Most of the grant applications I have completed recently have a question that basically asks, “If we give you money, what’s in it for us?”
Of course, not in those words.
The grant I applied for this morning used this language:
“What recognition opportunities will be afforded to the DAV Charitable Service Trust if funds are awarded?”
What is the best way to answer this question?
Grant Writing Tip of the Day
Always make sure your numbers match. The narrative, the program budget, and the outcomes must all match numbers.
Before you respond to this question, meet with the appropriate person in your organization. One of my clients uses a marketing firm to handle PR and social media, so I met with them to find out how they want to handle the recognition of grant funders. They created a visual for me detailing how they will promote grants, and now I can use that to inform funders.
One of my clients hosts several large annual events. They are willing to fly a banner of grant funders at those events. I estimate the reach of each event and let the funders know that the recognition banner will reach X number of people.
Responding to this question is more about collecting information from the proper channels and synthesizing it into something convincing.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants