Frequently Asked Questions

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, homeless, 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 and site visit so we can see your program, meet staff, and collect all the documents we need to get started. 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 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. Before we offer a consultation, we will send a checklist with typical documents we require.

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. RIC can help you get grant-ready but it does require an investment. Contact us to talk more about your current capacity and needs. We also 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). Four are national networks and two are state coalitions. Their budgets range from $250,000 annually all the way up to $24M. 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?

We don’t track this, but anecdotally we can say that there’s a 0-25% chance of getting a cold grant where there is no relationship and the odds increase from there based on the type and nature of the relationship of the organization to the funder. Our role in success is to guide clients towards the best matches, consult on relationship-building, and of course to write the best proposal possible that is both compelling and meets the funder’s guidelines.

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.

What's the success rate among the different service packages?

We don’t track this. Our most popular package by far is 24 grants/year and we also frequently write “one-offs” for large grants, with a handful of clients that prefer hourly billing.

If we work with you, are we guaranteed to receive grant funds?

RIC – and frankly any grant writing firm – cannot guarantee successful outcomes. The decision to award funding is entirely at the funder’s discretion and cannot be guaranteed by RIC. Success is also contingent on the client’s implementation of best practices, board engagement, and other myriad factors beyond RIC’s scope of work. Our value comes from helping position your organization in the best possible light to maximize the chances of grant funding. We provide coaching and consulting to help steer clients in the best direction to improve their chances of getting funding, and we take grant research and writing off of our clients’ plates so they can focus on their important work.