By Lisa Cirincione, Joining Vision and Action (JVA)

In the aftermath of Election 2016, I am looking for reasons to be hopeful.

election 2016

Image via Wokandapix on Pixabay.

I see that hope when I look at my clients and stand in amazement at their unyielding commitment to keep working toward a better future for those they serve.

As an un-consultant with Joining Vision and Action, I have the privilege of collaborating with change makers who use grants as a vehicle to do their important work, e.g., promote community-driven decision making, create healthier communities, ensure that the most disadvantaged youth have access to higher education, promoting the dignity of those who are homeless by offering services, delivering excellent K–12 education, treating those who have substance use disorders, helping teens avoid pregnancy, making sure that those who want to learn a new career have access to workforce development and serving as role models to at-risk youth.

In my work, I understand that winning grants is a great honor and also a tremendous responsibility.

For those fortunate to receive them, let’s never lose sight of the fact that we owe nothing but our absolute best to ensure that those financial resources are put to their best use. That means that we must do the work of staying on top of the research about what interventions are most effective at achieving our desired outcomes.

We must also remain open minded and willing to change our work when the research shows that there are better ways to do it.

We also have to do the work of strategic thinking to make sure that our grant proposal is aligned with what the funder will support. It does you no good to invest time in developing a grant application with the hope that you can change a funder’s mind about what they are willing to fund, e.g., serving a different target population than the one the funder is interested in, selecting a problem so big (or so small) that your work will not make a impact worthy of the investment.

If it seems like your proposal is beyond the imagination of what the grant will support, it is. Choose your time on an endeavor that will be more profitable instead.

Change can be difficult and as many of us brace for the changes that Election 2016 will bring, know that we at JVA stand with you and will remain your advocate and champion. And, hopefully, we will help you raise grant dollars along the way.