The Funder Whisperer: How to improve communication with your funders

Communicating with funders can sometimes feel like a chore, and the power dynamic can be a challenging one to navigate. If you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of time or effort you have to dedicate to grant applications, grant management or funder relationships, read on.  We’ve got a few secrets that will help you build long term and fruitful relationships with funders. 

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1. Don’t focus solely on numbers: Numbers are great, they show that you are tracking your work, but numbers and data are much more powerful when accompanied by stories. Believe it or not, funders want to hear your stories, they help them understand and connect to your work. Tell good stories and use data credible  to support them.  This takes us to our next point-

2. Be honest and transparent: Inflating numbers or cherry-picking big numbers because you think that’s what funders care about is a common mistake. This is never the way. Beyond it simply not being honest, it sets you up for failure- you’ll always be chasing unrealistic expectations, or covering up reality.  Beyond that, most funders can tell if you have inflated your numbers, you will start the relationship with a lack of trust. If you’re  honest about your reach, your goals, and your challenges and impact, while presenting clear strategies for improvement, you signal to funders you have a clear vision and are serious about serving your beneficiaries to the best of your ability. 

3. Cultivate long term relationships: Funders care about many of the same things you do, and are often eager to engage and support you in ways other than financial. Engage your funders beyond your contractual reporting obligations and recruit them to contribute to your organizations in more ways than grants. The more funders understand your organization, your vision, goals and activities, the more they may want to provide insight or resources beyond financial to help you succeed. Think about it– funders work in your field,  have worked with a lot of organizations, and have pretty much seen it all already. They have insights and experience to share, and relationships with other organizations doing similar or complementary work.  The more you cultivate a relationship with your funders, the more committed they will be to continue to support you. 

4. Invest in a grant writing class: Grant Writing is a language all its own. There are many free or paid options available online that can take your grant writing to the next level. Once you get to know the form, you’ll feel more confident being creative and putting your organization’s unique stamp on a grant application.