How Often Should I Apply For Grants?

Grants are a valuable tool for nonprofits, businesses, and even individuals looking to secure funding. However, did you know that building a grant pipeline is perhaps the best way to increase your chances of being awarded a grant? Grant seekers who neglect to build a sustainable grant pipeline often miss valuable opportunities! GrantWatch has the lowdown on how to build a sustainable grant pipeline for your business as well as information on what kind of funding and support is available.

What Type of Grant Seeker Are You?

Every grant cycle is unique, based on the needs of the grant seeker. The first question is, what type of seeker are you? Submitting a grant proposal for a grant you are not even qualified for will ensure your grant application is denied. You will not receive the grant in this case, so why frustrate yourself? Are you an individual looking for research grants for your Ph.D., a start-up business, or a 501c3 nonprofit organization? Knowing what type of grant seeker you are will help you discover how often you should apply for grants. Furthermore, did you know that you can apply for a grant more than once? As an illustration, some funders may want to see that you have grown your reach or registered with the IRS since your last grant application was submitted before awarding you a grant.

How Often Do Grants Seekers Need to Apply?

Nonprofit Organizations – As the most aggressive type of grant-seekers, nonprofits may apply for up to 2-3 grants per week. Because of this, many nonprofit organizations have a full-time grant writer on staff.

Business & For Profit Organizations – Businesses are encouraged to apply for grants on a monthly or quarterly basis. Many businesses apply for the same grants each year to secure capital funding.

Individual Grant Seekers – Individuals are more likely to pursue grants for a one-off project of need. However, professional teachers and researchers often apply for grants seasonally.

A Sustainable Grant Pipeline

After you have located grants of interest, the next step is to organize your calendar to ensure that you are applying for grants regularly. After all, building a sustainable grant pipeline is the best way to secure funding for your organization. First, understand and outline the type of grants you are applying for. Furthermore, always keep applying! Grants are competitive, and you will not win every grant you apply for. While applying for grants is hard work, if you build a grant cycle and dedicate time to applying to grants regularly, you will likely secure the funding you need for your cause.

Popular Grant Categories

GrantWatch has grants split into convenient, searchable categories that make it easy to search for the funding you need. Individuals looking for scholarships or funding for education would do well to focus on categories like College Scholarships, Education, Elementary Education, and Higher Education. In addition, nonprofits with urgent social causes can pursue such categories as Climate Change, Domestic Violence, Disaster Relief,  or Refugee and Immigrant. And finally, businesses that need funding may seek out categories like Capital Funding, Business, Entrepreneurs and Startups, Operating Support, and Workforce. Of course, there are dozens more categories available and literally thousands of grants listed in the database. To conclude: Follow the link to GrantWatch and get connected to the funding you need. What are you waiting for?

About GrantWatch

With close to 8,000 grants currently available, GrantWatch.com is the leading grant listing directory. Upgrade to a MemberPlus+ subscription to view the full grant details, including eligibility criteria and application information. For more information, you can also visit the GrantWatch FAQ page. To see the great value of all 20 of the top GrantWatch features, click here. See the latest episode of GrantTalk, powered by GrantWatch, with host Libby Hikind. You don’t want to miss this. Visit us on YouTube weekly. Don’t forget to get your copy of The Queen of Grants: From Teacher to Grant Writer to CEO, by Libby Hikind.