In other words, take your ideas which have been thoughtfully laid out in your proposal and make them tangible. Invite funders to observe your group in action. Encourage grantmakers to attend your next public event rally, performance, news conference, voter education workshop. On the other hand, the presence of funders will change the dynamic of the meeting and may dampen some people s desire to be fully honest or outspoken. Of course, every one of these strategies requires effort, advance planning, and persistence.
Good relationships take time.
If you invest the time up front, your odds of receiving grants months or years down the road will improve dramatically. Andy Robinson is a trainer and consultant in Tucson, Arizona.