Overcoming Imposter Syndrome…and Other Grant Afflictions
It’s more common than you think.
The idea that you are not experienced or savvy enough to succeed with top-tier funders seeps into most grant seekers’ heads at some point. I’ve heard it from junior-level staff, and I’ve heard it from CEOs of national organizations. I’ve had my own moments of doubt.
While you are not alone, it helps to examine why you feel the way you do—and take action. These are the barrier emotions I hear about most and steps to address them.
Fear
It’s understandable if you’re scared to do this work. The stakes are high. Your colleagues are counting on you.
Like any other fear, you need to do the thing that scares you.
Find people who have done this work before. Ask them to walk you through the steps to the largest grant they secured, or one on par with your next solicitation. Probe for detail about the parts that make you anxious. Your guide might take you down some familiar paths, or illuminate an angle that now seems less daunting.
If you don’t know anyone with relevant experience, join your local chapter of the Grant Professionals Association or the Association of Fundraising Professionals and find a formal or informal mentor.
Imposter Syndrome
Many grant seekers struggle with imposter syndrome. This is the feeling you get when your path is new to you and you feel like you have no map.
Those who confide in me about this state are accomplished professionals—often perfectionists—who doubt their ability to do the work. They excelled as junior-level grant seekers because that workload relied primarily on writing and organizational skills. They had relative control of their write-for-the-deadline routine.
Move into major grants, and the work suddenly relies on internal decision-makers and funder relationships—intangibles that grant seekers cannot easily control. Imposter syndrome grows into the cracks that emerge when the workday shifts toward the unpredictable.
Push to do things that are new and bold. Then break down the components of your goal and tick off your progress. You might take steps to convince your leadership it needs a visionary goal. Or track each “touch” with a program officer until that person thinks to contact you for advice in your nonprofit’s discipline.
Remind yourself that it was this step-by-step approach that landed you in a position to secure major grants in the first place.
If you are taking a group of colleagues and funders down a new path, trust in the idea that this $100,000 project you’re pitching is as novel as the $10,000 one you secured earlier in your career. We are all imposters when we push ourselves into new territory.
Passivity
If you thrive under routines, the transition from modest to major grants will feel jarring.
Major grants demand you become proactive. Bold. Maybe even aggressive. You have fewer hard deadlines (until a funder is ready to dance), so you must be self-driven. You might have to shake up your leadership so that it refines the plans and goals that will make your nonprofit competitive. You need to engage your colleagues and funders. The bigger the potential grant, the greater your role as choreographer.
You might need to advocate for your place in your leadership structure. You can slowly make known that you want occasional audiences with cross-disciplinary department heads so that others hear what’s needed for your nonprofit to compete.
Major grants is a team sport. I can’t think of any award that a client or I have secured without the involvement of many. The role you play will be one of quarterback, if not coach.
Overwhelm
Fear, imposter syndrome, and passivity are common reactions. When combined with the average workload of a major grant seeker, it’s no wonder that so many feel overwhelmed.
See where you can prioritize. Something’s got to give.
If your pipeline includes 30 “good” prospects, narrow that to 15 “great” ones. If one of your smaller funders requires complex reports or makes a ruckus over minor issues, talk to your leadership about the opportunity cost of keeping that funder over others. The decision stands to pay off in time, stress, and grant revenue.
When your bandwidth is stretched, stick with the funders most excited about your nonprofit’s direction—and most willing to help you get there with a flexible process, introductions, or actions worthy of a true partner.
As your portfolio grows, some smaller funders may want a disproportionate share of your time. Let them go.
This is hard work. Make the case for more staff when you see the potential payoff.
The larger the grants you seek, the more you need to know about fund development, planning, leadership, and organizational development. Take pride in the idea that you are gaining new areas of expertise.
You are a key player in your nonprofit’s quest to excel. Your queasiness is a sign that you are knocking against your own limits. Your unease is a sign that you are growing and learning. If you’re doing so for a cause you care about, let that propel you.