Follow these five simple steps to achieve great results:

Employ a strategic approach to grant writing

Grant writing takes time. This implies excellent research, exceptional writing, understanding the donor’s mission, making the match, collaborating with colleagues, planning strategically, and developing an outstanding business plan. If your proposal is prepared correctly, it will guarantee higher chances of rising to the top of the competition and receiving the funds.

Find the right program for you and your idea

Making the match means aligning your mission and your funding request with the donor’s mission. The closer both of you are in what you wish to accomplish, the more likely you will be funded. One of the most fatal mistakes any grant writer can make is to ignore the interests of the donor.

Follow directions

It is critical that you follow the donor’s directions to the tee, for if you do not, the grant will be returned to you without review. This is one of the major reasons many submissions are rejected. Minor mistakes such as not answering the required questions, not following the obligatory format, or even simply not checking the appropriate boxes may get you immediately disqualified.

Start with a good idea

Poor ideas will not be successful regardless of how well they may be packaged. Behind poorly presented grant proposals often lie poorly reasoned research plans. Crafting a good idea is a process that requires discipline. Ultimately, a good idea is one that is needed, will lead to paradigm shifts, and will have a broad impact for its beneficiaries.

Develop a timeline

A timeline will help you determine how long it will take to develop your proposal. Also, timelines will demonstrate the individual steps you will be taking and the time it will take to accomplish them. Seeing this process clearly and realistically laid out can be achieved by organizing the activities in terms of the time it will take to effectively accomplish them.

Understand the evaluation criteria

Understanding the evaluation criteria before you begin preparing your proposal will provide you insight into where to place your greatest efforts. In most cases, the main concerns for reviewers will be the need for the project or research, the relevance of the application to their program priorities, the qualifications of the personnel, and the credibility and stewardship of the organization. This is not an exhaustive list, and there may be other key areas that you will need to address. If you are writing a federal grant, the evaluation criteria will be in the application itself or on the website of the agency. If you are writing a foundation grant, their website or the program office may have this information.

Attention to detail, carefully crafted ideas, excellent planning of the project, ensuring credibility and following directions are the key steps to having your proposal funded.

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Is your idea part of a strategic plan?

If you are writing a programmatic grant it should be a team effort. The strategic assessment of what needs to be funded, who will implement the grant, and how it all fits into the mission of the organization is what will ground your proposal. For researchers, consider what you have accomplished before, what your preliminary data signify, and how qualified you are to conduct the work. In other words, be certain that you have given serious thought to the undertaking of the proposal.

Have you read the Request for Proposal (RFP)?

Before you move on to any other part of the process, read the RFP from start to finish. Obvious issues – such as eligibility or due dates – can be recognized right away; you may even decide that your idea doesn’t align with the grant program and move on to a better match.

What do your colleagues say?

Your experienced colleagues will provide you with sound advice on whether your idea is feasible. Budget size, technical challenges, and review panel hurdles are just three of the areas in which their expertise will be helpful.

Is the Program Officer enthusiastic or encouraging?

Once you have read the RFP and talked to your colleagues, you can talk about your project or research with the Program Officer. He or she will answer questions and give you an indication of whether your idea is a good fit for the program.

Does your organization have the right infrastructure?

The lack of infrastructure has been the downfall of many proposals, particularly those involving research. You must determine ahead of time whether your organization can handle the work before you spend the time writing a proposal.

Is your team qualified?

Suppose your organization is suited for the project – now you must consider the human capital. Your team should be well-qualified and experienced enough to take on the effort for your project or research, including technical support and research assistants.

Why is your project or research needed?

This may be the most important question to ask before writing. If you cannot provide a good answer, this will echo throughout your proposal. Do your homework; review and understand the literature or complete preliminary questionnaires. Better yet, use a planning or seed grant to assess the need for your project or research. These steps will reassure the reviewers that your work is important and must take place.

What is the significance of your project or research?

Once you determined that your project needs to happen, consider the impact that it will have and the changes that will take place for the population you are serving. Think about what key outcomes could become models for others in the same field as you.

What is the heart of your proposal?

Planning and designing your proposal depends on four or five sentences: the heart of your proposal. Your goal, three measurable objectives, and – if you are writing a research proposal – your hypothesis are what define your path. If you can easily write these sentences, you are ready to submit. If not, wait until the next solicitation or competition. Once you develop these statements, you are ready to proceed.

What are the serious challenges involved?

Any potential difficulties should be mulled over before writing a proposal. If several major problems arise, you may want to consider a different approach or even another topic.

How will you budget your proposal?

All the resources at your disposal – and those you lack – should be considered when answering this question. Talking to your institution’s financial office will likely shed light what budget items should be included or excluded. In essence, you need to submit a reasonable budget that is consistent with the narrative, and avoids raising concerns in any way.

Working with a good idea, understanding your path, avoiding obstacles, and organization are vital to your decision to submit or wait. Once you answer all of the above questions, and are confident in the success of your project, you are ready to begin writing.

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