TRUTH!

Winning Grants: Nine Truths about Proposal Writing

It seems that I am always asked whether there is a secret to writing a winning proposal. Perhaps there is not one universal secret, but there are several truths that can help you win a grant. For your best chance of being successful, think about each of the following as you prepare and write your proposal.

  1. Developing a successful grant “system” takes work.

    Most of us underestimate the time it takes to develop a proposal. How often have you been told to apply for a grant two weeks prior to the deadline because a chance of getting it is better than not applying? Several erroneous elements are implied here: that the number of submissions matters more than the quality, that you will somehow outsmart the competition, or that you can beat the odds – which can be as low as 8% success with only two weeks of preparation. A grant is not about hope, but the work necessary to win.

  2. Funders don’t care about your priorities if they are unrelated to their own.

    They care about their priorities and those of the beneficiaries they want to serve. As an example, you may be interested in funds to increase the enrollment in your institution. The donor, on the other hand, is probably only concerned with how to best serve the needs of the students. You should state the problem and solution in a way that directly addresses the donor’s priorities.

  3. Ask for the specific amount of money you need.

    You should not cut your budget because you think a lower amount will be funded. If your idea is sound and your plan of action is substantive and well-developed, cutting the budget is meaningless. Your project costs what it costs, and undercutting the budget can lead to implementation problems if you win the grant. However, inflated budgets can be fatal; it will be immediately evident that the request is about the money and not a well-developed idea.

  4. Build a relationship with the funding source.

    One of the greatest mistakes a grant writer can make is not tapping the knowledge of program officers. Federal agencies assign a program officer for each competition. This person knows what makes grants competitive and can give you the answers and advice you need, so do not hesitate to call him or her. This may not always be possible when dealing with foundations. If after you have written a letter of inquiry or intent and the foundation has responded favorably, you could try reaching out to the point of contact.

  5. Don’t waste time applying to the wrong program.

    Square pegs do not fit in round holes. Be sure that your eligibility, your credibility, and your success rate with similar programs, match the requirements of the Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Application (RFA). If one or more of these do not match, then move on to the grant requests that are suited to your needs. The best approach is to find a program with priorities that parallel your request.

  6. The best way to get a grant is to follow the instructions to the tee.

    This may sound elementary, but the truth is that 50% of all submissions to federal agencies are immediately disqualified because the instructions were not followed. Read the RFP or RFA and be sure that each point has been addressed, including formatting steps such as font type and margin size.

  7. Start with a good idea, then package it well.

    Poor ideas will not be funded regardless of how well they are packaged, and good ideas are most often not funded because they are not packaged well. If your proposal is not coming together after a few weeks of work, your idea may not be sound. When you have others proofread your proposal, they should tell you if your plan of action makes sense. These are your best safeguards for success.

  8. Develop timelines for the proposal preparation and implementation.

    A timeline for proposal preparation allows a clear vision of the time necessary to prepare a proposal. Thus, you can show this timeline to anyone expecting that a grant proposal can be written in a few days. In addition, a timeline for implementation demonstrates to the donor that you have given thought to each step of the implementation phase. Both ensure you have sound planning in place.

  9. Understand the criteria by which you will be evaluated.

    Knowing the evaluation criteria will give you a better idea about where to direct your greatest effort when preparing your proposal. In addition, you will be thinking both as a reviewer and as a requester while you write. This is an easy way to tailor your proposal to the review process, increasing your chance of winning the grant.

As you come to the end of the proposal, one question should be on your mind. Is your grant compelling, unique, well-written, and strong enough to wow the reviewers? The path to receiving a “yes” takes time, but it takes much less time than writing proposal after proposal only to receive endless rejection letters. Acting on the truths about proposal writing will ensure you stay on the shorter path.

Mathilda Harris

Over the past 18 years, she has written grants, conducted capital campaigns, developed strategic plans for grant procurement, and assisted individuals and institutions to write winning proposals for various donors.

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