How do you move beyond “apply for everything” and build a sustainable funding strategy?

In this episode, Michelle and Danielle are joined by Jo Garner, CEO and founder of Strategic Grants, to unpack what it really takes to secure grant funding.

Jo brings more than 30 years of experience across the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors and has worked with thousands of organisations across Australia and New Zealand. She shares why successful grant seeking starts long before the application is written — with strategy, planning, strong governance, clear priorities and genuine relationships with funders.

In this episode

We explore:

• What it means to be “funder ready”
• Why grant seeking should start with your organisation’s strategic plan and mission
• How to avoid the “spray and pray” approach to grant applications
• Why the best grant application is often determined before the writing begins
• How to identify and package projects that are genuinely fundable
• What funders want to see when assessing need, capability, outcomes and impact
• How to build a funding prospect pipeline
• Why relationships with funders are critical to sustainable philanthropic support
• What should stay in-house and what can be outsourced
• How CEOs, boards and fundraising teams can manage funder relationships effectively
• Using AI to improve grant-writing efficiency without losing your organisation’s voice, authenticity and confidentiality
• How the rise of AI-generated applications could change the way funders assess open funding rounds
• Why brand, reputation and networking may become increasingly important in getting noticed by funders
• What happens after you win: acquittal, stewardship and nurturing the funder relationship
• Why organisations need to be careful about growing faster than their capacity to deliver

Grant writing is only one part of successful grant seeking.

The real work starts much earlier: understanding your mission, identifying your priorities, building evidence around need, developing fundable projects, researching the right funding opportunities and building authentic relationships with potential funders.

As Jo puts it, the goal is to become “funder ready” creating a proactive, strategic and repeatable approach to funding rather than relying on last-minute applications.

Strategic Grants | Secure Grant Funding for Nonprofits

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: The NFP CEO: Overview | LinkedIn

Website: thenfpceo.com.au

Michelle Cutler: Michelle Cutler | LinkedIn

Danielle Ballantine: Danielle Ballantine | LinkedIn