Within the public sector, it’s easy to fall into the trap of reactivity over proactivity. Public sector employees, stretched thin with competing priorities, find themselves stuck with outdated methods and tools that no longer meet the organization’s needs. It’s not that they’re doing a poor job; there’s simply not enough room to reevaluate those needs and create the right processes. In order to stop putting out fires and start reaching organizational goals, staff need clear direction and the right solutions.
In this article, let’s explore how strategic planning and leadership and using the right tools in key administrative functions can help important teams — like your organization’s grants office.
Leadership and Strategic Planning
The journey to strategic planning begins with leadership. It requires refining processes and strategies to outline an actionable path forward. While this may seem time-consuming initially, it ultimately leads to time savings and better outcomes for your entire organization.
A crucial aspect of this planning is ensuring public servants have access to the right resources to do their best work. Equipping them with the right tools is a step towards transforming the public sector into a proactive force.
How Can Euna Grants Help?
Federal funds provide a significant advantage to organizations trying to reach their strategic goals. However, traditional ways of accessing grants are usually cumbersome and time-consuming for your staff.
For local governments and nonprofit organizations, finding funding opportunities requires clicking through a wide variety of websites, some of which can be confusing to navigate and difficult to use. After that comes the labor-intensive, interdepartmental work of applying for multiple grants, then having to manually track and report on funds you’ve been awarded.
Using a grant management system, like Euna Grants, powered by eCivis, supports the entire grant lifecycle—from finding grant opportunities in a centralized database, submitting applications, managing grant progress, tracking results, all the way to subrecipient management.
How Euna Grants Helped Mariposa County Improve Grants Management and Secure $6.3 Million in Federal Funding
By using toolsl like Euna Grants, a government organization can reinvest their time towards innovation and process improvement.
Mariposa County’s grants team struggled due to their paper-based, manual processes, but using Euna Grants allowed them to shift from a reactive to a proactive stance. As a result, they secured $6.3 million dollars in federal government funding to enhance infrastructure and revitalize their community.
But it’s not just about securing a funding opportunity; it’s about strategically managing it to foster effective planning and improve service delivery to your community. By thoughtfully connecting strategic planning with the capabilities of Euna Grants, public sector employees can unlock the potential to be more strategic, innovative, and ultimately, more effective in serving the public.
How the City of Detroit Reduced Audit Findings by 88% and Won $202 Million with Euna Grants
Strategic planning and leadership aren’t just key to aligning financial resources with long-term goals—they’re also vital for strategic budgeting and effective use of grant funding. By pairing grant resources with strategic objectives, your organization can kickstart projects that might otherwise be unattainable.
For example, the City of Detroit used Euna Grants to streamline the way they manage grants, leading to a significant reduction in audit findings by 88%, three consecutive years of balanced budgets and operating surpluses, and an award of over $202 million in grants and donations.
This strategic approach helped Detroit pilot new programs and enhance community services, demonstrating the profound impact that thoughtful grant management can have on a community’s trajectory.
Take the Next Steps to Align Your Strategic Goals and Grant Funding
If you want to learn how to create and implement a strategic plan that aligns with your goals and resources, download our free playbook written in collaboration with Funkhouser & Associates.
This comprehensive guide will show you how strategic planning and Euna Grants can transform your public sector performance and build a solid foundation for future success.
Get your copy of “Strategic Planning in a Time of Change: The Plays” here.