Spring Grant Strategy Refresh: How to Make the Most of Mid-Year Momentum

May is often a month of transition. Spring programming is winding down, schools are wrapping up, and summer events are just around the corner. For nonprofit professionals, it’s a moment to catch your breath—and the perfect time to take stock of your grant writing strategy. A mid-year refresh can help you maximize the rest of the year and set your organization up for long-term funding success.

Here are three key ways to use May as a springboard for stronger grant outcomes:

1. Revisit Your 2025 Grant Goals

Back in January, you may have set goals for how many grants to submit, how much funding to pursue, or which new funders to target. Now’s the time to reflect on how those plans are tracking.

Ask yourself:

• How many grants have we submitted so far?

• What has been awarded, declined, or is still pending?

• Which proposals felt strong—and which ones were a struggle?

• Are we staying focused on the funders most aligned with our mission?

This kind of audit not only helps you stay accountable—it can reveal trends about your internal grant process, writing quality, and funder alignment that will strengthen your future proposals.

Action Step: Create a simple table or use our customizable Grant Tracker Tool Kit to compare applications submitted versus awards received, including reasons for success or rejection when available.

2. Update and Strengthen Your Boilerplate Content

Your “boilerplate” materials—such as your mission statement, program descriptions, budget narratives, and organizational history—form the backbone of every proposal you submit. But as your nonprofit evolves, these materials should, too.

Has your programming expanded since January? Have staff roles changed? Has your community impact grown? If so, now’s the time to reflect those updates in your standard language so you’re always submitting timely and accurate proposals.

Action Step: Set aside one day this month to review and refresh these core documents. You’ll thank yourself later when deadlines come fast and furious in the fall. Need help? Our Boilerplate Language Tool Kit provides step-by-step guidance and templates to build clear, compelling content you can reuse across proposals.

3. Strengthen Your Internal Grant Writing Workflow

Many nonprofits struggle with last-minute writing, unclear approval processes, and communication delays. If you’ve had any rushed submissions or missed deadlines this year, use May to fix the root causes. Start by mapping out your internal process: Who collects data? Who reviews drafts? How far in advance do you start applications?

Action Step: Hold a 30-minute internal meeting to clarify who owns each step of the grant process. Create a shared folder with updated documents, funder calendars, and reporting deadlines.

Final Thoughts

May is more than a transitional month—it’s a powerful checkpoint. With a mid-year refresh, you can recommit to your goals, polish your materials, and strengthen your systems. By doing so, your organization will be in a stronger position to win more funding and build greater impact in the months ahead.

Looking for support to help you realign your grant strategy? At Greenhouse Grant Writing LLC, we offer grant calendar development, document audits, and digital toolkits to help nonprofits stay focused and ready all year long.