Winning the Grant Panel Discussion Recap

Written by Andrew Dauphinee
Published on October 1, 2021

Thank you to the five panelists, listed below, for participating in our Winning the Grant : A Panel Discussion with Grant Recipients program.

Panelists

During the panel discussion, representatives from NJ nonprofit organization shared first-hand experience applying for and managing grants.

Dr. Georgia Arvanitis – Vice President, Director of Grants, EASEL Animal Rescue
Beth Miller – Development Specialist, Special Strides
Dr. Steven Lederman & Bonnie Goldman – Co-Presidents, Bordentown Historical Society
Natalie Tung – Co-Founder & Executive Director, Homeworks Trenton

Some key insights shared during the panel discussion include:

Applying for grants can be a time consuming process and usually involves a team effort to accomplish.
A nonprofit should focus on funding opportunities where their mission strongly matches the funder’s giving priorities and where they have the capacity to successfully apply.
A nonprofit’s board and community network can help find grant opportunities and build connections with funders.
Nonprofits can find funding opportunities in eNewsletters, electronic databases like the Foundation Directory Online, and annual reports of other nonprofits doing similar work.
If your grant application is not accepted, contact the funder to get feedback whenever possible.
Managing grants requires good organization to keep track of data and financials in order to meet with the funder’s reporting requirements.
Grants are not a nonprofit’s only revenue stream. Others sources of funding include individual donations, event fundraising, and in-kind gifts.

For more information, visit our Funding Information Center webpage.