Tracking and Following Up

Consistency Wins Funding

Grant writing is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing process of research, writing, submitting, following up, and building relationships. Organizations that treat it as a system win more funding than those who treat each proposal as an isolated project.

By the end of this lesson, you will have a grant management system that tracks every application, deadline, and relationship so nothing falls through the cracks.

Quick Recall: In the previous lesson, we mastered persuasive narrative writing using the claim-evidence-connection framework and systematic revision. Now let us build the system that keeps your grant pipeline flowing.

The Grant Tracking Dashboard

At minimum, track these fields for every grant opportunity:

Tools for tracking:

• Spreadsheet (Google Sheets, Excel): Simple and effective
• Project management tool (Asana, Trello): Better for team workflows
• Dedicated grant management software (Submittable, Fluxx): Best for organizations with 10+ active grants

For most organizations, a well-organized spreadsheet is sufficient.

The Grant Calendar

Map all deadlines visually. A calendar view prevents the most common grant management failure: missing a deadline.

Monthly calendar items:

JANUARY
- Jan 15: Foundation A Letter of Intent due
- Jan 20: Start writing Foundation B proposal (due Mar 1)
- Jan 31: Government Agency C quarterly report due

FEBRUARY
- Feb 1: Foundation D application opens
- Feb 15: Foundation A full proposal due (if LOI accepted)
- Feb 28: Review upcoming Q2 deadlines, assign writers

Build your calendar 6-12 months ahead. Most recurring grants have predictable cycles. Federal grants often have annual deadlines.

Quick Check: What are three fields every grant tracking system should include beyond funder name and deadline?

Managing the Writing Pipeline

When pursuing multiple grants simultaneously, stagger your writing workload:

The pipeline approach:

Never submit on the deadline day. Technical issues, portal problems, and last-minute edits all require buffer time. Submit at least 48 hours before the deadline.

Following Up After Submission

Your work does not end when you click submit.

After submitting:

1. Save a complete copy of the submitted proposal and all attachments
2. Note the expected decision timeline
3. Add reporting deadlines to your calendar (if awarded)
4. Send a brief thank-you email to the program officer if appropriate

If awarded:

• Respond promptly with any required acceptance documents
• Set up internal tracking for grant requirements and reporting
• Schedule check-ins with your team on deliverables
• Note the first reporting deadline and start tracking outcomes immediately

If declined:

• Request reviewer feedback (most funders provide this on request)
• Analyze the feedback objectively
• Determine: was this a fit issue or a quality issue?
• Decide whether to resubmit in the next cycle with improvements
• Save the proposal for reuse in future applications

Quick Check: What should you do immediately after a grant application is declined, and why?

Reusing Proposal Content

One of the biggest time-savers in grant writing is maintaining a library of reusable content.

Build your proposal library:

AI can help maintain your library:

I need to update our organizational boilerplate for grant proposals.

Current version: [PASTE EXISTING TEXT]

Update with:
- New programs launched this year: [LIST]
- Updated outcome data: [NEW NUMBERS]
- New partnerships: [LIST]
- Awards or recognition received: [LIST]

Keep the same professional tone. Under 300 words.

Building Funder Relationships

Grant writing is relationship work. Program officers are people with preferences and priorities.

Relationship-building actions:

• Attend funder webinars and info sessions
• Introduce yourself at conferences
• Share relevant news or research with program officers (briefly, not pushy)
• Acknowledge their support publicly in reports and materials
• Invite them to see your programs in action

After being funded:

• Submit reports on time, every time
• Share success stories and outcomes proactively
• Communicate challenges early and honestly
• Thank them genuinely and specifically

The best path to future funding is being an excellent current grantee.

Try It Yourself

Set up your grant management system:

1. Create a tracking spreadsheet with the fields listed above
2. Enter 3-5 potential funders from your research in Lesson 2
3. Map their deadlines on a calendar
4. Start building your proposal library with your organizational background
5. Draft a follow-up email template for post-submission communication

Key Takeaways

• A grant tracking system prevents missed deadlines, forgotten requirements, and lost opportunities
• Stagger your writing pipeline so no two major proposals overlap in the intensive writing phase
• Submit at least 48 hours before deadlines to allow for technical issues and last-minute revisions
• When declined, request feedback and use it to strengthen future proposals
• Build a reusable proposal library to save time on common sections across applications

Up Next

In Lesson 8: Capstone: Write Your First Proposal, we will assemble everything into a complete grant proposal from research to submission-ready.