A “Grants” Refresh
Let's do a bit of a grants refresh for those who are dipping their toe in the water on grant pursuit or those who need a gentle reminder of some key grant principles:
💠 It is not about you. Grantors have their own priorities, preferences, and areas of emphasis. Spend time learning what they care about. Use the grant proposal to describe how your efforts, project or program align with their goals.
💠Make sure the grant is cohesive. The narrative, the budget, the activities and the outcomes should tell a story of what you plan to do with these grant dollars. Do not include data, activities, or budget line items that do not directly contribute to the project you are seeking funds to support.
💠 Make sure the grant is comprehensive. Include relevant data, materials, information, narrative, and budget needed to tell the whole story but do it within the confines of the grant instructions. Do not leave the reviewer questioning what you intend to do, who you intend to serve or how you intend to accomplish what you say you are going to do.
💠 Make sure your grant is compelling but don't just pad it with big words or flowery speech. Use persuasive language that evokes passion and demonstrates capacity. Avoid the tendency to use language that overreaches or oversells or is devoid of meaning.
Grants should be part of a nonprofit's resource development plan. Your responsibility is to pursue appropriate funders (do your research!) and present a strong proposal (write well!). Need help? Check out research and writing tools available at GrantStation.com or check out our grant writing modules HERE!
-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP
#getorganizedgetfunded #grants #grantwriting #research #funders #development
