All of us grant writers have been there and done that. We come across the perfect grant opportunity for our more-than-deserving nonprofit and then freeze with fear when we see the deadline. Gulp.
I have experienced that panic more than once. Grant writing is often cyclical and you're lulled into a false sense of security when it seems like you have plenty of time to write those few grants with deadlines appropriately spaced apart for your convenience. And then your security shatters when you realize that you'll have to hop to it to get that perfect (albeit aggravating) grant application in on time.
This is not just a job for Superman or Wonder Woman to complete. The mere mortal can do it – you just need to remember five simple rules:
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Read all instructions – carefully and thoroughly! Don't make the mistake of being in such a hurry that you miss key information. The devil is in the details and you certainly don't want to put your proposal on the chopping block for missing requested information by the grant funder that's critical to the decision making process.
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Make checklists of information needed. Grant writers have to have information to write the proposal from nonprofit personnel. Go through the application and determine what statistics and program information that you need from them. Make it as easy as possible on them and prepare checklists for staff members of key information that you need. Do this as soon as possible.
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Decide what your proposed grant project will be. Gather appropriate staff as soon as possible to determine what your grant application will request. Now is not the time to reinvent the wheel! Choose a project that needs ongoing support so that most program information is already available.
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Gather support letters and agreements. Once you've decided what you're asking for the funder to support, you'll then need to determine who your appropriate project partners will be. These partners may be the same ones who've partnered with you in the past (if it's a project that you've previously sought funding for) or may be new to your project. In any event, contact them early in the process to specify exactly what it is you need from them. Give them as much preliminary information about the grant project as you can so there won't be any surprises when it's the deadline and there are no time for changes.
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Work on your project design and budget concurrently. Yes, it would be great if you had the luxury of time to completely finish your project design and then work on your budget but with a deadline looming that's a luxury you can't afford. A helpful tip is to make a list of personnel and non-personnel items that you'll be charging to the project budget. That way, you won't be starting from scratch on your budget which is personally my least favorite part of the grant application anyway. :(
While I never wish a grant application time crunch on anyone, they are inevitable in our business. Just remember these simple tips and you may even find that you do your best work ever up against the wall. Good luck!
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written by Sherry Truhlar, February 11, 2011
Bullet #2 is just good management. We'd all rather work on a project when the assignments and expectations are clear. I suspect any organization would feel better about the application process when it is ran as professionally as you describe, no matter the outcome.
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written by Gayle L. GIfford, ACFRE, February 10, 2011
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written by Amy Eisenstein, February 09, 2011
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written by Pamela Grow, February 08, 2011
These days I would also recommend a quick phone call. A little over a year ago I began working with a local organization and, in the course of my research one day ran across "the perfect funder." Yes, we had applied in the past - and been rejected - however a new ED was at the helm and our mission aligned perfectly with said foundation's guidelines. Plus their application process required an LOI and not a full proposal. I drafted a magnificent letter of intent
and hand-delivered it that day. The declination arrived six weeks later.
When I phoned and spoke to the program officer I learned that the program area I had applied under had NOT been part of the foundation's original mission and was added during a more affluent time. And, while their guidelines did not state the fact, this particular foundation was only funding previously funded grantees (I'm running into that a bit lately, which makes NO sense, does it?). If I had called in the first place I could have saved myself an afternoon's work.
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written by Bunnie Riedel, February 08, 2011
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a ratio of success regarding applications. The best way to boost your ratio is to phone the foundation and introduce
yourself prior to sending in a proposal. It sure helps when you can include a cover letter stating "Thank you for assisting
me with questions regarding your process"....or make reference to some other connectivity from that conversation.
The following is a clear reminder of why you should go through this exercise. Of grant proposals sent, here are some
stark statistics regarding funding success:
1 in 20 -- The number of proposals funded with no prior contact to a foundation
1 in 5 -- The number of proposals funded when contact has been made
1 in 3 -- The number of proposals funded when contact has been made, and LOI has been approved
1 in 2 -- the number of proposals funded when a previous grant relationship exists.
So at the very least, PHONE ahead!