The Grant Advocate (March 2026)

Q. Who is the most dangerous person in the room?

A.  The answer is at the end of the newsletter.

Strategic Plan vs. Operational Plan

Having the right people in the room no matter what type of planning you are doing is key, especially if your organization needs to adjust their strategic or operational plans because of an unexpected change in the operating environment. In grant writing, a strategic plan ensures that the organization’s larger goals are clearly defined and supports the vision by stacking the smaller goals in a way that supports the vision. It is most beneficial during times of significant change or growth, such as entering a new market or launching a major initiative. An operational plan is particularly helpful for organizations focused on immediate performance and stability, often in a more mature phase. It is more critical when day-to-day execution needs fine-tuning or consistent operational efficiency is the primary goal. The balance between strategic and operational planning is crucial for organizations to adapt to change, seize new opportunities, and grow without toppling over. Clarifying the concepts of a strategic plan vs. an operational plan can help you put them both into practice in the appropriate context.

Key Differences	Strategic Plan	Operational Plan
Focus	Revolves around how your organization can be different. What sets you apart from other organizations is your mission and vision and the goals you set tie into those concepts. The plan considers both internal capabilities and external market conditions.	Revolves around being better operationally. If you can implement and execute your strategy efficiently and effectively, your chances of successfully reaching your business objectives increase significantly.
Time Period	Outlines long-term goals for the next three to five years.	Outlines what you’ll be doing to achieve those goals in the next fiscal year.
Goal	Outline the organization’s long-term vision and how all departments should work together to achieve it. Strategic plans are broader in scope because their goals are organization-focused.	Outlines how specific departments are  going to get it all done. An operational plan is inherently more detailed because of its narrower focus.
Plan Generation	Your organization’s high-level leadership team, the “senior management team”, is responsible for creating the strategic plan. Once it’s created, the strategic plan will be pushed forward by cross-functional teams who work together to ensure the strategy is successful.	Every department has a leader or team of leaders responsible for creating their operational plan. Although each operational plan is designed for a single department, its successful implementation will lead to organization-wide success.
Modifications	Should be fairly consistent, but that doesn’t mean it won’t occasionally require modifications. Evaluate your strategic plan yearly to see if it still makes sense in case of dramatic changes happening inside or outside the organization or possible that new opportunities (or threats) may have arisen in the past year that require consideration.	Should reevaluate your operational plan monthly because the path to reaching your long-term goals is somewhat fluid.
Budget	The budget for your strategic plan comes from your strategic budget, not your operational budget. Your organization may implement a Strat-Ex budget that aligns part of your project budget directly to your strategic initiatives.	The budget comes from your department’s annual budget. If your annual department budget needs to be cut, consider which elements don’t align to your strategic plan and cut those first.
Reporting	Your strategic planning committee or executive team will want to look at how your company is performing on its chosen measures both quarterly and annually. Discussions should remain fairly high-level so you don’t get bogged down on details.	Monthly operational reports outline hundreds of projects or tasks people in the department are working on and an indication of each project’s status. Updates on operational projects can be anecdotal or qualitative.

Grant Advocate Tips

• Funders want results!
• Be specific about your impact!
• Funders need to know that their money is making a difference!
• Describe your impact through measurable outcomes using metrics and numbers, not vague goals.
• Be clear and concise using an active voice.

What’s Your Grant Strategy’s Hidden Weapon?

The answer is a tool you can use to prioritize grants and determine which will make the most significant impact on your project/program/organization. It is called a decision matrix. With decision matrices you can determine grant relevancy, if you should apply for a grant and when (create a grant/funding calendar), program funding, how to prioritize the grant’s responsibilities, and more.

Four Common Decision Matrices

• Eisenhower Matrix: allows you to sort options based on their importance and the urgency they need to get done.
• Weighted Matrix: helps you use different criteria, assigning weight to select factors as some criteria may factor more heavily than others.
• Rubric Matrix: assesses best-fit opportunities based on how well your project/program meets the criteria.
• Weighted Rubric: is a hybrid matrix, allowing you to consider different factors, weights, and more.

Goals vs. Objectives vs. Outcomes

Goals, objectives, and outcomes are interconnected and often confusing. Goals set the vision, objectives outline the steps to reach that vision, and outcomes measure the success of those steps. Without clear goals, objectives may lack direction, and without objectives, outcomes cannot be effectively measured. Understanding the differences between goals, objectives, and outcomes is crucial for effective planning and evaluation in various contexts, including project management, education, and personal development.  

You and your organization can create more effective strategies to achieve the desired results of your project/program by clearly defining and differentiating these terms.

• Goals are overarching ideals or broad project/program achievements. They are what you want to achieve and may not be measurable. Goals are often qualitative, are broader in scope than objectives, and have a longer time frame.
• Objectives are what you specifically expect to achieve with this project/program and how you are going to achieve your final goal. They state specific, quantitative data such as numbers or precents, are measurable, and have a short time frame. Objectives should be Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Timely.
• Outcomes are the tangible results or the impact of achieving the objectives through your project/program activities. They can also be long or short term, qualitative or quantitative. Evaluating outcomes tracks progress and helps organizations understand whether they are meeting their goals and objectives. If outcomes are not achieved; it may indicate a need to reassess the objectives or the strategies used to reach them.

The Creativity Corner 2

Creativity is a key ingredient of innovation. A creative workplace that uses innovative work methods will set you,  your project/program, and Monmouth University up for success. The time is now to use innovative ideas in work and turn your ideas into reality. Growing your creativity is the most meaningful step taken to be more successful.

Innovative Ideas To Try

• Step and Think Outside the Box: Never assume because assumptions are limiting and cut off opportunities. When you assume, you cannot think creatively anywhere.
• Find New Sources of Inspiration: Keep yourself inspired to fuel your creativity. Surround yourself with inspirational things. Create a display of inspirational things at work to look at that aide with the vision and confidence needed for innovation. Visualize your ideas.
• Do the Right Kind of Brainstorming: You need a quantity of ideas to often get a quality idea and this is where brainstorming comes in. Let yourself and everyone around you come up with all the ideas they can, even crazy ideas. This brainstorming exercise will break through barriers and help you arrive at innovation.
• Separate Divergent and Convergent Thinking: Divergent thinking is when you brainstorm to come up with new ideas (see above). Convergent thinking is what you do when you evaluate those ideas. Keep divergent thinking and convergent thinking as separate processes so you don’t want to hinder your collection of creative ideas.
• Use Creativity as a Tool: Seize opportunities that other people probably don’t notice. We are surrounded with opportunities others can’t see. Use creativity to see the hidden opportunities and seize them.
• Be Persistent in Your Creativity: If you receive pushback, ignore it. Everyone around you will eventually see how much your creativity helps with your problem-solving and seeing opportunities. This will encourage others to take a similar innovative approach and you will naturally become a leader.
• See Failure in a New Way (I Can’t Stress This Enough): Take a new perspective on failure, especially in the grant world! We all fail occasionally, so don’t agonize over this. Failure is a learning opportunity! It is part of the creative process. Ask for the Peer Review Notes, analyze them, and use them to make your next grant proposal better. If you need more advice, call the ORSP, we are here to help.

Coming up with innovative ideas at work is a simple process that requires an open mind, confidence, and collaboration between colleagues. Remember collaboration is key always!

(Courtesy of Pinterest and paraphrasing from Eggcellent Work, May 9, 2022)

Change Your Thinking—Achieve Success

How you perceive challenges and opportunities is shaped by your mindset. Turn self-doubt into self-belief, by learning to control your thoughts and beliefs. A positive mindset allows you to navigate difficulties with grace and see possibilities where others see obstacles. Become empowered!

If the Usual Mindset Sounds Like This	Try This Mindset and Think This Instead
I’ll wait till I feel ready to start.	I’ll start now and get better as I go along.
I don’t have enough time to take this on.	I’ll cut out what doesn’t matter and only focus on what moves me/project/program forward.
I’m not good at this.	I’m still learning, so I’ll keep trying.
What if this goes wrong and ends up failing?	If it fails, I’ll take the lessons learned and adjust.
I don’t have the motivation I need to start.	I need systems to get it done regardless of how I feel.
This is too hard, so I’ll give up.	I’ll try another way, with practice, I’ll get better.
I should figure everything out on my own.	I’ll put myself in rooms where others are already winning. Collaboration is key.
This feels too overwhelming to manage.	Feeling overwhelmed equals growth.
I can’t move forward till I have certainty.	I’ll move first, learn on the way, and adjust later.
I don’t want to risk looking stupid in front of others. (FYI – I say this all the time, especially when Science is involved.)	Embarrassment is the price you pay for growth. (Be prepared and try to avoid it. LOL.)
I really hope this ends up working out.	I’ll create systems where success becomes inevitable.
I’ve made it to where I want to be. Never be Complacent!!	This is only the start of where I want to be. Continual Growth!

• What you’re not changing, you’re choosing.
• Every time you accept what holds you back, you are silently agreeing to stay the same.
• Growth begins the moment you take responsibility and decide to act.
• Change isn’t easy, but neither is staying stuck.
• If you want a different outcome, make a different choice because inaction is still a decision.

Q. Who is the Most Dangerous Person in Any Room?

Never underestimate someone who always keeps learning because they’re building tomorrow’s competitive advantage. The person who says, “I don’t know, teach me”, they’re about to surpass everyone who thinks they know it all. Self-importance never blocks their growth. They have a curiosity that beats certainty every time. They ask better questions.

Here’s the truth: learning keeps you in the game. The half-life of skills is shrinking. What you knew five years ago is already outdated. What you learn today will be obsolete in five years. The ability to learn is timeless. Never stop being a student!

Here’s why lifelong learners win:

• They adapt faster because change excites them.
• They stay relevant and evolve.
• They see opportunities others miss.
• They know new knowledge reveals new possibilities.
• They increase their value by building skill sets on top of skill steps.
• They connect the dots differently and cross-pollinate ideas that spark innovation.

Albert Einstein got it right: “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

Q. Who is the most dangerous person in the room?

A. The one who never stops learning, the Monmouth University Grants Community.