How Data Helps Secure Grant Funding

How to win more grant funding:
Showing impact, and improving case management client outcomes through data management

Acquiring grant funding is challenging. Not only are the funds limited, the competition is stiff. That’s why nonprofit organizations must find ways to demonstrate their proof of positive impact.

If your nonprofit has one central case management solution that can store, manage, and present client data, you’re set up to quickly and efficiently create compelling grant proposals. You’re already doing the work, and a system like CaseWorthy supports your team every step of the way.

Data-driven grant proposals, made easy

When it’s time to apply for a grant, nonprofits face a major challenge: how do you distill countless client stories into the data that grantors expect?

Your grant proposals are more likely to secure funding when you capture the right data at the right time, and use that data to show off the incredible work you’re doing. After all, the best proof of impact lies in showcasing genuine client success. A case management software streamlines the data collection and reporting process, so grantors can easily see just how effective your organization really is. 

With CaseWorthy, nonprofits can track a client’s progress in a tangible, measurable way from day one—and later access that data to tell genuine client stories that resonate with grantors.

Capturing Demographic and Background Information

Let’s take a look at a hypothetical example. We work with dozens of nonprofits just like Organization A, and we’ve seen firsthand how a case management platform can improve client outcomes and demonstrate proof of impact to funders.

Sally is a young woman with a five-year-old son who just left her abusive relationship and sought out Organization A for support. When her case manager, Pam, performs a client intake. At this stage, Pam’s primary goal is to learn more about Sally so she can later coordinate services.  During a client intake, Pam will document multiple characteristics about Sally and her case, including: 

• Racial or ethnic background
• Age
• Education level
• Employment status
• Socioeconomic status
• Current health conditions, including substance use disorders
• Family, social, and community support system characteristics
• Number of dependents 
• Housing status

With CaseWorthy, Pam inputs Sally’s information into one centralized hub. That way, Pam can easily and securely reference Sally’s case information, log notes and updates, identify and set goals, and liaise with partner providers. 

Analyzing Program Information and Coordinating Care

As Pam and Sally work together to define a multi-service plan and set goals, Pam can reference Sally’s data and program data side-by-side – accessing the program intent, benchmarks, and objectives in detail. 

Within Organization A’s case management platform, Pam is able to evaluate what she should expect to see from Sally as she works through her program, including rough estimates on the cost of services. Pam enrolls Sally in Organization A’s program so she can coordinate care and track her progress.

Tracking Client Progression

When it’s time to show proof of impact, a data administrator can quickly pull reports that compare Pam’s anticipated outcomes for Sally’s care plan, to real-life results over time. 

Grantors want to see how clients like Sally progress through case management programs, representing a return on the grantors’ investment in your agency. When it’s time to reflect back on stories like Sally’s, since Pam input all the data into one centralized platform, compiling reports is a breeze. 

Data administrators using CaseWorthy quickly compile budgetary data, program attendance, and overall client success rates. On a macro level, individual reports can be summarized to analyze broader patterns of impact and need.

For example, nonprofit leadership can use reports to identify opportunities for investment or growth to better serve their target audiences, including the assessment of: 

• Scope of services — What does a typical client journey look like, and what services are most frequently needed?
• Demographic data — Is the nonprofit equitably targeting in-need clients? Are the majority of the clients English speaking, or are translation services required? 
• Program efficacy — What programs of care have been the most successful? Are certain areas of the program, or specific partner agencies, correlated with better outcomes? 

Grant proposals that intertwine the macro view, as well as individual case outcomes, are often more competitive. Individual case stories are also essential to garnering philanthropic support for nonprofit organizations. Donors want to hear stories about people, not statistics.