Diane’s Note: It’s no secret that our team is a big fan of Bloomerang as we have collaborated for years on free webinars and in the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference community, but they are also a generous supporter of our BIPOC Nonprofit Professional Scholarships for Agile in Nonprofit training. 

While potentially a bit biased, I thought their tips regarding how your CRM can help with your grant seeking were right on point. It’s a great reminder that the CRM system you use has the potential to support all elements of the Grant LIfe Cycle: Readiness, Research, Relationships, writing, and Reporting.

 

The grant process includes many moving parts that nonprofit professionals need to juggle. Writing applications, staying accountable to funders, and reporting on results are just a few of the planning tasks required. 

 

When it comes to keeping these puzzle pieces organized, your nonprofit’s constituent relationship management system (CRM) is one of your most useful resources. Your CRM can consolidate all grant-making efforts into one central location, allowing for streamlined collaboration and communication across your organization. 

 

Let’s explore three ways your nonprofit CRM can support grant tracking. 

 

1. Reporting and centralized data management

Your CRM can automatically generate useful reports to provide a bird’s-eye view of your grant progress. Your nonprofit can easily report on: 

• Grant results, such as the number of wins and rejections in a given period
• Grant applications with impending deadlines
• The impact of grant funding, such as how many more constituents you’ve been able to help with the support of your grant

 

If you’re in the market for a new CRM platform, Bloomerang’s fundraising software guide recommends looking for a system with robust integrations, or “connections between software tools that enable seamless data transfer between platforms.” With the help of integrations, your CRM can pull data from other software platforms like your volunteer management and accounting platforms to provide more comprehensive reports. 

2. Relationship tracking

Just as you manage donor relationships, earning grant funding requires establishing genuine connections with grant funders. Your CRM platform can act as a database to store information about grantors, allowing you to develop deeper relationships by building on past interactions. 

 

Use your CRM to monitor the following relational aspects of grant fundraising: 

• Interaction timelines. Track every interaction with potential grant funders, including meetings, emails, in-person conversations, phone calls, and letters. Note which staff member was involved in each interaction so other team members know who to reach out to if they need more information about the conversation. 
• Relationships between your nonprofit’s community members and grant funders. Your nonprofit likely has board members, volunteers, or beneficiaries who can help connect you with grant-making foundations because of their personal relationships with individuals at these organizations. Use your CRM to track connections between these community members and grant funders. 
• Segmentation. You can segment grantors using the data you’ve collected about them to tailor your proposals and communications. For example, you can create segments based on the type of grant funding organization (such as foundation or government organization), the depth of your history with each organization, and each grantor’s funding priorities. 

 

Relationship tracking is crucial for every stage of the grant process, from applying for grants to keeping funders updated after earning grants. By leveraging your CRM to manage relationship tracking, you can ensure that no communications fall through the cracks, keeping your organization in your funders’ good graces. 

 

3. Task management and team collaboration

Effective team collaboration requires complete transparency across team members. All members should know their unique roles and responsibilities and how they fit into the grant process. Plus, team members should have simple, convenient ways of sharing information and communicating to stay organized and on task. 

 

Make the most of the scheduling and automation tools available in your CRM by taking the following steps to foster collaboration: 

• Schedule automated reminders for deadlines or follow-ups with grantors.
• Assign team members to complete specific tasks with due dates.
• Keep application materials organized, including written statements, reports, supporting visuals, and other supplemental materials.

 

Ensure team members check your CRM dashboard regularly for updates and receive email notifications for task deadlines. 

 

Your CRM is a valuable resource you already have at your fingertips. Are you making the most of this tool to support your grant tracking? If not, explore your CRM’s unique automation and task management tools to develop streamlined workflows. Collaborate with your team to develop best practices for your unique grant application and tracking efforts. 

 

 

Guest blog post by Bloomerang