A Bridge Worth Building

“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.”— Angela Davis

Not all money is the same.

Grant funding is distinct from sponsorships, revenue, and traditional fundraising. While those sources often involve direct exchange (for visibility, products, services, or emotional appeal), grants are awarded to advance a shared mission. Grants reflect a specific kind of relationship between the foundation and the grantee: mutuality of purpose, responsibility, and possibility.

Whether you represent a business, nonprofit, or institution, when you look to grants for funding, you’re seeking resourcing for work that aligns with a larger mission or theory of change. Foundations want to move their missions forward through others’ work. To do this, they need trusted stewards who can carry part of that mission with integrity. They're looking for clarity and commitment that align with their goals.  

Because of this, in order to win grants, you need to articulate:

• the impact you want to make;

• your awareness of the broader landscape wherein your work is situated;

• your values and effectiveness; and

• your willingness for partnership, not just patronage.

To align compellingly with someone else's mission, you first have to be rooted in yours. This means developing clear priorities, sustainable infrastructure, and thoughtful planning. Before you can connect successfully with a foundation, you have to do some foundational work of your own.

What are you building? Who is it for? What change are you helping make possible? How are you tracking that progress? What would you do with more capacity?

You need to be honest, not perfectly polished. If you see a need and are working to fill it, there is a board of directors somewhere discussing how they need to find and fund someone like you. A grant request is their side of the bridge. Your job is to meet them in the middle with a proposal that says, clearly and confidently: “I’m the one you’ve been looking for.”

On Friday, I’ll share practical steps to help you articulate your fundable dream. But first, pause and ask: Is my foundation ready to meet theirs?