The key to creating a successful grants management plan is making the best possible use of funds to set a program up for long-term success. Research is extremely important during this stage—and there are a few key things to remember:
- Grant funding isn’t immediate.
- Make explicit note of deadlines and timelines, because coordinating an application is typically more work than anticipated.
- There are more funding opportunities beyond federal education grants.
When developing a grants management plan for a program, we strongly encourage:
- Being proactive and planning to build sustainability can help ensure future success for an after-school program
- Thinking about grant lifecycles can help prepare for the inevitability of funding “running out”
- Utilizing performance data optimizes an after-school program and can illuminate a path for continuous improvements over time
It’s essential to think about how the program will operate when a grant ends. Well organized management teams with a proactive approach and diverse sources of funding that are secured well in advance of shortages have a much better chance of keeping the lights on when their grant comes to an end.
For additional steps to creating a successful grants management plan for your after-school program read our ebook which includes a bonus “Grant Management Checklist.”
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AfterSchool21 is a flexible, easy-to-use online program management software solution. It is used by state departments of education and programs across the country to support clean, accurate data for their Annual Performance Reports, year-over-year reporting for their donors and grants, as well as fee management for their parent-pay features.
Schedule a demo to see why AfterSchool21 is the best choice to support your grants management plan for your after-school program.