What's Next?
Sometimes the RFP will state the process and timeline from submission through declination or funding, but more often it won't, especially in the case of federal grants.
You can ask local funders about their grant-making cycles and will likely learn of the next trustee meeting and a deadline for notification of failure or success. Federal grantors don't like to be very specific because they want flexibility to respond to acts of Congress that may increase, deny, or reduce the funding allocation for the grant program.
Some grantmakers like to perform site visits, meeting with someone from the organization at some point after receiving your proposal. Be prepared to respond orally to questions related to the program you're proposing during a site visit.
But don't let the lack of response or the time it takes for the grantor to go through its decision-making cycle slow down your efforts. Above all, don't just sit and wait, especially if you have a large program. Since they often require that you find multiple funding sources, immediately begin to refine and reframe your grant proposal so you can submit it to other funders.
Once a major proposal is written, the work gets easier. That's because lots of sections (for instance, the need statement) can be reused again and again. That saves you a lot of time and effort when you are redeveloping a proposal and sending it to different funders.
