Earlier today, I had a Zoom call with a funder in preparation for a government grant.
She represents the pass-through organization for the federal funding, and I really enjoyed the call. I learned a great deal, so I want to share it with you.
It is rare for me to have calls with a funder like this. She REALLY wants organizations to be funded, and she shares all the nitty-gritty tips and tricks.
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Her suggestions obviously do not apply to every grant, but it is food for thought.
Here was her advice:
- Focus on the purpose of the funding. If the funding focus is secondary to your primary mission, explain that.
- Use bullets. She prefers bullet points that are concise and clear rather than rambling paragraphs, where writers tend to repeat themselves and go off-topic.
- Use “copy” sparingly. The copy feature can be helpful with certain parts of the application, such as the address and SAM number. She explained that she sees mistakes copied from previous years and content that isn’t updated. These are big red flags.
- Answer the question entirely. There is a two-part question on their application, and she mentioned that 75% of respondents forget the second part.
- When requesting additional funding, funders want to see that you are either expanding to serve additional people or improving the quality of programming. If you request additional funding, propose something new and improved.
It was refreshing to speak to a funder who was genuine and explicit about her recommendations. I left the call feeling confident going into this grant, and I will apply these tips to other grants, as well.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants