Right-Sizing Your Grant Requests

Overview

How much you request—and from whom—shapes both your win rate and long-term stability. Use the guidelines below to size requests strategically and manage capacity.

1) Build credibility with stepwise requests

• Prior awards signal trust.

• Start with amounts aligned to your track record; increase requests as you demonstrate delivery and reporting success.

2) Diversify for resilience

• Aim for no more than 10–15% of your annual operating budget from any single funder.

• Up to 20% can be considered in specific cases (e.g., anchor partners), but assess dependency risks first.

3) Balance effort vs. impact

• Large grants: higher dollars, but heavier reporting and stewardship load.

• Smaller grants: lighter lift and faster cycles—effective for steady revenue once your process is streamlined.

4) Portfolio approach

• Mix anchor grants (larger, strategic) with nimble grants (smaller, low-effort).

• Map each pursuit to available staff time and required artifacts (budget, outcomes, reports) to avoid overload.

5) How we’ll support

• We’ll recommend request sizes based on your budget, history, and program scope.

• We’ll flag reporting requirements early and propose a balanced pipeline that fits your team’s capacity.