It was a lovely, cool morning in Atlanta, so I took my coffee outside to enjoy the outdoors. I started listening to an audiobook about the neuroscience of manifestation. It is a fascinating topic, and understanding the neuroplasticity of our brains can truly help us improve our lives.
The author described the power of manifestation when he told the story of how he pictured his dream house, complete with a balcony overlooking the sea. Several years later, he bought that exact dream house. Five years after that, he found himself estranged from his daughter, and his wife left him.
Standing alone in the empty house didn’t feel much like his dream life, and he pondered where he went wrong.
He concluded that he manifested a “house,” not a “home.” He left the “heart” out of his manifestation.
This story got me thinking about how this applies to grant writing.
When I write a grant, I strive to convey every detail of the non-profit and the people we serve. I write and rewrite narratives, struggle to meet word and character counts and do my best to answer every part of the question.
While focusing on all this technical stuff, I am focusing on the house. But, the home is the important part.
Home is where the heart is- and every successful grant proposal conveys the heart.
Every home needs a sound structure. We must follow the directions, answer every question, meet the word count, state the mission, report the number of clients served, etc.
Once the house is built, we need to make it a home. We do this by adding the heart. Tell a touching client story, describe what it feels like to be part of the organization, provide a testimonial, tell the story of why the organization was founded, etc.
When I started writing grants, I built excellent houses. And I didn’t win grants.
I started winning grants when I learned how to add the heart to the house and turn it into a home.
Until next time,
Write Epic Grants