September 14, 2017 – AWE Learning Staff

AWE Learning’s Grants 101 Blog Series featured tips from our Grant Writer on Searching for Grant Opportunities and Completing Your Grant Application. The third and final segment of the Grants 101 Blog Series focuses on what to expect after your grant application has been completed and submitted to the foundation.

My completed grant application has been submitted. What should I do now?

Once you have submitted a completed application, including all required supplemental documents, you are in the waiting stage. Some grants have a specific application deadline with a scheduled grant award date; while other grants will simply give you an estimated time frame (i.e. – four to eight weeks after grant submission) of when to expect a decision. Search the foundation website or applications to see if a decision by date or time frame is provided, and mark it on your calendar. Additionally, schedule a routine check in with your contact at the organization or foundation to which you are applying. Unless the foundation states not to contact them for application status, don’t hesitate to reach out to the organization to receive an update on the status of your application.

I received a notice from the foundation I applied to that my grant application was denied. Now what?

If your application is denied funding, it is beneficial to ask for feedback on why your proposal was not awarded. This communicates that you value their opinion and want to take the necessary steps to make any future submission, either with them or another organization, better. Don’t be frustrated if your proposal is denied funding; organizations receive more applications than they can afford to award. Treat this as a learning opportunity, and seek out a new opportunity or re-apply during their next grant cycle.

I was notified that my grant was awarded. What should I expect from the foundation?

Congratulations! If your grant was awarded, check how much was awarded. In some cases, foundations will award a partial amount from what was requested. If you received the notification of your awarded amount without a check, look for a specified time frame when you should expect to receive the funds.

Now that your program has received funding, the foundation will likely require future reports to show how the money was spent, and a description of the community impact. Identify what the foundation requires after funding your project or organization. This was likely noted on your application, but it is important to review these requirements.

Lastly, if the awarded funds went to a specific program, or resources, be sure to acknowledge the foundation. For those attending the program, or using the resources, share how this was made possible. If your grant application asked you to describe how you would acknowledge the foundation’s contribution, be sure to follow through with what you described.