For decades, grant funding has been treated as the lifeline of nonprofit sustainability.

MIDDLESEX, NJ / ACCESS Newswire / December 16, 2025 / Organizations are taught, often from day one, that survival depends on identifying the next opportunity, meeting the next deadline, and tailoring programs to fit funder priorities. On the surface, this approach appears logical. Grants bring money. Money fuels services. Services help communities.

But according to nonprofit strategist, funding leader, and teacher Leslie Wise, this deeply ingrained habit is quietly undermining the very communities nonprofits exist to serve.

"Grant chasing has become a treadmill," Leslie explains. "Nonprofits are running constantly, expending enormous energy, but rarely moving closer to long-term impact or stability."

Leslie is not anti-grant. Rather, she is challenging the way grants are pursued and the damage that occurs when funding replaces strategy instead of supporting it.

The Hidden Cost of Grant Chasing

Grant chasing, as Leslie defines it, is the reactive pursuit of funding opportunities without alignment to a clear mission-driven strategy. It often shows up as organizations reshaping programs to fit grant criteria, launching initiatives without infrastructure, or measuring success based on dollars raised instead of outcomes delivered.

At first, the approach can look successful. Grant wins feel validating. Teams feel productive. Boards feel reassured. But over time, the cracks begin to show.

Programs become fragmented. Staff burn out. Communities experience inconsistency. Services appear and disappear depending on funding cycles. Most critically, organizations lose their sense of direction.

"Communities don't need nonprofits that are constantly reinventing themselves to please funders," Leslie says. "They need organizations that are grounded, reliable, and accountable to the people they serve, not just to grant guidelines."

The irony, Leslie notes, is that grant chasing often leads to less funding over time. Funders increasingly look for organizations with strong governance, measurable impact, and financial sustainability. A reactive funding model weakens all three.

When Funding Becomes the Strategy

One of the most dangerous shifts Leslie observes is when funding becomes the strategy rather than a tool to support it.

In these cases, nonprofits ask, "What grants can we get?" instead of, "What problem are we uniquely positioned to solve?"

This reversal leads to mission drift, diluted impact, and organizations that struggle to articulate their value beyond grant reports. It also reinforces power imbalances, where funders, rather than communities, shape priorities.

Leslie is candid about the consequences.

"When nonprofits build themselves around grants instead of purpose, communities pay the price," she says. "Services become transactional. Relationships become conditional. Trust erodes."

A Smarter, Long-Term Alternative

Leslie advocates for a different model rooted in strategic funding leadership rather than opportunistic fundraising.

At the core of this approach is clarity. Clarity of mission, outcomes, audience, and long-term vision. Funding decisions are made after strategy is defined, not before.

Strategic funding leaders ask different questions:

• What impact are we committed to creating over the next five to ten years?

• What systems, staffing, and partnerships are required to sustain that impact?

• Which funding sources align with our values and capacity, not just our budget gaps?

This shift transforms grants from lifelines into leverage.

"When funding supports a strong strategy, it accelerates impact," Leslie explains. "When funding replaces strategy, it creates dependency."

Diversification Over Desperation

Another cornerstone of Leslie's approach is funding diversification. Not as a buzzword, but as a discipline.

Grant-dependent organizations are vulnerable by design. Policy changes, economic shifts, or leadership transitions at foundations can instantly destabilize operations. Strategic leaders reduce this risk by building balanced funding portfolios that include earned revenue, individual donors, partnerships, and grants working together.

Diversification is not about doing more. It is about doing fewer things well, with the right mix of support.

"Stability gives nonprofits the freedom to innovate responsibly," Leslie says. "Without it, every decision feels urgent, and urgency is the enemy of thoughtful leadership."

Measuring What Actually Matters

Leslie also challenges how success is defined in the nonprofit sector. Too often, organizations celebrate money raised rather than lives changed, systems improved, or inequities reduced.

Strategic funding leadership reframes metrics around outcomes, not activity.

"How many people did we truly serve well?" Leslie asks. "What changed because we showed up consistently? What will still exist if this grant disappears?"

Funders, Leslie notes, are increasingly receptive to this mindset. Organizations that can articulate their impact with confidence and demonstrate financial and operational discipline stand out in a crowded field.

Reclaiming Power and Purpose

Perhaps the most profound shift Leslie advocates is psychological. Grant chasing conditions nonprofit leaders to feel powerless, at the mercy of deadlines, reviewers, and decisions made behind closed doors.

Strategic funding leadership restores agency.

"When nonprofits know who they are and what they stand for, they stop begging for permission to exist," Leslie says. "They become partners, not applicants."

This change does not just improve funding outcomes. It strengthens relationships with communities, staff, and supporters. It builds organizations that can weather uncertainty and lead with integrity.

A Call to Rethink the Status Quo

Leslie's message is clear. Communities deserve better than organizations trapped in survival mode. They deserve nonprofits built for longevity, alignment, and impact.

Grant chasing, while normalized, is failing to deliver those outcomes. Strategic funding leadership offers a smarter path. One that honors mission, respects communities, and uses funding as a means rather than an end.

"The goal isn't to win grants," Leslie concludes. "The goal is to solve problems that matter and to be here long enough to see real change happen."

As the nonprofit sector faces increasing pressure to do more with less, Leslie's challenge is timely and necessary. It invites leaders to stop running in circles and start building something that lasts.

About Leslie Wise

Leslie Wise is the Founder, Principal Strategist, and teacher at Wise Grants, a consulting firm dedicated to helping nonprofits, municipalities, and for-profit partners secure the funding they need to create lasting community impact. With over eight years of experience in grant development and funding strategy, Leslie has successfully guided clients through every stage of the grant process from prospect research and project development to writing competitive, funder-aligned narratives and managing awarded projects through closeout.

Her expertise spans a wide range of sectors, including education, infrastructure, housing, and human services, where she has helped organizations obtain local, state, and federal funding to expand essential programs and deliver measurable results. Leslie is known for her strategic, collaborative approach, teaching organizations and teams how to design compelling projects that align with both community needs and funder priorities.

Media Contact

Leslie Wise, Ed.D.
Founder, Principal Strategist & Teacher, Wise Grants
Middlesex, NJ
http://wisegrants.org
leslie@wisegrants.org

SOURCE: Wise Grants