Building a high-performing grants team: Roles, processes, and systems that work
Ever feel like grant writing is less of a process and more of a fire drill? You’re not alone. But here’s the truth: grant writing isn’t just a skill— it’s a strategy. And like any strategy, it needs structure, rhythm, and a team that works with you, not against the clock.
Without a solid grant writing team structure, even the smartest, most well connected NGO or nonprofit staff can find themselves stuck in a cycle of stress, scrambling, and burnout. If that feels familiar, you’re not alone.
In a recent episode of The Modern Nonprofit Podcast with Tosha Anderson, I broke down the six essential roles every organization should have covered in its grants team. Whether you’re writing your first proposal or juggling a complex portfolio of funders, the way your team is organized can make or break your success.
Why grants teams burn out
Let’s be honest: chaos is not a fundraising strategy.
High turnover, last-minute deadlines, and missed opportunities are usually symptoms of a deeper issue: a team that’s unclear on roles, responsibilities, or systems. As I shared on the podcast:
“If you’re regularly finding out about a funding opportunity the day before it’s due, your team’s not functioning effectively.”
Too many nonprofits treat grant writing like a last-minute group project in college— someone’s doing all the work, someone’s ghosting the group chat, and the deadline is... tomorrow.
That leads to burnout, inefficiencies, and a whole lot of stress. When grant research and execution are relegated to the background until urgency strikes, it undermines the full potential of what a thoughtful, prepared team can accomplish.
Instead, let’s make it a well-oiled machine.
The 6 essential roles of a grant writing team
A healthy grant team isn’t about headcount— it’s about function. The following six roles form the backbone of an effective grant team:
Project Management
Keeps the grantwriting tasks, timelines, and team members aligned.
Maintains internal trackers, schedules meetings, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Research
Proactively conducts grant proposal research to find relevant opportunities. And then dives deeper to check if each opportunity that turned up in the grant proposal research is truly a great fit.
Advancement
Builds and nurtures funder relationships over time.
Serves as the outward face of the team and establishes credibility with funders.
Program Liaison
Connects with the program staff to ensure grant proposals reflect the reality of what’s needed, feasible and impactful.
Writing
Crafts clear, compelling proposals.
Customizes messaging to match funder priorities and guidelines.
Finance
Creates each proposal budget to reflect organizational costs and program goals and align with the funder’s budget template and any budget requirements.
No matter your team size, these roles are the foundation of a grant process that feels calm, clear, and collaborative. Even if you’re working with a lean crew, you can cover them with creativity and intention.
(Some organizations decide to outsource a lot of this via an external grantwriter, but for most organizations I don’t recommend this. And even if you do, roles like program liaison really need to stay in house no matter what.)
Role clustering: A practical solution for small teams
Most nonprofits won’t have six full-time staff dedicated to grants—and that’s perfectly okay. The key is thoughtful clustering. Match roles to people’s strengths:
A detail-oriented operations manager might handle project management and finance.
A relationship-driven Executive Director could lead advancement and act as the program liaison.
A well-trained intern could do the research
And a board member could even lead writing.
Start by listing the six roles and who currently covers them. Not sure who covers what? Try walking through your last submission and noting who did what— and what got dropped.
Then evaluate whether those assignments are feasible and effective. Be realistic about what’s possible within your team structure, and don’t underestimate the value of volunteers, board members, or interns.
👉🏾 Grab the downloadable template to set up your team, in my masterclass here (it's free!)
Team systems: The secret ingredient
Even the clearest team structure won’t succeed without team systems to support it. In the podcast, we talked a lot about this "secret sauce."
Effective team systems should include:
A central tracker for deadlines, responsibilities, and funder status.
A grant boilerplate: one up-to-date document housing your core organizational info and frequently used proposal content. (Without this, you end up with "Frankenstein" proposals: cutting and pasting old proposals from scattered emails, which leads you to extra work, inconsistent messaging and an inability to respond quickly to opportunities.)
A shared calendar or routine timeline (e.g., "First week of the month = proposal research").
Collaboration tools that nudge follow-ups and ensure accountability (listen to the podcast to get my specific technology recommendations for this).
Beyond these, a successful team should also implement regular check-ins. These could be weekly or biweekly meetings specifically focused on the grant process. Use these sessions to review deadlines, assess progress, brainstorm around funder relationships, and conduct quick internal audits on your systems and submissions.
As we say on the podcast: “Systems are what turn chaos into clarity”. Grant writing is a process. Make it a repeatable one.
Measuring success: Trust me, you’ll feel it
You’ll know your grant process is working when:
You feel more rhythm, less chaos.
Grant deadlines are internal and ahead of funder deadlines.
Fewer fire drills.
Team members have greater satisfaction, clarity, and ownership.
Things keep flowing smoothly whenever someone transitions off the team.
Plus, as Tosha noted in the episode, improved internal communication reduces cross-department frustration. Finance and fundraising operate in sync, not at odds.
Common mistakes to avoid
Expecting One Person to Do Everything: This leads to burnout and subpar outcomes.
No Follow-Up Systems: The result of this is missed opportunities, unanswered emails, and lost connections.
Not Clarifying Roles: When it’s unclear who owns what, things fall through the cracks.
Underinvesting in Grant Proposal Research: You can’t submit strategic proposals without first identifying opportunities and making sure they are the right opportunities.
Failure to Debrief Post-Submission: Take time to evaluate each submission. Did the process work? What can be improved? This reflection can refine future workflows and build team capacity.
Making the shift
Even tiny tweaks can lead to big shifts in ease and outcomes. Let’s get you out of crisis mode and into clarity. Start by:
Mapping the six roles and who currently fills them (👉🏾 Grab the downloadable template to set up your team, in my masterclass here (it's free!)
Identifying strengths and skill gaps.
Introducing team systems that make your grant process smoother.
Even if you only have one grant staffer today, you can build a collaborative approach by involving others in part-time, volunteer, or advisory capacities.
Consider formalizing internal grant debriefs, keeping a research tracker, and creating a shared drive or workspace where all grant materials are stored. These are small actions with big returns in efficiency and clarity.
Listen to the full conversation
Want even more tools and insights? I dive into all of this and more on The Modern Nonprofit Podcast with Tosha Anderson of The Charity CFO.
🎧 Listen to the episode here.
Ready to rethink your grant strategy?
Want your grant process to feel less like a scramble and more like a smooth, steady flow? Let’s build a grant strategy that actually works—for your team, your goals, and your reality.
Whether you're navigating your first proposal or leading a growing development team, clarity and structure make all the difference and I’d love to help.
Bonus: Need financial clarity, too?
A high-functioning grant team is one piece of the puzzle. If you're also looking to:
Align budgets with funder expectations
Build reserves
Simplify financial systems
I highly recommend connecting with our friends at The Charity CFO. Their team helps nonprofits scale their finances—without the overwhelm. You can reach out for a free consultation. 📬
To stay up-to-date with our fundraising & grant writing tips and tools follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter.
