Aligning Objectives with Funder Priorities

𝗜𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗲𝗱. Early on, I chased every funding opportunity that vaguely aligned with our mission. When resources are tight, it’s easy to reshape your work to meet funders’ interests—even if it feels like squeezing a round peg into a square hole. Over time, I learned that this approach comes with costs that can be more detrimental than the reward they bring. These include: 🍃 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘁: We move away from our original purpose when we adjust our programs to fit a funder’s requirements. This “mission drift” can dilute our core impact, spreading us thin and lessening our unique value. 💪🏿𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗲: Constantly pivoting to satisfy funders’ priorities rather than focusing on a clear mission can lead to burnout and disillusionment, making retaining talented, passionate staff harder. 🎯𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: Casting a wide net without a strategy leads to scattered efforts and less productive results. This especially affects the development team, making them less efficient and the relationships they build more surface-level and less impactful. So, how do you ensure funder alignment? I use a weighted rubric that keeps us focused on impact. I rate each funder on key criteria—like mission alignment, application ease, and grant size—scoring them as low, medium, or high. We only pursue funders who meet our threshold so we can focus on partnerships that genuinely support our mission and goals. The criteria include: 🚀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝟮𝟬%): Does the funder have a history of supporting causes like yours? Funders interested in your mission area will likely be a better fit. 💰 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝘇𝗲 (𝟮𝟱%): Does the grant amount align with your financial needs? You also need to factor in the costs of applying for the opportunity. Does the team time pay off? 👥 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝟭𝟬%): Is there an existing link through board members or mutual partners? Familiarity can create a trust-based relationship, often leading to a smoother collaboration. 🧘🏿♀️ 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 (𝟮𝟬%): A clear, grantee-focused application process means your team can focus more on impact than on admin. 🧩 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝟮𝟱%): Does the funder’s mission support your core priorities? Funding that aligns naturally with your main programs allows you to focus on impact without significant shifts in strategy. 💬 How do you evaluate funding opportunities? What would you add to the above criteria? #internationaldevelopment #fundraising #nonprofitafrica #fundingafrica

You can spend weeks writing a grant proposal—but if it doesn’t align with the funder’s priorities, the chances of it being approved are very slim! I see this mistake over and over again. 🚨 Organizations pour hours, even months into writing grant proposals, only to get rejected—not because their project wasn’t important, but because they never researched what the funder actually wanted to fund.  So, before you sit down to write your next grant, here’s what you need to know:  → Funders don’t fund what YOU need. They fund YOUR impact.They fund what aligns with THEIR mission. Many people approach grants thinking, "I need money for my project—who can give it to me?"  But successful grant seekers flip the script. They look for alignment first. ✅ Research past grantees. What kind of projects has this funder supported before? Do you fit into that pattern?  ✅ Read their funding priorities. If they say they fund education initiatives, do they mean general education, STEM programs, early childhood learning? Dig deeper. ✅ Mirror their language. If they emphasize “economic mobility,” don’t just say your program helps job seekers—show how it advances economic mobility. → Vague proposals don’t get funded. Specificity wins. I see a lot of proposals that say things like: We aim to reduce food insecurity in our community.  That sounds nice, but it’s not compelling. A funder is going to ask: How many people will you serve? What’s your timeline for achieving results? What metrics will you track? Instead, try something like: ✅ We will support 150 families by providing bi-weekly meal kits containing fresh, nutritious produce. Over the course of 12 months, we will track participants' progress through annual surveys to measure the impact of this program. We anticipate achieving a 20% reduction in food insecurity among participants, demonstrating the program's effectiveness in promoting health in the community. See the difference? The more specific you are, the easier it is for funders to see your impact. When you write a proposal, don’t just explain why you need the money. Show them the transformation their funding will create. 🛑 Instead of: We need $50,000 to expand our mentoring program. ✅ Try this: With $50,000, we will expand our mentoring program to serve 300 additional students, increasing graduation rates by 25% over the next two years. The more you frame your proposal around the funder’s impact, the better your chances of winning. Have you ever spent weeks on a proposal only to get rejected? What did you learn from the experience? Let’s talk in the comments.  #GrantWriting #NonprofitFunding #FundingOpportunities

If you’re a federally funded organization, operate like you won’t get another dollar - because you might not. Administrative changes and shifting political priorities can affect your funding when you least expect it. Operating with the mindset that no funding is guaranteed forces you to move faster on your funding sustainability strategy. Here’s how we’re approaching this reality at Innosphere: 💰 Diversifying Our Funding Sources We don’t just rely on government grants - or any single source for that matter. We’re actively pursuing philanthropic and corporate funding, but not just from anyone. We’re reaching out to mission-driven organizations that align with our work. 🎯 Being Specific with our Asks Funding partners need to know exactly what they’re investing in and a vague request won’t cut it. We focus on clear, outcome-driven initiatives that directly align with our funders' priorities. 🔄 Prioritizing Sustained Funding Over Sponsorships Sponsorships work for one-off events, but they don’t fund large-scale, impact-driven work. We’re focused on securing long-term investment, not just covering piecemeal operational costs. The bottom line for federally funded orgs is: Act now. Adapt quickly. Plan like federal funding isn’t guaranteed - because it never was.

Stop Asking, "What Grants Can We Win?" Start Asking, "Which Funders Should Be Investing in Us?" Here’s a reality check: roughly 90% of available grants are program grants. This fact should fundamentally shape how you approach funding. Funders clearly prefer investing in programmatic support—so give them the opportunity. When you shift from asking, "What grants can we apply to?" to "Which funders should be investing in our proven programs?" everything changes. Grant seeking becomes less about chasing dollars and more about finding the right partners to sustain and scale the change you’re already creating. Here’s a real example. An education nonprofit we worked with was stuck in the “see grant, chase grant” cycle, applying for opportunities that pulled them in too many directions. We helped them consolidate their messaging and align it with funder preferences. Instead of adapting their programs to fit grant requirements, we sought funders to invest in their proven impact. Instead of scattered, one-off applications, we built a cohesive narrative that amplified their mission. Every conversation, application, and report reinforced these partnerships. Their success rate jumped from 20% to 45%. Their grant-only funding grew from $278K to $2.4M. Most importantly, they built a network of funders invested in their long-term success, including several multi-year partnerships. Strategic grant funding isn’t just about dollars—it’s about alignment, trust, and relationships. It’s about creating sustainable support for the change you’re already leading in your community. #NonprofitFunding #GrantWriting #NonprofitImpact #PartnershipsMatter #SocialImpact #FundingStrategy #NonprofitDevelopment #CommunityChange #BuildBetterRelationships Grant Flow

Your investments could be shaping more than just your portfolio. What if every dollar you deploy could create a ripple effect of positive change? The cost of overlooking impact is higher than you think. According to the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), over 3,907 organizations currently manage $1.571 trillion USD in impact investing assets under management (AUM) worldwide, representing a 21% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2019. Yet, this still accounts for only about 1% of total global assets under management, indicating a vast potential for growth. By not integrating impact considerations, investors may miss out on opportunities for meaningful change and long-term value creation. 7 Strategies to Align Investments with Purpose: 1. Define Your Impact Objectives ↳ Identify core values: Determine the social or environmental issues that resonate most with your mission. ↳ Set clear goals: Establish specific, measurable outcomes you aim to achieve through your investments. 2. Conduct Thorough Due Diligence ↳ Assess impact potential: Evaluate how prospective investments contribute to your defined objectives. ↳ Analyze track records: Review the historical performance of organizations in delivering both financial returns and positive impact. 3. Diversify Across Asset Classes ↳ Explore various vehicles: Consider equities, bonds, and alternative investments that align with your impact goals. ↳ Balance risk and return: Diversification can help mitigate risks while enhancing potential for impact. 4. Engage with Investee Companies ↳ Active ownership: Use your shareholder influence to advocate for sustainable practices. ↳ Collaborate on initiatives: Work with companies to develop strategies that enhance their social and environmental contributions. 5. Measure and Report Impact ↳ Utilize standard metrics: Adopt frameworks like IRIS+ to track and compare impact performance. ↳ Transparent reporting: Regularly disclose impact outcomes to stakeholders to build trust and accountability. 6. Stay Informed and Adaptable ↳ Monitor industry trends: Keep abreast of developments in impact investing to identify new opportunities. ↳ Be flexible: Adjust your strategies as needed to respond to changing social and environmental landscapes. 7. Collaborate with Like-Minded Investors ↳ Join networks: Participate in groups like the GIIN to share knowledge and resources. ↳ Co-invest: Partner with others to amplify impact and share due diligence efforts. Every investment is an opportunity to shape a better future. What’s one step you can take today to align your portfolio with your purpose? ♻️ Share this story with your network - let's spread inspiration far and wide! 👉 Follow Ben Botes for more insights on Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Impact Investment.