Your organization just got a grant. Here’s what to do next.

At the DAV Charitable Service Trust, we never tire of hearing about how our grants have positively affected the worthwhile missions we support. Veterans and their families benefit from the life-changing work these nonprofits do, and we’re honored to help where we can.

The Trust exists to support veteran-focused nonprofits as they navigate the delicate balance between providing services that veterans rely on and the necessity to raise funds.

Grants like ours can be an important part of another organization's financial strength and, knowing services will continue to be delivered, allows staff to remain focused on serving veterans.

The Trust does ask our grant recipients to follow a few important requirements and guidelines. Our donors’ continued support and generosity are built on a foundation of trust we’ve worked hard to earn. They are the ones who allowed us to award $9.8 million in grants last year. We want the Trust to continue to be a leading source of funding that helps as many veterans as possible.

First, when organizations submit a grant application through the Trust’s online portal, they’re required to provide specific information on how they plan to use the funds. More detail is always better, but we primarily want to know how veterans get into the program, how the money will be used, and how the program is conducted.

If awarded, our grant recipients have one year to use provided funds, and we ask for an accountability report every six months. This is a digital questionnaire that breaks down how much grant money remains, what activities were accomplished, how those activities have helped the organization toward reaching its goal, and how many veterans were served.

The last question is optional, but a favorite of the Trust team: What are some success stories that have come from the grant?

We ask because we want to celebrate our grantees’ accomplishments! We want to hear stories and see photos of lives affected because of the work being done in service to veterans and their families. These stories get shared with our donors and help strengthen the nonprofit community that helps veterans and their families.

Getting this accountability report to the Trust in a timely fashion is an important step to remain eligible to apply for future grants.

Other guidelines we ask nonprofits to follow include not re-granting, misreporting or reappropriating any funds received from the Trust. Also, recipients should let us know of any major staff changes, especially primary points of contact, during an award period.

We want to be able to stay in communication with grant recipients, and the Trust team is always available at cst@dav.org or at 877-426-2838, Option 2 to answer questions or concerns. 

Veteran-focused organizations looking for grants can apply during the Trust’s next monthlong application cycle, which opens July 3 and closes July 31 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Visit charitableservicetrust.org for more information.

For tips on writing a strong application, check out this article on the four mistakes to avoid when applying for a grant.

We’re looking forward to seeing as many applications as possible and hearing more incredible stories of the work being done by our grant recipients to improve the lives of veterans and their families.