4 Strategies Proven to Win Patagonia Environmental Grants
Patagonia Grants are very popular, highly competitive and given across many causes. With so many groups applying for this round of awards, how will your application stand out?
In this article you’ll learn about 4 of our favorite winning strategies that helped environmental nonprofits win this highly sought-after award.
Hear from Great Whale Conservancy’s Executive Director, Michael Fishbach and Dup Crosson, Development Associate at California Wilderness Coalition (CalWild) who both won Patagonia grants in 2015. Use their winning strategies in your application process and increase your chances of success!
1. Illustrate a Passionate, Yet Clear and Concise Story
For most people, talking about their cause comes as natural as breathing, but you’ll gain a significant edge above the competition if you can do so in a clear and concise way.
The best thing you can do to increase your chances of winning is to have an application that is concise, clear and logical. Reviewers are auditing a lot of applications, so if your application isn’t straightforward and easy to digest, there’s a good chance they’ll miss the most important aspects. This phenomenon is called “reviewer’s fatigue” and it’s been well-documented in peer-reviewed articles (pun intended).
Be concise, but of course don’t forget what got you started on this project in the first place. After all, funders are keen to support those who are passionate about what they do.
PRO-TIP: Making a detailed outline before you begin writing is a good way to make sure your ideas come across in a clear and logical order.
2. Localize Your Cause
Can you identify an issue within your core cause that’s local to Patagonia? Having an issue that can be directly seen and felt by grant-makers can help set your application apart from the rest.
Michael Fishbach and his team at the Great Whale Conservancy attributes winning a Patagonia Environmental Grant in part to having submitted an application that responded to a local issue.
Michael: “We’re dealing with blue whales [and ship strikes] and it’s an issue in the Santa Barbara Channel right outside of Ventura. Patagonia’s based in Ventura so that expedited the opportunity.”
3. Clearly Present Your Costs
If you win $2,500 — $15,000 USD how are you going to spend every dollar? Do you have a plan? CalWild took the strategy of working backwards to determine their budget.
Dup: “We used the amounts we had received in the past to determine both an ideal [dollar] goal and a realistic anticipated amount. We then used that to parse out expenses for the campaigns in question.”
Both Dup and Michael emphasized the importance of making sure that as much of the funds as possible go to the project itself.
Michael: “Streamline a very significant percentage of your funds into the effort itself.”
Dup: “Like most grantors, [Patagonia prefers] direct tie-ins to the work, so we emphasized travel and campaign expenses over say, administrative or development costs.”
4. Leverage Previous Results
Dup used the results CalWild produced previously to effectively convey their expertise and passion.
Dup: “Passion is important, but it should be balanced and complemented by showing the results of your previous actions… we highlighted our successes and conveyed urgency to demonstrate our passion.”
Properly conveying your results means citing your previous work. Quantify your results, if you can, and have a plan for how you’ll continue to measure your results after you’re awarded.
Keep these tips, tricks, and strategies in mind while you prepare your application because as Michael says, the Patagonia program is “no secret in the NGO world.”
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