Grants are the go-to for nonprofit organizations. After all, the money is out there waiting to land on the right program. The funders desire to partner with organizations seeking to grow the greater good of the community and beyond.
But did you know that grant funds are not limited to nonprofits? There are grants for artists, authors, and small for-profit businesses.
Landing a grant is a challenge. It takes a lot of study and understanding to ascertain if a grant fits with your organization. And even if you do all the right things in your grant application, it does not guarantee your hours of hard work will snag you those funds because it is a competitive market. But applying is still worth it because you just never know.
While this article will not dive into the available grants for nonprofits and businesses, it will discuss an important element in increasing your chances to win that grant: your brand story.
If you are applying for a grant for your program or project, why does your brand story matter? What questions are funders asking that your story can answer?
Your brand story overview
The purpose of your brand story enables you to forge an emotional connection with your audience, including your investors and funders, by building a trusting relationship with them. You answer why you started your company or organization, and why you offer your services and products.
You build awareness of who you are and from where you came. And your brand story tells your audience what your passion is, what changes you seek to make, the problems you solve and for whom. It emphasizes your expertise and why you are the right person or company to bring about change.
The story of your company, organization, or you, elevates your uniqueness and helps you stand out from your competition. In the case of grants, everyone who applies for the same grant funds you want is a competitor.
What questions are funders asking?
When you apply for grants, funders want to know:
- Why should they give to you?
- What problems are you solving?
- How are you solving them?
They need to know how you plan on using the funds, which means they need to see evidence of a viable business or career development as an artist. You need to be clear that what you apply for—your program, project, book—matters to you and to your community.
If you are awarded the funds, what will you be able to do you could not do before?
Funders desire to have a partnership, not simply hand out money. They need to feel a connection with you. Your story will help with that. The questions they have about you have more to do with your organization, not just what you do. They want to know your vision, future goals, your strategies. Are you an organization or business they can trust will stick around?
If you have your brand story in place, you will understand which appropriate elements to use in the application. It will also help your summary if the application asks for a biography or vision statement.
Putting the pieces together
Your biggest puzzle piece is your brand story. Before you apply for grants, it behooves you to have this in place. In fact, your brand story affects everything—your image, your marketing, your media, your services and programs. Your audience should be well aware of who you are and what you represent.
Once you have your brand story and know it well, including why you do what you do, filling out the grant application will be smoother. You will be better able to answer both the application’s questions, and the funders’ internal questions that are in their minds.
Understanding what you or your business is about will also help you locate appropriate grants. Knowing what you qualify for will eliminate the rest so you are not chasing dead-end grants. You will search for funders who share the same passions and goals as you do. Funders that will be a good fit.
Keep in mind that even if you locate the right funder(s), and you do everything you need to on the application, it is not a guarantee. But you will decrease your stress and headaches in searching for the right matches for you in your grants hunt when you stick with your brand story.
Grants are the go-to for nonprofit organizations. But there are also grants for artists, authors, and small for-profit businesses. Because grants are a competitive market, your brand story is an important element to increase your chances of winning the grant. It tells your funders and investors why they are a good partner for you because your story emphasizes what they need to know: your goals and vision. They desire to know about your business and organization so they can carve an overall view of how to support you.
Need help telling your business or author story? My brand training helps you live your brand by recognizing your story and learning how to use it effectively to enhance engagement and increase sales. To learn more, reach out to me at jmlacey.com.
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