November 30^th is not only the last day of the month. It’s also the last day to apply for one of three capacity service grants. If your organization is ready to take an in-depth look at your board’s strength, your fundraising capacity or your nonprofit’s strategic course, then a 501 Council Grant may be the opportunity for you.

Grant recipients will not receive a check, but rather an opportunity to receive Greenlights consulting services (valued at $3,000 or more) in one of three areas: Board Excellence, Fundraising / Resource Development or Strategy & Planning.

But before sitting down to work on your application, your nonprofit should think about these key questions:

1. Most consulting projects involve 20-30 total hours of work by the nonprofit awardees’ staff. Can your organization make this commitment in 2012?
2. Even if your organization doesn’t apply for the Board Excellence grant, the support and buy-in from your board is crucial in this process. Will your Board of Directors supportive of this application and time commitment?
3. It’s important that applicants go into this process with reasonable and clear expectations about the outcome.  What outcomes does your organization expect to achieve from this grant and how will you measure the effectiveness?

You can fill out the application online, but be sure to write your answers in a separate document to save for your files. The application doesn’t allow you to save your work and return to it later. And be sure to upload the requested attachments. If you have any trouble uploading these you can email them directly to us.

And remember, grant applicants must be Greenlights members to apply. So, if your nonprofit has been thinking about becoming a member, this is a great reason to join.

These grants are made possible by the generosity of Greenlights’ 501 Council, a group of people who strengthen our local nonprofit sector through collaborative giving for greater impact. Annual membership dues are pooled into a capacity fund and distributed through capacity service grants, enabling nonprofits to benefit from Greenlights’ consulting services.

So, what are you waiting for? Apply today! If you have any questions, you can email me or my colleague, Kate Smallwood.