I can't believe 2023 is now behind us and it's already been over 12 months since my last blog post. What began as a relatively quiet start to 2023, quickly snowballed into a wealth of grant applications (hehe) as well as an unexpected non-grant related side project which allowed me to dip my toes back into the world of program reporting and evaluation (which I love!).
With 2024 already in full swing I thought I'd take a pause to reflect on 2023, a year of exciting submissions for new and innovative projects, learning to use new technologies and on a personal note, a new furry family member.
Gaining momentum
There's no denying January can be a rather quiet month in the world of grants. Many people are still on leave and grant makers are busy preparing their upcoming rounds for the start of the next financial year. It was a relief in many ways to start off 2023 with a necessary and useful pause to get on top of other tasks that often fall by the wayside when things are busy like:
Updating submissions trackers
Reviewing success rates and reflecting on grant strategy
Creating new annual grant calendars.
By February I found things were quickly gathering steam as I was approached by several repeat clients and a few new clients, which led to a very busy year. Below is a summary of what a busy year looks like in practice.
Impact summary
Applications submitted: 41 (almost 1 application/week)
Funds raised: $882,256 (with the results of 8 applications still pending worth over $2.2 million if successful)
Source of successful applications:
Government: 92%
Foundations: 5%
Corporate: 3%
Examples of funded projects:
Multi-year Junior Ranger Program in remote Western Australia providing pathways into employment and opportunities for intergenerational knowledge transfer.
A new car to aid in the conservation and land management efforts of a highly skilled team of Aboriginal rangers.
An innovative NDIS Navigation Service supporting people living with a rare disease to apply to and successfully access the NDIS.
Lessons learnt
1. Preparing in accordance with annual funding cycles
Having now had 2 years to observe annual grant cycles I have a strong grasp on what to expect and when. I observed the following two increases in applications released in 2023:
Philanthropic/private funders: March - June as the end of financial year approaches.
Government funding: August - November - this period typically sees an increase in government tenders for major services within sectors including disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service delivery and child and family services.
Knowing this in the lead up to each busy period enabled readiness, preparing organisations as much as possible by collating organisational information and readying relevant statistics for things like needs analyses to hit the ground running.
2. Creating flexible processes and adapting for each client
Over the past two years working with a broad range of clients, I've been continuously iterating and shaping my approach to grant writing in favour of streamlined, efficient processes. While having a basic framework has been useful, flexibility and taking the time to understand each client's unique needs has been far more valuable and led to enhanced outcomes. I found strategies such as implementing a quarterly grant review to review upcoming opportunities) were useful for organisations applying for lots of small to medium sized grants within a short time period, while less relevant for others who were only applying for one major grant each quarter.
3. Integrating new tools for efficiency and effectiveness:
Some key tools that were integral to my grant writing process in 2023 were:
Otter AI - transcribing tool - incredibly useful for minute taking during meetings and provides a summary of key points discussed.
Toggl - time tracking software - this enabled me to measure time spent on each application and supported general time management.
Chat GPT- I believe this tool needs no introduction. It was fun experimenting with Chat GPT throughout the year and seeing where it offered the most benefit to the grant writing process. I found it incredibly useful for brainstorming, particularly when it came to project titles and general introductions. Unfortunately it's not at a point of being able to craft beautifully written applications in its own right, but I'm definitely going to keep playing around with this and seeing how I can use this to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of my applications in 2024.
Welcoming a furry family member
One of the benefits of trading in nomad life for a long term lease in a house with our own furniture was being in a position to finally get a dog! Those of you who know me, know that getting a dog has long been a dream of mine. While I've had the joy of fostering in the past we finally had the perfect conditions to adopt a dog of our own and in May 2023 my partner and I welcomed 10 month old lab/staffy Kali into our lives. I'm pleased to say, she's been a fantastic addition and we have successfully adapted to our new 6.30am wake up call. This may also help to explain why you may have heard the occasional "woof" in the background of our meetings.
What's in store for 2024?
It's looking to be an exciting year in the grants space, with both the Department of Social Services' Strong and Resilient Communities funding out now (due 20 February) and the first open competitive opportunity for organisations to join the Indigenous Ranger Program (IRP) in 10 years announced by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (due 26 February). I'm excited to see what else is in store throughout the year including for organisations working across sectors such as disability and child and family services.
Now that we're fully settled in Christchurch, I'm very much looking forward to another year of great clients with exciting, innovative projects to seek funding for. I have my work cut out for me with a new target of $1.6 million to raise by the end of the year. I'm also looking forward to more trail running adventures with Kali, reading new books, next on my list is 'The Expatriates' by Janice Y K Lee and more great TV shows like season 2 of Severance.