Grants are becoming increasingly more challenging to write and competitive to receive, so nonprofit organizations should always be asking themselves, “How can I make my grant applications stand out in a crowded field?” The following 10 tips will help you plan and write applications that get positive attention from funders.
Tip 1: Be Prepared
I recommend that you develop an “arsenal” of projects (or at least sketch out several), so that when a funding opportunity is available, you already have a formed concept that needs funding. You don’t want to approach the grantwriting process from the other way around — where you are scrambling to meet the needs of the funding opportunity, and not the needs of the people you are serving.
Because most funders do not give you a lot of time to develop your applications, this preparation will help you spend time creating the most impactful application possible.
Tip 2: Write With the Reviewer in Mind
It is important to understand that grant reviewers — the people who score and rank your proposals — are people, too! They may be volunteers or paid staff at the agency or foundation. Regardless of whether they are paid staff or volunteers, it is important to write your application with the reviewer in mind and make their job of understanding and scoring your application as easy as possible.
Assume that the reviewer knows nothing about your community or organization, the needs you address, what you do or how you do it. Almost exclusively, the reviewer only uses the documents submitted in your application to evaluate your proposal. Therefore, if you want them to know something, you have to clearly write it out and explain it. Also, reduce and/or eliminate jargon in your writing. It is easy to fall into the habit of using terminology and acronyms that make sense in your world. But most grant reviewers do not live in your world, so explain unique terms and concepts and spell out all acronyms the first time they are used.
Tip 3: Follow the Directions
Most of the time, funders have application forms to complete and/or a list of instructions you are expected to follow. These instructions usually include questions to answer and attachments to include in your submission. These are sometimes called Application Guidelines, Grant Instructions, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) or a myriad of different names. Regardless of the term used to describe the application instructions, follow them to the letter. Answer questions in the order they are listed, use the funder’s headings and terminology, and complete the forms they provide (if applicable). Funders assume (correctly, in my opinion) that if you can’t follow directions when asking for funds, you probably won’t follow directions in completing reports or other follow-up items they may need from you after you are awarded the grant.
Tip 4: Don’t Underestimate the Time it Takes to Craft a Strong Proposal
After you identify a grant you want to apply for, make a list of all the documents that need to be submitted, tasks that need to be completed, persons responsible for each task and due dates for completing each task. One way to submit the strongest application possible is to get input and edits from others. You want to schedule time to get these reviews of your drafts. To ensure your application is clear, have someone completely unrelated to your organization read it and provide feedback.