Grants with Grit

By Kate Caldecott

A recently identified personality trait is getting a lot of attention. In trying to discover who becomes successful and why, psychology professor, Angel Duckworth, identified grit as a key predictor of success (Duckworth, 2007). She defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance. According to Duckworth:

“The gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina. Whereas disappointment or boredom signals to others that it is time to change trajectory and cut losses, the gritty individual stays the course.”

Grit in Grantmaking

We can and should apply the same principles to grantmaking. If we are to truly have an impact on the big problems, we need to remember that we’re in a marathon and not a sprint. We need to develop stamina for pursuing ambitious goals, and we need to help foster grit in the not-for-profit organisations which provide services with our funds. How can you develop grit in your grantmaking?

• Grants with grit target big, long-term goals
  

Grants with grit aren’t afraid of taking on the big problems. Are we really going to be able to end homelessness? Can we ever close the achievement gap? Not if we don’t try. Grit means we take on the big issues and persistently chip away at the problem.
  
  
• Grants with grit are risk-tolerant


  Developing grit means weathering, and learning from failure. If we want to be innovative in tackling the big problems, we have to be willing to try new things rather than just doing what’s always been done. Spend time researching many possible approaches. Look for ones that have a strong evidence-base and try them in your community. 

If the results are less than expected, don’t give up, and don’t hide your results. Use your evaluation data to try to figure out why the grant didn’t perform as expected. Make adjustments and try again. Publish your findings so other grantmaking organisations can learn from your experience as well.
  
  
• Grants with grit combine intensity with stamina


  Intensity in grantmaking implies that we work closely with the not-for-profit organisations we fund. That could mean providing ongoing technical support throughout the grant cycle. It could mean hosting capacity-building sessions that may or may not be related to a particular grant. It could mean convening a network of like-minded organisations throughout the community regardless of whether we have a funding relationship with them or not. Working with intensity means we doing more than select projects, provide funds and acquit grants.

 Stamina means we stay the course. Multi-year grants are a one way to demonstrate that you’re committed to the long haul. Also consider engaging in a collective impact model. This is a good way for smaller funders to ensure that they’re having an impact on the big issues.

Grit in the Face of Change



Grit is also needed when it’s time for change, be it a change to your systems, to your programs or even to your mission. Big changes have to overcome inertia, and sometimes active resistance. Successfully implementing change means having the grit to:

• Communicate the change that is going to happen, as well as the benefits that change will bring, on a continuous basis.
  
  
• Manage expectations, objections and legitimate concerns with well-thought out plans and responses.
  
  
• Keep the implementation moving forward.

Fostering Grit in Not-For-Profit Organisations



Nowhere is grit more necessary than in the not-for-profit organisations that are working day to day to provide needed services. What can you do to support their stamina and help cultivate grit?

• Celebrate small wins


  Break down the big goal into manageable steps, with indicators you can measure and celebrate the wins.
  
  
• Share your attitude towards failure


  Not-for-profits feel a lot of pressure to perform. Let them know that you view failure as something to be learned from, rather than as something to be avoided at all costs.
  
  
• Support capacity building
  

Help the not-for-profits you work with grow their capacity. Obviously the gold-standard here would be multi-year, capacity building grants. However, that’s not the only way to support your partners. You can create databases of volunteers, and shared giving networks. You can host educational opportunities and you can assist your partners in telling their stories.

If you would like assistance assessing or improving the “grittiness” of your grant program, please contact me at Kate@katecaldecott.com.au or 0447 227 598.