I once heard a fundraiser tell me that grant writers are the “keepers of the lore.” In other words, we are storytellers. We understand the communities we serve; the history of our organization; and how our programs benefit individuals, families, the environment, animals, and more. And while these stories are vital to the work we do, stories without data don’t show the full impact.
Accountability, transparency, and results are at the heart of federal grants. Data is the proof behind your program’s story. Grant management requires data collection, and it cannot be an afterthought to winning the grant.
BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION
The idea of data collection should begin during the grant writing process. What types of data will your organization collect and why? Who specifically will collect the data? It’s important to also consider the right solutions for data collection. How will you track your information – spreadsheets, databases, or cloud-based platforms? What security, backup, and access control measures will you put in place? How will your processes integrate with systems you already have in place?
DATA TIED TO SMART OBJECTIVES
When developing objectives in grant proposals, remember that funders will expect you to collect and share data associated with each objective. That’s why it’s important to write SMART objectives – ones that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. SMART objectives show you have a fully developed project plan, clearly explain the project plans to the funder, and equip your team to implement your project plan.
EXAMPLES IN ACTION
General Objective: Improve water quality in the manatee habitat.
SMART Objective: Reduce nutrient runoff into the manatee habitat by implementing a watershed management program, resulting in a 20% decrease in nutrient levels within two years. Water samples will be collected by the Manatee Habitat Nonprofit’s Scientific Technician at the start of the project (January 2027) and continue quarterly over a two-year period, with results posted in the Water Quality Management System.
It’s Specific – you know how much improvement will take place, who is handling the data collection, and more.
It’s Measurable – by establishing a baseline number (with the initial collection in January 2027) and then continuing data collection over the course of two years, you will be able to show if the 20% improvement took place.
It’s Achievable – in other sections of the grant proposal you will detail all the watershed management activities your organization will implement. While everyone would love to show a 100% improvement, it’s best to pick an improvement rate that is possible based on knowledge, data, past experience, the elements of your project, and the activities that will take place.
It’s Relevant – if the point of your grant request (and your associated project) is to improve the lives of manatees and your needs statement section highlights an undesirable habitat, then it makes sense to have an objective associated with improving their habitat.
It’s Timely – water quality improvements do not happen overnight, but a two-year period is a good amount of time to show improvement in the watershed.
LINKING OBJECTIVES TO IMPLEMENTATION
When you develop SMART objectives, they inform so much of the project and grant management aspect of your work. Knowing your planned objectives helps determine programming and resource allocation.
As you continue to monitor your work over the course of the grant, you will frequently check in on the status of your objectives. This is why our objective included quarterly monitoring. That way, we know whether we are on track to reach our target. If we are not, we will have time to adjust our work. Continuous improvement is always the goal.
Funders often ask for monthly or quarterly reports because they want to know if we are doing the work and on track to meet our stated objectives. This is the perfect place to share our progress.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
How do we translate our SMART objectives into action plans? These six steps will help.
- Identify Specific Tasks – Identify the actions/tasks that need to be completed to achieve each SMART objective. These tasks should be clearly defined, actionable, and aligned with the overall objective.
- Assign Responsibilities – Assign responsibilities to individuals or teams for each task or activity. Clearly define who is responsible for completing each task, as well as any supporting roles or resources needed to facilitate implementation.
- Set Deadlines – Establish deadlines or timelines for completing each task or activity. Set realistic timeframes that align with the overall timeframe for achieving the SMART objective, taking into account any dependences or constraints that may impact implementation.
- Allocate Resources – Determine the resources needed to support implementation, such as funding, personnel, equipment, and materials. Allocate resources effectively to ensure that each task or activity has the necessary support to be completed successfully.
- Monitor Progress – Regularly monitor progress towards completing each task or activity. Track milestones, deadlines, and key performance indicators to assess whether implementation is on track and identify any deviations or challenges that need to be addressed.
- Adjust as Needed – Be flexible and adaptable in adjusting action plans as needed. If circumstances change or unexpected challenges arise, reassess objectives, adjust timelines, reallocate resources, and modify strategies to keep implementation on track and ensure that SMART objectives are still achievable.
Written by: Amanda Day, GPC
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