questions

11 Questions You Must Ask Before You Write

Before considering writing a grant proposal, several crucial steps need to take place. These all drive a proactive approach to ensure you are eligible, qualified, and ready to design your project. Most importantly, create a timeline for implementation of each of the following steps: Is your idea part of a strategic plan? If you are… read more

Free Tool

Your Most Helpful Tool: The Logic Model

(scroll down to download fillable logic model tool) Outcomes and evaluation are key components in today’s proposal requests. Using a logic model will ensure you properly demonstrate these elements, thus giving you the best chance of being funded. Donors want clarification of the relationship between their investments and the activities, outputs, and anticipated outcomes of… read more

optimism

Optimism Will Get You Funded

The power of optimism is a huge advantage when seeking funding. A positive outlook sets the stage for your entire grant application, and donors will notice! You must believe that you will obtain the necessary funds for the important idea you wish funded. Addressing the details about what you will do in positive and optimistic… read more

myths

8 Grant Writing Myths Holding You Back

In my many years of teaching about the world of grants, I have come across eight recurring myths that can derail your proposal writing efforts. When I began writing proposals, I too sometimes felt lost. I knew though that I needed to win grants to be able to creatively enhance the lives of others, and… read more

resubmission

Prepare for Rejection

Above All, Don’t Get Discouraged You are not alone. Even seasoned researchers have only a 50 percent chance of winning a grant. If you are new to grant writing, the success rate is much lower. Statistically, new grant writers submit between 2.2 – 3 proposals before being funded. In some cases, the award rate might… read more

Beef Wellington

Writing a Grant is Like Preparing Beef Wellington

A great meal can be as complex to prepare as Beef Wellington, or as simple as roasted chicken. The same is true of writing a winning grant proposal. The grant writer, like the chef, must focus on ingredients, preparation, and presentation. For an epicurean presentation of Beef Wellington, a master chef with experience should be… read more

Hiding from and Audit

Surviving an Audit: How to be Ready

For grantees, an audit can mean life or death for a project. The word “audit” has the ability to put even the most well-organized administration team on edge. I have had the good fortune to be part of an organization that went to great lengths to be prepared for audits. I have also been part… read more

No One Has Your Back

No One Has Your Back: The Truth About Institutional Support

What would you do if faced with the choice of writing successful technical grants outside your area of expertise or losing your job? A participant in a recent workshop I taught told me she had worked as a secretary for many years, but her position recently shifted to accommodate proposal writing. She had never written… read more

Letter of Inquiry

The Letter of Inquiry: Quality Makes the Difference

Writing a good letter of inquiry is critical to getting your donor’s attention. The quality of this letter is what makes or breaks your chances of being invited to submit a proposal. Although approaching a funder can be intimidating, writing an excellent letter of inquiry is the best way to get your foot in the door…. read more