Writing a grant proposal is a lot like dating. You want to put your best foot forward, but you also want to be yourself. Yet there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to getting the funds you need – not with individual donors or foundations, and not even with government agencies.
That means that, more often than not, the best strategy is just to write what feels right for your project or organization and then tweak it until it fits each funder’s requirements as closely as possible.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Grant writing is a complex process that doesn’t have a guaranteed formula for success. |
| Effective grant writing involves a combination of strategy, creativity, and understanding the needs of both the funder and the project. |
| There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to writing grant proposals; each proposal should be tailored to the specific requirements and goals of the grant opportunity. |
| Grant writers should focus on showcasing the impact and feasibility of their project, highlighting how it aligns with the funder’s mission and priorities. |
| Continuous improvement, learning from mistakes, and adapting strategies are key components of successful grant writing. |
1. Read The Application Guidelines Carefully
The first step in writing a grant is to read the application guidelines carefully and understand them. This is important because if you don’t know what they want, you won’t be able to submit a strong proposal that meets their criteria and expectations.
Remember, foundations get hundreds of applications (sometimes thousands!), so they want to make sure that yours is unique, innovative and well thought out and not just another random application thrown together without much thought or planning behind it!
Also check that your current budget matches up with previous years’ budgets for similar programs; this can help guide how much money you should request from a particular foundation or donor who has supported projects like yours before
If you’re aiming to secure more funding for your nonprofit through grant proposals, don’t miss out on these valuable tips for getting more grant money. These insights can make a significant difference in your grant writing efforts.
2. Know Your Funder
This sounds like an obvious tip, but it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of applying for a grant and forget to learn about the funder before you send in your application.
If you don’t know much about them, take some time to research their priorities and track record (can be found on their website). How many grants has the organization awarded?
Are there any interesting stories about past winners or funders’ favorite projects? What are their application deadlines and fees? Are there particular types of proposals they prefer or specific questions they ask applicants?
Knowing this information will not only help guide your writing process but also give you confidence that what you’re submitting is appropriate for this particular funding opportunity.
3. Prepare As Much As Possible Before You Start Writing
You’re going to want to do as much research as possible before you begin writing. Find out what the funder’s priorities are, and read any relevant documents they may have released recently. The more informed you can be about their current focuses, the better your application will be.
Also check out their website – is there a section dedicated to grants? If so, it might help if you start by reading some of those guidelines first (and possibly even drafting up a rough version of your application).
Make sure that their deadlines are reasonable for you if they require grant submissions in multiple formats, or include a lot of hard-to-find information in their grant applications (like lengthy evaluation criteria), then perhaps this isn’t the best funder for your needs at this time.
Crafting an exceptional grant proposal requires a combination of strategy and creativity. Explore our article featuring 11 tips for writing an exceptional grant proposal to enhance your grant application’s chances of success.
4. Identify Your Project’s Strengths
If you’re thinking of applying for a grant, don’t forget to identify your project’s strengths. This may seem obvious, but it’s important to have an understanding of the best aspects of your idea and how they’ll benefit your community.
It doesn’t matter if you think it’s silly or not; identifying what makes it stand out can be key in getting funding for your cause.
Make sure that you can prove it! If someone asks why their money should be spent on something like yours instead of another organization, then you better have some good answers ready.
If someone else is doing something similar already, show them how yours will be different or better in some way – whether that means more effective outcomes or more efficient use of resources (or both).
Don’t be afraid to ask for money! Grants are awarded based on merit and need so as long as yours meets both requirements (and isn’t just an ego boost).
There shouldn’t be any harm in asking for support from others who care about what needs doing in our communities too.* Create a workplan -and budget!
5. Address Any Weaknesses In Your Project Or Organization
Please, please, please do not write about how great you are and how much funding you deserve. That does not work!
Instead, identify the weaknesses in your project or organization that are holding it back from reaching its full potential and then explain how this funding will help address those issues.
It’s important, to be honest here if there’s a reason why a funder may decide not to fund your idea it’s because they don’t see value in it (or perhaps they see some other reason).
If you can show them that there are valid reasons why they should invest in something new and different, then maybe they’ll give it another look!
Securing grants for your nonprofit or small business can be a game-changer. Discover effective strategies and actionable advice on how to win a grant for your nonprofit or small business that can pave the way for your organization’s growth.
6. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Money (But Do It Right)
It’s a common misconception that you shouldn’t ask for money. The reality is that if you’re applying for a grant, chances are the organization is looking to give some of their surplus funds away.
If they’re not, then it won’t matter how amazing your proposal is, because they won’t give you any money anyway.
But even if the organization does have surplus funds available and they are open to receiving proposals from other organizations or individuals, there’s still no guarantee that they will choose yours!
The key here is to know who your target donors are and when and how best to approach them.
For example: Asking an individual donor or investor for $100 may be more effective than asking them for $1 million dollars; asking Grandma Smith for $50 might not work as well as asking Uncle Ted for $10k (but both depend on whether or not he wants another grandchild so badly);
Approaching foundations at certain times of year might yield better results than others (for example, summer versus winter).
So before making any decisions about who/when/how much/where from whom should be included in your grant application strategy make sure these questions have been answered beforehand!
7. Create A Workplan – And A Budget!
While it’s important to plan for the future and create a workplan, it’s also important to budget. What does this mean? Budgeting is an essential part of project management, so if you’re writing a grant, you’ll want to include budgeting as part of your overall strategy.
A budget helps ensure that you are spending money wisely (and appropriately). For example, if your project has two components: one that costs $10,000 and another that costs $15,000 and each component is equally important.
You can allocate half of all available funds ($25,000) towards each component. This way there won’t be any extra money left over at the end of the project or any shortfalls when allocating it evenly throughout the duration of time allotted for completion.
The process of writing a grant proposal doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow our comprehensive guide on how to write a grant proposal in 13 easy steps to break down the process and create a compelling proposal.
8. Don’t Recycle Old Applications Without Reconsidering Their Details
One of the most common mistakes I see applicants make is to simply copy and paste their old applications into new ones.
This can be a problem if you’re applying for the same funder more than once, as they may be using different criteria each time and it doesn’t matter how well your previous proposal worked if you don’t have any new information this time around!
So, when you’re writing a new application for a similar project (or even just part of one), it’s important to think about what has changed since your last attempt. Has there been any progress in your research or methodology?
Has funding become available that wasn’t there before? Are there any unanswered questions that could help your case for funding? If not, then re-submitting something exactly as it was before probably won’t get you very far.
9. Engage All Relevant Stakeholders In Project Design And Development Before Submitting A Proposal To Funders
You’ll want to take the time to consult stakeholders and solicit feedback on your draft applications, reports, budgets, and other documents before submitting them.
The more people you can get involved in this process early on, the better chance you have of understanding what they need from their project.
When it comes time to submit your application, here are some key questions that you should answer:
- Who is the target audience?
- What do they need or want?
- Why is this project important for our community/organization?
10. Ask For Feedback From Peers Or Partners On Draft Applications
Once you’ve come up with a draft, it’s time to get feedback. There are multiple avenues available to you.
You can ask peers or partners in the field for feedback on your application; some funders even offer this service free of charge, so don’t be afraid to ask them if they’d be willing to give you a second look before submitting your application.
In addition, many experts work in the same field as you who may have great insight into what makes good application writing; seek out these people or organizations and talk with them about how you can improve your proposal.
The same goes for customers: if there is an existing organization that receives money from the government program in question (for example, if it’s part of Americorps), then they’ll definitely know how best to write an application.
And they might even be willing to share their knowledge with you! Finally, the community at large has a lot of wisdom that could prove useful here; contact local leaders and ask them what characteristics make a successful grant proposal (and which ones should be avoided).
Enhance your grant proposal writing skills with the help of these useful tools. Our list of 14 tools for writing grant proposals covers resources that can streamline your writing process and improve the quality of your proposals.
Conclusion
We’ve seen many people try to create a magic formula for writing a grant. They tell you that if you follow this 3-step process, or if you use these 5 words in each sentence, your chances of getting funding will be much higher.
But the truth is that there are no shortcuts when it comes to writing grants it’s all about hard work and knowing how your organization fits into the larger picture of what they care about.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources that can provide further insights into grant writing and proposal development:
How to Write Effective Needs Statements for Grants: Learn how to create compelling needs statements that highlight the significance of your project’s goals and objectives.
Expert Insights: What Sets Standout Grant Proposals Apart: Discover key advice from a grant expert on crafting grant proposals that stand out and capture the attention of reviewers.
Grant Proposal Writing: Tips and Best Practices: Explore valuable tips and best practices for writing grant proposals that effectively communicate your project’s impact and potential.
FAQs
How do I create a compelling needs statement for a grant proposal?
Crafting an impactful needs statement involves identifying the problem your project aims to address and providing evidence of its significance within the context of your community or field.
What elements make grant proposals stand out to reviewers?
Grant proposals that stand out often have a clear and concise project description, a well-defined budget, measurable outcomes, and a compelling narrative that demonstrates the project’s alignment with the funder’s priorities.
What should I include in the executive summary of a grant proposal?
The executive summary should succinctly summarize your project’s goals, objectives, expected outcomes, and the amount of funding you’re seeking. It’s an opportunity to capture the reviewer’s interest right from the start.
How can I improve the storytelling aspect of my grant proposal?
To enhance the storytelling in your grant proposal, focus on describing the problem you’re addressing through real-life anecdotes, case studies, or testimonials. Use vivid language to convey the impact of your project.
Are there common mistakes to avoid in grant proposal writing?
Yes, some common mistakes to avoid include vague project descriptions, unclear goals and objectives, lack of alignment with the funder’s priorities, and submitting proposals that don’t meet the specified guidelines. Always thoroughly review and edit your proposal before submission.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.