For my Human & Organizational Development Capstone, I decided to pursue an internship in an organization with close ties to my intended field after graduation–arts management and administration. This semester, I am working with the Tennessee Arts Commission, a state arts agency which funds arts endeavors for residents of communities across the entire state. Whenever I mention my desire to work in the non-profit arts world, I am told that I ought to hone my grant writing abilities. This has made my time at the Arts Commission particularly interesting, as I am gaining some insight into the way an arts funder–specifically a public arts funder–thinks and operates, rather than entering the field with only my own biases and assumptions. Because of the necessity of grants in non-profit arts organizations as well as their core relevance at a grantmaking agency, I decided to focus on grant writing as my independent learning goal during my capstone semester.

Grants are the actual sums of money that are transferred to an organization in order to fund a project or initiative. The sum of money can range from a couple hundred dollars to many thousands. This project or initiative is detailed in a written grant proposal or grant application, which may also be referred to as a “grant.” Grants are funded by government agencies, corporations, and philanthropic foundations. Each funder will have their own individual goals and prerogatives in regard to their funding, and as such will place certain stipulations on what types of projects or organizations they will fund and even what the money can or should be used for. For instance, the Arts Commission typically funds non-profit organizations and government entities who demonstrate a community purpose in their work. Despite these stipulations or “strings” attached to the money, grants are a great way for organizations, especially non-profits, to raise the necessary money to operate and to complete particular projects and initiatives. If you are part of a group or organization that is in need of additional funding and you have a worthwhile cause, project, or goal that you are able to articulate in writing, you should learn how to write a grant.

Aside from the financial benefit associated with receiving a grant, there are additional perks to pursuing grants that should be considered. Most grantmakers have some level of power and status due to their wealth, their legacy, or their connections. When you receive a grant from an organization, you receive the support and legitimacy of that agency. In some cases, you may receive access to the organization’s networks or additional support resources which are often wider than your own and may in turn lead to opportunities for additional funding. In most cases, you also become publicly linked to the granting agency through the grant agreement, as the recipient organization is often required to publicize the grantmaker’s support. By publicly claiming a connection to a large or well-established grantmaker, the recipient gains additional recognition and legitimacy.

The benefits of grants are available to anyone who is willing to carefully follow the grantmaker’s guidelines. Anyone who is purpose-driven and wants to bolster support for their organization should begin pursuing relevant grants, as the practice in writing them will allow them to hone their skills in this area and eventually gain access to both the financial benefits of grant writing as well as the additional benefits discussed above. The skills involved in grantwriting–the writing itself, clearly articulating a mission and purpose, identifying and following evaluation criteria–as well as those associated with managing grants are all skills that benefit individuals working in non-profit organizations. Thus, grant writing is a beneficial opportunity for the individual as well as the organization.