in the same situation within a year. A grant would likely be a band-aid solution.

While we talked about how and where she might look for a grant, I mostly encouraged her to rethink her business practices. She seemed to be lacking processes and systems.

For example, her staff was making rogue fundraising decisions. She found this frustrating and stressful. She was responsible for each decision, but she was unaware of decisions made until much later.

However, after a little bit of probing, I learned there wasn’t a clear procedure about how and when money should be collected. So, it seemed that staff were taking it upon themselves to make these decisions on their own.

Without a system in place, each staff member created their own system. Often without uniformity, a clear rationale, or a plan. I could see how it would be frustrating.

I also could see that it wasn’t the staff members that needed to be replaced. The problem wasn’t them. It was the system.

Or rather, the lack of a system.

When I mentioned this to my prospective client, I could see that she was overwhelmed with the idea. She didn’t think she could do it.

I promised to help her if she decided to move forward. I also promised that with improving her systems and procedures, her workload would get lighter, her staff would be aligned, her programs would improve, and her income would likely improve too.

As James Clear says, “We rise to the level of our goals, and we fall to the level of our systems. We fail because we don’t have the habits or systems behind our goals.”

By putting in processes, one at time, things will improve.

The irony is that the more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be.

The best way to create a good process is to automate it so you never have to think about it again.

I shared this idea with my client, and I left the meeting with a gentle challenge for her week. I invite you to take this challenge too.

Consider areas of your business where you are experiencing friction or difficulty. Consider how you might tweak a process or a system so it can go smoother. It could be as simple as rearranging the office furniture so team members can collaborate more efficiently. Or it could be providing training (accompanied by a manual or video) on how to complete a task, such as collecting fundraising money.

It will take time and effort in the short-run, but it will save you a lot of stress and concern in the long-run. It is worth it.

Best wishes, Lauren

P.S. If you need any help creating or automating a process, we are here to help. Sign-up for one of our FREE 30-minute meetings to learn more.