Best Practices for Successful Grant Writing
- Write clearly, correctly, and succinctly.
- Tell your story in a compelling way and use a thesaurus for better adjectives.
- Remember the 12-12-12 Scenario:
- The reviewer might look at your proposal at 12 midnight.
- She might have already had a 12-hour day.
- Your proposal might be the 12th application of the day.
- Don’t make the reviewer work too hard to get to the proposal.
- Keep sentences short. Keep the average sentence at 17 words.
- Choose simpler words.
- Break up text
- Use shorter paragraphs.
- Use headings.
- Use lists.
- Avoid repetitive descriptions and overly long sentences.
- Write to express not to impress.
- Identify the need for the project. Be very direct and use supporting data.
- Clearly explain how the project will meet the need.
- Identify specific, measurable goals for the project.
- Discuss the IMPACT the project will have on the community.
- Ask someone who knows little about your organization to read and critique your proposal.
- Complete the proposal early. Set it aside for a few days; then read it again before the submission deadline.
- Submit only what is required. Save the organization’s brochures, photos, etc. for the site visit.
- Ensure that the project budget is reasonable. Triple check figures.
- Ensure the proposal does not have a narrative mismatch:
- Narrative mentions item not mentioned in the budget.
- Budget mentions item not mentioned in the narrative.
- Ensure the proposal does not have over or under budgeting:
- Budgets that appear too high or low for project will seem questionable.
- Budgets that appear too high or low for project will seem questionable.
- Ensure that in-kind resources are not under-valued:
- Value all resources important to the project.
- Value contributed volunteer time (at fair-market rate for each position necessary for your project).