lure

Writing a Compelling Need Statement

The success of your proposal depends on persuasively presenting the need for your project. This is done in your need statement, which must be concise, coherent, and supported by evidence. If you make a robust case, the reviewers will want to read the rest of your proposal with enthusiasm. If the argument is weak, however,… read more

ready

8 Signs You`re Ready to Submit Your Proposal

My years of experience have made it easy to spot the signs of grant writers who are ready to submit, as well as grant writers who are better off waiting. Anxious grant writers frequently contact me for proposal content reviews, and the situation presented to me most often is the following scenario. My tenure depends… read more

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

social media

Use Social Media to Get Crowdfunded

Diversification of funding is a critical need today. The grants that can fund an entire project or all of an investigator’s research are highly competitive, so what do you do? Many solutions are available and one – which has become popular with educational institutions and not-for-profit organizations – is crowdfunding. To be successful, however, a… read more

not your money

Whose Money Is It, Anyway?

“You’re taking my money away from me!” the Project Director cried. He glared at me with contempt while I explained our institution’s position. A grant for which he was the PI had met all of its programmatic goals a few months early, and a progress report had been sent to the sponsor. Although satisfied with… 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

Update

2015 Federal Budget: What it Means to You

A new year, new appropriations, a new congress, and new fiscal management procedures will bring new concerns for grantees. Increasingly, applicants must focus their attention on accountability and performance measurements. The need for research money for large universities and laboratories is increasing, as is the pressure for faculty to receive external support. Given that the… 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