Below is a great article I read in a recent publication and Grant Funding.
Do you know why your organization did not receive the funds you were seeking in the last grant you applied for? Is this your first grant proposal? Follow these simple tips to get the grant funding your organization needs to fulfill its mission:
Be clear and specific. When you write the case statement or the abstract it is essential that the reviewer understands the outcomes your organization will reach if funding is granted. The most successful grant applicants are those who are able to instill a sense of validity in the effort and method in very straightforward terms. If a foundation or grantor can’t tell from your case statement why it is important to fund you or how you are going to accomplish your goals, you probably won’t get funded.
Be realistic. One of the most common things I’ve seen in grant applications is extremely ambitious goals with ambiguous plans to fulfill them. When you are reviewing stacks of applicants it’s very easy to eliminate an applicant based on goals that just seem unrealistic. For example, I’ve reviewed grants for medical research where the program necessitates the participants are required to travel upwards of 30 miles each day one way for a 6 week period. It just is not realistic to expect participants to travel 60 miles 5 days a week, for 6 weeks straight. When you are writing your applications keep in mind it’s real people who are reading them, and they want the best for your constituency too.
Read all of the directions.This tip seems easy enough but it is critical that you follow the directions exactly as specified. Don’t forget to include any details or items they request in the grant process. The quickest way to be disqualified from the pool is to submit something incomplete.
Know your funder. Who else have they funded in the past? What kind of projects are they interested in supporting? The better you know what they are looking for, the more likely you are to position your application to appeal to their interests.
Peer review. If it’s at all possible, try to get more then one set of eyes on the grant application. It’s always a good idea to have others in your organization, board or perhaps even the population you are trying to serve, review the material. Others may notice gaps in the application that don’t seem obvious to you. Keep in mind, the grant reviewer may know little to nothing about your organization or your mission efforts. It’s great to have that fresh pair of eyes take a look before you finally submit it.
Be proactive.Don’t wait till the last minute. It’s very clear which applications are thrown together at the last minute and which ones are prepared in a timely manner. It’s easy as a reviewer to infer that if the application was last minute the funding may be treated with that same regard.
Grant writing can be a long, tedious, and sometimes discouraging process.
These are just a few tips, to consider along the way. Good luck!
