Helping nonprofits enhance their missions by crafting compelling cases for support
I started my business in 2018, the spring after my daughter Tala was born. Just as Tala is named after the goddess of the morning and evening star in Tagalog mythology, my personal mission is to help nonprofits reach for the stars. I offer more than 15 years of experience in connecting with funders, and developing compelling government, foundation and corporate grant proposals as well as other fundraising communications, annual reports, marketing materials and beyond.
With an educational background in social services and counseling, I have helped organizations across the Chicago area secure mission, programs and capital support with a focus on the arts, primary and mental health care, human services, community organizing, violence prevention, economic development, education (early childhood through high school), youth development, museum services, public health, disease-specific care, public policy and advocacy, and more.
Over the course of my career, I have raised over $20 million in private and public funds – and that number is growing every day. My experiences have helped me refine a sense for the feasibility and impact of projects – all in the service of keeping community-based organizations alive and thriving. I’ve taken on multiple roles with increasing responsibility over time, and in grant writing and grants management positions have contributed to more than two-fold organizational revenue growth.
I am a card-carrying Grant Professionals Association member and I have experience serving on city and state-level grants review panels. I also currently serve as a capacity-building coach for grassroots organizations participating in the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority’s Institute 2 Innovate (i2i) Program. Through the program, I have presented professional development workshops on topics including diversifying nonprofit revenue, grant-crafting and communication skills.
For more info about my background and experience, please email me at cdaney@talacommunications.com.
About Grants Fundraising
Building a diversified funding base is the gold standard in nonprofit fundraising. This often includes a combination of small-dollar donors, major individual donors, fundraising events, business sponsorships, earned income, and government, corporate and foundation grants.
Grants are an essential ingredient in any recipe for fundraising success. Grants can provide long-term, sustainable funding that enables organizations to grow both programming and infrastructure. Much like individual donor fundraising, grant fundraising relies on both demonstrating impact and building relationships.
Nevertheless, I’ve worked with many nonprofit leaders who have grown frustrated with the grants process. Complicated requirements, the need to invest more time and effort to write applications and long lists of attachments can add to these frustrations.
As a grants professional, I can support your organization by researching and identifying funders, tracking and managing a grants calendar so that you don’t miss deadlines, writing quality proposals and reports, understanding and supporting programs, building and cultivating funder relationships and monitoring funder strategies as they change over time. In short, I can step in to make nonprofit leaders’ jobs easier.
At the same time, grants fundraising is extremely competitive, as nonprofits compete over scarce dollars – the bar is truly set high. For this reason, launching a grants program can still be a heavy lift for organizational leaders, especially in the beginning. I will work closely with you to make sure your organization is grants-ready. For instance, consider if your organization has the following capacities in place:
Has your Board outlined your organization’s strategic goals?
Can Board members help facilitate funder relationships and make introductions? This may be particularly important for securing corporate grants and approaching funders who do not accept unsolicited requests.
Has your team conducted a community needs assessment to demonstrate understanding of the issues your nonprofit is working to address?
Have you recently reviewed the effectiveness of your programs? Can you present quality data that will show funders that you are helping to meet the community’s needs?
Beyond just crafting the application, government contracts usually entail extensive management requirements. Do you have the accounting and programs staff, as well as formal policies and procedures, that you will need to be successful? Do you have enough time and energy to manage complicated requirements and seek reimbursement every month? If not, it may be best for you to focus on private grants for the time being.
Do you have the basic IT infrastructure in place to help you manage grants? Essential tools in this area can include email, creating spreadsheets and shared folders for documents, and the ability to e-sign forms.
Are your programs guided by a logic model or theory of change? Have you established program goals, objectives and outcomes that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound)?
Are your budgets completed and Board-approved? You will need organizational and program budgets ready to go for any projects you intend to fund.
Does your organization have defined processes to track, measure and report data on the impact of your programs?
I’ve compiled this list of essential documents you will need in place to apply for grants. Being proactive in these areas will make sure that your grant submissions are more successful, and that you don’t waste time and resources. The process will grow more efficient over time as you develop more language and attachments that can be tailored to meet funders’ unique requirements.
Clair Daney, MA
Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, I moved to Chicago in 2004 after earning my bachelor’s degree in art therapy and human service administration at Springfield College in Massachusetts. I graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2006 with a master’s degree in art therapy. After having worked for nearly two years as a case worker and counselor for adults with chronic mental illness and Chicago Public Schools students, I changed course and started my career as a grant writer at a federally qualified health center outside of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Now more than 15 years later, I’ve worked behind the scenes in diverse communities. I’ve also provided volunteer art therapy services in a number of Chicago-area organizations and hospitals. In my spare time, I like to draw and paint.
