Post-award grant management: 5 Best practices for building stronger relationships with grantees

Grant management doesn’t end with the award of resources to grantees. In the post-award stage of the grant lifecycle, funders are typically busy reviewing grantee reports and ensuring documentation.

But post-award grant management isn’t just paperwork. It’s neither policing grantees nor enforcing rigid requirements.

Fundamentally, post-award grant management is a partnership—an authentic collaboration between funders and grantees to build a supportive relationship, use resources effectively and translate funds into quantitative and qualitative results.

Proper post-award grant administration can nurture a stronger bond and better understanding between funders and grantees. Here are some best practices you can implement to build stronger relationships with grantees after disbursing funds.

1. Improve communication and share decision-making

Intentional, clear and consistent communication post-award is an excellent way to boost funder-grantee relationships. Honest communication demonstrates funder reliability and respect and clarifies expectations to grantees. It has long been established that grantees with strong funder-grantee communication report higher satisfaction and more accurate reporting.

Open communication channels foster swift and collaborative solutions. It’s helpful to set up shared communication platforms and provide dedicated contact persons for grantees.

You can build mutual trust by involving grantees in reshaping strategies and making key implementation decisions. Shared decision-making empowers grantees and fosters a sense of joint ownership over the initiative.

Consider co-designing deliverables and success indicators with grantees. During reviews, invite grantees to suggest how to adapt.

2. Provide technical support to build capacity

Funds alone hardly guarantee impact; grantees need technical capacity to use funds effectively and achieve intended results. However, not all grantees have equal access to skills or experts; early-stage entities or grassroots organisations often lack capacity in areas such as financial management, communication, compliance and use of vital software.

Offering the necessary technical support is a critical post-award grant management best practice that helps grantees close these capacity gaps. Training and guiding grantee staff equips them with skills for successful scaling and replication.

Beyond that, it also demonstrates your commitment to their success and positions you as a partner in development. Strengthening their skill set can build trust and make them feel safe enough to share their challenges with you early.

3. Encourage flexibility and implement supportive oversight

Funding projects can face unforeseen challenges. Regulatory changes, shifting community needs and natural disasters necessitate adjustments to original plans. Grantees are also expected to provide funders with progress reports regularly.

After awarding grants, it’s important to allow room for adaptation; let grantees pivot and experiment without constant change requests. It’s essential to assume the responsibility of monitoring and evaluating progress as a funder. Leverage post-award grant management software, such as Good Grants, to track grantee progress.

This balances flexibility with accountability, identifies errors early and simplifies reporting requirements.

Blending flexibility and supportive oversight strengthens the funder-grantee relationship by reducing the power imbalance inherent in traditional grantmaking, as they are elements of trust-based philanthropy. It shifts the dynamic from transactional and controlling to relational, signalling grantees as co-creators of impact.

4. Applaud grantee accomplishments

Affirming the efforts of your grantees is an important activity to have on your post-award grant management checklist. It strengthens the grantees’ credibility and boosts motivation.

Grantee recognition builds stronger funder-grantee relationships by demonstrating your respect and appreciation for grantees. The support facilitates trust and loyalty, making them more likely to reapply for funding.

Some creative ways to celebrate grantee success are:

• Hosting impact recognition events
• Publishing success stories
• Social media spotlight
• Customised recognition packages

5. Actively monitor relationship health

Gauging the health of the funder-grantee relationship strengthens the relationship by thoroughly assessing and fortifying its current weaknesses. It helps spot warning signs of tensions and bottlenecks early, ideal for addressing issues before they escalate.

It shows genuine concern for the people doing the work, their experiences and their satisfaction with the partnership. This breeds psychological safety and reduces conflict.

Regular check-in conversations and periodic relationship health surveys will help you stay informed about the health of your partnership with grantees. Pay attention to their readiness to share challenges and ask for support, as well as the collaboration during project implementation.

Improved funder-grantee relationships are essential for greater impact and post-award grant management presents a valuable opportunity for funders to improve their bond with grantees. These post-award grant management best practices will foster a vibrant alliance between you and your grantees, driving a deeper collaboration and meaningful impact.