We all know the feeling: the euphoria, sense of awe and relief as we read the award letter from a funder telling us that our hard work has finally paid off. WE GOT THE GRANT!!
Do you shout it from the rooftops? Despite feeling zany enough to actually do that, remember that there is a plan to follow when a grant is funded. Leadership first, then program staff and then the general public. Why? Well, just imagine a board member reading about a grant from the local foundation in the newspaper rather than from you! I dount if that could ever be a smart move!
Why is it important to share the good news about grant awards? Every grant you receive is a new opportunity to spread the news about the programs you offer, both within your organization and the community at large. Never underestimate the importance of letting everyone know about the grants you receive. Internally, every award is a chance to motivate your staff and volunteers to keep plugging along.
Once you have announced your grant award internally, it is time to let the outside world know all about it. Sending out press releases to the local media announcing your grant award accomplishes several goals:
1. It is a way to publicly thank the foundation
2. It gives the funding agency a little free publicity
3. It helps showcase your organization and program to the general community
4. It helps to better position you among the granting community for funding in the future
While press releases and the subsequent stories they can generate are a great way to tell a large number of people about your grant award, there are a few other simpler forms of announcing it that you could also consider:
• notices on your bulletin board
• a thank you on your outdoor signage
• an annual thank you dinner for all donors
• a quarterly or annual organizational newsletter
• an announcement at your monthly work session/board meeting/open forum meetings
• a notice on your website
• your annual report
Remember to share the good news right away! Happy Sharing!
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