Securing grants is a major bottleneck for NGOs across the globe. Whether small or large NGOs, this step can often be resource-consuming if your team is in search of grants. You cannot apply to all of them if all types of international donors, foundations, and development agencies offer grants per annum, and you get lost on where to start.
However, this guide is not to apply to all.
The objective is to target grants where the mission of the organization perfectly aligns with your existing grant cycles, grant patterns, and existing capacities. By targeting the right sources instead, you are in a good position to invest more time in developing the proposals than getting on with the grant hunt. In this guide, we will help you with grant applications and how to maximize the chances of winning a grant, right from the start.
Why International Grants Matter
However, they give NGOs a chance to expand their projects, gain access to more communities, and make a long-term difference. International grants can be utilized for setting up new projects, consolidating successful projects, creating organizational capacity, as well as innovation.
The good news?
International donors want to engage with organizations that are driven, knowledgeable of local contexts, and prove the social value they offer to stakeholders.
Therefore, even for smaller NGOs, acquiring funds may be a reality with the right strategic planning.
1. Clearly Define Your Organization’s Mission
One of the first steps you’ll want to take before diving into finding grants is ensuring you understand your organization’s mission completely.
- Take a few moments to reflect on the following:
- What need are you looking to address?
- Who is your population of focus?
- In what countries or communities are you involved?
- What sorts of projects are you hoping to fund?
By understanding these questions, you’ll be able to narrow down your grant searches and also help to refine your proposals so you’re able to effectively convey your organization’s mission!
2. Research International Donors
Keep in mind that different donors contribute to different projects. Some will be interested in supporting education projects, others may be more concerned with healthcare or environmental concerns, still others might focus on programs to support women, agriculture, humanitarian aid, or human rights. Dedicate some time to identifying those donors who typically fund projects aligned with yours.
Go to their website, find out what projects they typically fund, and read their guidelines and guidelines for giving.
If the donor’s objectives align with your projects, then you can begin considering what would be involved in applying, and tailor your application accordingly.
3. Use Trusted Grant Databases
Before you type whatever pops into mind into that search engine, consider instead using curated grant databases. Here, donors aggregate their funding opportunities into a single searchable archive. Most databases let you search by:
- Country
- Project area/theme
- Budget available
- Deadline to apply
- Organization type
By visiting these sites weekly, you’ll find a slew of new grant-writing leads.
4. Subscribe to Grant Newsletters
There are various organizations and crowdfunding websites that will announce the opening of new grant opportunities every now and then. Subscribe to these websites/organization’s newsletter to identify grant openings in an email folder that you’ve prepared specifically to collect your grants.
5. Follow International Organizations
There are many sources where you can learn and discover funding opportunities, often before other people are aware of the calls, by following their updates on websites and social media. An effective method: Make connections with international organisations, UN entities, multilateral and development banks, research foundations, and charitable organisations on platforms like LinkedIn and X. Following them can help you get information on:
- Call for proposals;
- Partnership engagement opportunities with these organisations;
- Innovation calls;
- Capacity building activities; and
- Training and webinar opportunities.
When we actively follow such entities, it is much easier to develop our grant applications a few weeks in advance instead of last minute.
6. Read the Eligibility Criteria Carefully
One of the most common mistakes NGOs make is spending hours preparing applications for grants they don’t qualify for.
Before you begin writing, carefully check:
- Eligible countries
- Organization registration requirements
- Minimum years of operation
- Annual budget requirements
- Project focus
- Funding limits
If your organization doesn’t meet the basic requirements, it’s better to move on and invest your time elsewhere.
7. Keep Important Documents Ready
Many grant applications request similar documents. Having them prepared in advance will save you valuable time when a funding opportunity opens.
Common documents include:
- Organization profile
- Registration certificate
- Annual reports
- Financial statements
- Strategic plan
- Previous project reports
- Concept notes
- Organizational budget
Keeping these documents updated allows you to respond quickly to new funding opportunities.
8. Network with Other NGOs and Donors
Networking. One of those often ignored fundraising essentials. Go to webinars, conferences, workshops,s and donor outreach programs whenever you can to learn about potential funding sources and hear directly what donors want.
Also, good relationships with other NGOs can be rewarding.
Several organizations like to share information about funding openings with one another, work on shared programs, or even team up to compete for large funding projects.
9. Use AI to Work More Efficiently
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly proving to be an invaluable addition to any nonprofit’s fundraising toolbox. AI can assist you with:
- Finding funding opportunities
- Writing proposal ideas
- Summarizing funding restrictions
- Preparing project summaries
- Generating outlines and proposals
- Budget preparation
- Application requirements Organization
10. Focus on Quality Instead of Quantity
A common approach by some NGOs to improving their chances of securing funding is applying to numerous opportunities. However, several thorough, well-written proposals are generally more effective than a stack of cookie-cutter submissions.
Instead, get to know each funder and what matters to them most. Demonstrate that you understand the issue, explain how your work will create change, and provide thoughtful budgets with tangible outputs.
A well-crafted proposal will almost always stand above the masses.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here’s a quick guide to a few of the pitfalls even some organizations with years in the grant business still make. If you can avoid these, you will likely be miles ahead of your competition:
- Not reading the guidelines and then submitting a proposal. (Don’t get mad at me but… I’ve seen people do it.)
- Sending the same proposal to every funding source.
- Waiting until a week before the deadline to begin writing.
- Ignoring what the funder cares about and feeding them what you want to tell them.
- Submitting an incomplete proposal.
- A hazy budget and pie-in-the-sky, “we’ll do all of this in three months,” proposal project description.
- Forgetting to audit and hitting send!
Final Thoughts
However, the trick to securing grants from outside the country is research, research, research! There isn’t one single website that you can access where grants of funding will automatically appear. Some of the most successful NGOs out there have developed a fundraising plan, stay up to date with the goals of some of the biggest donors, and only apply to grants that fit perfectly within their cause.
Ultimately, it’s not enough to find grants; you need to find the right ones. With a good understanding of donors and donor goals, keeping good records of those opportunities, and getting your ducks in a row on paperwork, submitting quality grant applications is the only way for your NGO to secure funding abroad. Grantmaking begins months, if not years, before you actually send that grant proposal. The sooner your NGO is able to plan and prepare today, the sooner that funding is within your reach.
