Frequently Asked Questions
- Get Grant Ready
FAQ
Do you have any grant-writing specialties?
We write grants for foundations and government funding, and sometimes for corporate foundations. We are driven by our values, which are progressive and social justice-oriented. We specialize in areas related to health and human services. This includes victim services, mental health, homelessness, substance use disorders, criminal justice, disabilities, and youth services. RIC’s clients and experience are pretty diverse, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you want to talk further about your organization and your needs.
How do you typically work?
We start with an initial meeting so we can provide an overview of our standard process, meet key staff, and collect all the documents we need to get started. Our scope of work depends on your contract. Please see our Grant Services page for more information.
We prioritize regular communication throughout the contract period. In general, we recommend having regular calls or meetings (we have found weekly calls and monthly or quarterly meetings most useful). We are generally very flexible to accommodate clients’ needs, preferences, and capacity. Please contact us to talk more about your organization’s needs.
Who do you work with?
We work with nonprofits and we can also serve some government offices, such as Victim Witness Assistance Programs, Community Service Boards, and health departments.
To ensure our work together has the most impact, we look at both the current infrastructure and capacity your organization has to reach the goals identified for our contract. If you are seeking grant consulting services, please be aware that we require clients to have at least two years of operating experience and supporting data, an audit, an operating budget, and an engaged board of directors.
We do not provide grant services to for-profits/businesses, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, or incarceration facilities.
I’m starting a nonprofit. Can you help?
No, but we commend you. Starting a nonprofit is lots of hard work. Fortunately, there are many free resources available through some fantastic organizations whose mission is to help create and sustain effective nonprofits. For several resources in one place, go to the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta’s website and scroll down to “Learn More.”
I just started a nonprofit. Can you help us get a grant?
No. We generally recommend that nonprofits wait until they have an audit and at least two years of operating experience and measurable outcomes before applying for a grant. Applying for and managing grant funds requires capacity and established infrastructure, so it’s usually an intermediate step in a nonprofit’s growth. You can work with a consultant to get grant-ready but it does require an investment. We recommend Catapult Connections, which offers a fantastic coaching package to help nonprofits get grant-ready.
What do you charge?
Our fees are listed under Services and we can also offer custom packages. Please contact us for a free 30-minute consultation for more information.
What kinds of clients do you work with?
Our clients work in health and human services, capacity building, and systems change (policy, advocacy, voter mobilization). Some are national networks and some are state coalitions. Their budgets range from $250,000 annually all the way up to $24M. We are most successful with clients that have operating budgets of $500,000 or more.
We are most successful with clients who have active boards that engage in making introductions to funders. EDs and Development Directors who are active and enthusiastic about contacting funders (and being persistent) are also more successful.
What's the average grant success for your clients?
Does the amount raised to date come from a few larger grants?
Yes and no. There are outliers on either side. Our clients received 145 awards in 2022 totaling $30,209,873, ranging from $500 to $9.75M. The median award was $25,000 and the average award was $208,344.