So, you’re new at writing grants? Welcome aboard.
Through books and blogs, you can get lots of great advice. Things like, ‘follow the guidelines’ and ‘find the right prospect.’ All good and important stuff.
Then there are the more trivial points of grantwriting. What I’ve listed below aren’t deal-breakers, but these are common rookie mistakes:
1. Overdressed for the occasion. The fancy binder with matching tabs is gorgeous, but skip it. Funders have to take it apart to make copies, and the board will likely never see it.
2. TMI (Too Much Information). Whoa, that intro paragraph is long. Unnecessary detail takes many forms. Sometimes it’s vaguely relevant — things like staff bios or a lengthy agency history – but it’s not particularly helpful. I’ve also received proposals with political rants and bizarre probate sagas. Avoid the temptation to tell all.
(Tip: If all of your paragraphs are long, see my post: How readable is your grant proposal?)
3. Wrong tax letter. Most foundations don’t ask for a state tax-exempt letter (the letter you present to the cashier so you don’t have to pay sales tax). What funders usually request is a federal U.S. IRS tax determination letter or other proof that your organization is a 501c3 in good standing.
4. Hidden ask. Summarize your request in the first sentence. Don’t save it for last or sneak it into the middle of the letter. The funder knows the ask is coming, so why not make it easy to find?
5. Calling for advice too soon. Funders often cover the basics in their guidelines. Before calling to ask for advice on your request, read the information they have already offered. A caller should never say, “I haven’t had a chance to look at your website yet.” And consider which projects might be a good fit for that funder before you phone.
6. Calling for advice too late. I received a call from a new grantwriter asking whether or not her project was a fit. Unfortunately, it did not match our mission or geographic priorities, and I suggested that other prospects might be more likely. Her next question: “Well, it’s already done, so should I address the letter to you?” Had she phoned sooner, she could have saved time and effort. For everyone.
Take heart! There are also advantages to being a new grantwriter. Much more important than the minutiae listed above, newbies offer:
7. New point of view. Some agencies send the same request, year after year, without success. By taking a fresh look at your programs and foundation guidelines, you might see new possibilities where missions overlap.
8. Authentic voice. Your requests may have a few rough edges, but they are often honest and passionate. Keep that enthusiasm as you develop your fundraising skills.
Other observations about new grantwriters? Encouraging words? Please share them in the comments below.
If you liked this post, check out other topics on the Grantwriting Tips page.
Erik Anderson
December 21, 2011
Meredith . . . awesome post today. I always wished that more foundation folks would take the time to provide advice to grantwriters. I’m not sure how a grantmaker would feel about this tip and so I ask you to weigh-in on answering it. What about encouraging new grantwriters to ask grantmakers to provide feedback on proposals that get rejected? I’ve always found that a commitment to evaluation and life-long learning to be critical. However, I don’t know how many grantmakers would scoff at this suggestion due to time constraints . . . everyone is business nowadays. Just a thought!
meredithdhilt
December 21, 2011
Thanks, Erik. Glad you enjoyed the post and took the time to comment.
Yes, I agree that grantwriters — new and “seasoned” — should ask for feedback. With one caveat: not all grantmakers have the staff resources to respond to such requests. I try to as I am able, because I think it saves everyone time in the long run.
I expand my opinions on “dissecting the rejection” in a separate post: http://mhilt.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/dissecting-the-rejection/
Thanks for adding your sage advice!
Karen
December 22, 2011
Thanks Erik for sharing…I enjoyed this and, seeing Meredith’s comment on rejection, I’d add “Rejection Builds Character” as a plaque or stitchery on a beginner’s wall. My advice (after years of writing proposals) is, “Use your most persuasive writing that you learned in high school–and target it to your Aunt Mary.” Be convincing, but keep the wording simple and at the level of anyone’s understanding. Jargon/educationese/acronyms are SO ineffective in proposals. Your’ observations are right on.
meredithdhilt
December 22, 2011
Great advice, Karen. Jargon and acronyms are irritating. A Harvard Business Review blog touched on this subject recently, called “I don’t understand what anyone is saying anymore”: bit.ly/vZ1efV. Not exactly for proposal writing, but I think it applies to all forms of communication.
Thanks for your helpful comment!
Meg Hoffman (@NonProfit_Meg)
December 22, 2011
I am trying to get into grant writing, so as a hopeful “future grantwriting rookie,” this was very helpful! For some reason, information and advice that comes from someone on the foundation side, as opposed to a fellow grantwriter, always seems a little more important! Thanks so much for sharing, Meredith.
meredithdhilt
December 22, 2011
Thanks for your comment, Meg. Following you on Twitter, I assumed you were a seasoned grantwriting professional — so you’re already ahead of the game.
Happy to share my thoughts and glad that you found them helpful. I’ve been both a grantseeker and grantmaker, so my ramblings have a little bit from both sides of the table.
Good luck in your grantwriting career!
Audrey Levin McLaughlin, CFRE
January 5, 2012
Hi Meredith,
Excellent advice (and I can attest to its accuracy, having made several of those mistakes myself in my grantwriting “youth”). I would also add: Choosing an inappropriate amount for the ask–one that is not in line with the funder’s previous grants, the nonprofit’s size, the budget of the proposed program or project, etc.
Glad I found this blog!
Thanks,
Audrey
meredithdhilt
January 5, 2012
Great addition, Audrey. I marvel at the requests that ask our foundation for $1 million or more — when our total grants for the year are around $1.2 million. A simple search can help narrow the window for the ask amount.
I’m also glad you found the blog — and added your wise counsel. Thanks!
(And yes, I also made several of these mistakes in my early days. How do you think I started the list?)
esthercjames
January 5, 2012
Great post — I think a lot of people will benefit from this advice. I really like that you added two advantages that proposal-writing newbies can bring to the nonprofits they’re working for. Freshness and authenticity can matter so much!
meredithdhilt
January 5, 2012
Thanks, Esther. I certainly hope newbies find encouragement here. I enjoy working with grantwriters of all experience levels.
Karanne Farling
January 15, 2012
All of this is good advice, and I have one more piece of wisdom to offer. I mentor a grant writer and I have had to remind him “Don’t make your reader work harder than you do”. In government grants, in particular there is a tendency to ask a lot of questions and the same question can come up again as part of a question in another section. Rather than refer the reader back to question #4 to learn about the agency ‘s mission, restate it simply in the answer to question #22. Why? First of all it is your job to be accommodating and to answer the questions as they are presented. Second, for the reader it is annoying to have to keep flipping through the proposal to understand it. Third, and I know this from having reviewed government proposal myself, they sometimes get pulled apart for review and questions 1-10 go to committee A for review and 11-21 to committee B. If you refer people back to answers that they don’t have in front of them, your audience will be lost and you will be penalized. You never know so you need answer every question as though you have never been asked before.
meredithdhilt
January 15, 2012
Well said, Karanne. As Nathaniel Hawthorne once said, “Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
The challenge is worth it. By helping your reader, you have a better chance of getting your message across — it’s a win-win.
Melanie Blank
March 19, 2012
Thanks, Meredith and others who commented.
From an almost grant writing rookie – an experienced tech writer interested in gaining knowledge about grant writing.
Melanie
meredithdhilt
March 19, 2012
Thanks for reading, Melanie. As an experienced writer, you will have fun applying your talent to grantwriting. Good luck!
Irene Mac Gregor
May 9, 2012
Thank you for an interesting blog. Agree with the repeating answers. There is so much competition for grants so do not give them any reason to discount yours. x
meredithdhilt
May 9, 2012
Irene – Thanks for reading, and you’re right that every bit helps. – Meredith
ITNBluegrass
May 9, 2012
Just saw this blog post and enjoyed it very much. Wanted to share one of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve ever gotten, one that has helped me so much with grant writing. The advice is to replace the tape in your head that says, “What do I want to say?” with “How do I want the reader to respond?” Sounds easy, but it’s much easier to fall back into just wanting to get the darn thing done!
Considering your audience (and what you want to have happen) means hooking the reader early (on an emotional level), being compelling by showing a little personality, and always asking yourself if what you write is something you would need/want to know if you were reading the grant request. And of course, always backing up your request with relevant and easily-understood data — consider your audience’s time and need to know!
meredithdhilt
May 10, 2012
Laura – Thanks for sharing that good advice. A writing expert shared similar advice with me along the same lines. She gave the example of someone who’s selling a drill. Does the customer need a drill? Not really, the customer needs a hole. We spend all of our time talking about the drill, when the customer needs to make a specific-sized hole. Always good to put yourself in the audience’s shoes! – Meredith
Tina Drews
May 14, 2012
Great Blog. Helped a great deal. Considering getting into the grant writing business as a consultant for nonprofits. I’ve done Peer Review work now I’d like to do the writing.
meredithdhilt
May 14, 2012
Thanks, Tina. Glad to hear it was helpful. Good luck as you begin consulting!
Bette Mc Donnell
May 20, 2012
Thanks much, Meredith. Lots of good insights in this discussion. As a new freelance grant writer (following years of experience as an employee grant writer), my work is underlined by my admiration of the non-profit (so far, clients & missions I really “get”) and a question I keep in mind: “How can I be of the greatest service here?” I believe that my support for the greater good, our interconnection (client, funder, people served), and, yes–my spiritual perspective, will all conspire to help me manifest good results – not least of which is a grant award!
meredithdhilt
May 21, 2012
Thank you, Bette. Love your “big picture” approach to grantwriting.