The learning never ends as a grant writer. As the industry evolves, as our organization evolves, and as we evolve, adjustments will be made.
Things that used to work may not work anymore.
This email is meant to remind us that parts of our routine may no longer be effective, and it is time to reevaluate.
For example…
Sponsored Content
The Freelance Grant Writer Academy is open. Enroll before the October 27 deadline.
When I began writing grants, I used every character. I believed that the more I expounded, the more stories I could tell, and the more descriptive I could be, the better my chances of winning a grant would be.
And it worked for more than a decade.
However, how we consume content has changed largely because of the internet. People, including grant funders, no longer want to read pages of content. They want clear, concise responses. They have hundreds of grants to review, and large blocks of text are tiring. Today, my narratives look very different. I use shorter paragraphs and bullet points. I am much more concise and less “War and Peace.”
Here are a few other common grant writing mistakes to watch for:
- Not answering the entire question– Many questions have multiple parts, and funders want each question answered and tied together in a concise response. For example, “What are your outcomes, and how will you know if your program is successful?”
Here is an example of how I lost a grant by making this mistake.
- Not researching the funder– Before adding a grant to your grant schedule, thoroughly research the funder. Does your proposal align with their funding goals? Do their 990s show that they have funded similar projects in recent years? Does your organization have the required documents required as part of the application? Don’t just wing it. Carefully vet the funder and the grant before applying.
- Making too many assumptions– Approach grant writing as if the funder knows NOTHING about your organization or what you do. Avoid esoteric jargon and fully explain your who, why, where, and when.
- Not being strategic with your ask– Review the funder’s 990 so that you know the range of the grants they award. Ask for a grant that is within that range and be sure to justify the ask in your budget and budget narrative.
- Not focusing the proposal on the impactful need- Much of grant success is about the wording. Rather than writing that the organization needs to hire a mental health counselor, reframe the need to center the people you serve. For example, “we aim to provide 1000 hours of mental health counseling.” Then, include the counselor salary in the budget.
Can you think of any other mistakes that I missed? If so, email them to me and I will write a follow up email to include them.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants
P.S. Are you new to Write Epic Grants? Don’t worry; all past emails are archived here. Head over there and don’t miss a thing.