grant writing services

grant writing services

Maximizing Success in Grant Writing: Strategies and Best Practices

1. Introduction to Grant Writing

There are sets of vital issues to consider in grant writing. The writers need to meet the requirements set by the grantor, meet the deadlines, understand the grantor’s needs, and express them with clarity, and provide accurate financial information. The study suggests that grantors typically discuss the significance of the study presented, the innovativeness, and the matching of the proposal to the requirement of the guide related to impact; therefore, failure to consider these fundamental aspects can result in rejection. Overall, ‘neutral responses’ are less common than positive or negative ones. Over half of the grants do not receive a neutral response from the grantors, indicating that the decision criteria are well defined. However, just a quarter of the sample gets both positive responses and passes the competitive selection process. Thus, the authors recommend the center focus of a proposal to be essential to factual requirements and not focus only on secondary impact measurements.

A grant is typically given on the basis of a ‘competitive’ selection process. Grant writing is an application process that involves writing a proposal to receive money, help, or any resource in some instance, including money from an individual, organization, federal government, or any other agency or department of the government. Often, the request for the grant includes submission of an application, a proposal, or call with a set of requirements. There is generally an expectation that the grant request should align with the goals of the grantor or funder, either to address societal problems or business problems, addressing the deficiency of personnel or for a project that the funder has developed a promotional involvement. The grant process has a series of ‘critical steps that if missed can potentially undermine success’. Due to the outside pressure and importance of securing funding, completion of the request can become more important than quality.

2. Understanding the Grant Writing Process

The overall process for writing a grant proposal is somewhat time-consuming, and to be even more direct, it is difficult. Grant funds are, in fact, precious, and the competition is typically very strong. Your application will be read and scored by the gatekeepers: your agency peers. They are experienced, non-profit grant writers, just like you. It is the next step after submitting the grant proposal that will determine if there is anything written in the letter that comes back to you that will cause the heart to thump in your chest. The postman has just delivered a thick envelope or express mail come with words of good news or a piece of paper that could really bum you out. Chances are you are thinking only about the next steps. What typically is in that fat envelope or folder? It consists of a lot of documents. They are not only important to the requesting agency; they are vitally important to how well the nonprofit executed the process.

In James Feminella’s book, Getting Your Share, he does a good job of directing our attention to the seriousness of the subject when he reminds us that federal grants are taxpayer funds being given to you and me who ask and comply with the rules and requirements on an honor basis. During our lifetime, these annual trillions of dollars come from fellow citizens, many working hard and not making much money. Let’s be grateful for the system and respect the process and do a good job rather than put in minimal effort to rake in as much as we can. Isn’t that what eating out of a free or low-cost meal kitchen window is like without doing a little work? Once the idea of respect for the process is in place, we are ready to discuss the basics of the overall proposal writing process.

3. Developing a Strong Grant Proposal

Your final product – a well-written grant proposal – makes you appear qualified to implement a particular project. You will also distinguish yourself from other potential recipients by addressing the selection criteria used to determine the winning proposals. The funding agency will use these rating criteria to evaluate your proposal. If these standard review criteria are not outlined in the RFP itself, obtain them. Your program officer or a knowledgeable federal contract officer can give you that information. Once you have developed a precise fit with the department looking to fund new programming, write the proposal to meet. All college grant proposal developers should recognize that the project dissemination plan is a fundamental determination of the project’s fundability. Where are the pressure points that could determine who wins the proposal competition? Under the rating/review criteria. Your immediate goal is to ensure that your project is fundable under these requirements. To become a winner in the world of competitive grants, read the RFP for project dissemination goals. If you cannot meet these goals, you should not write the proposal. This monograph advises grant seekers to apply for few grants but position these few extremely well. Instead of a scattershot approach, apply for projects that benchmark well with competitive college submittals. Become skilled at the award-winning distinction that elevates your college into a highly desirable partner or grantee. Based on prior briefings he has given around the nation, consultant Art Young predicts that well-conceived partnerships earn between 30% to 40% additional evaluation points. You do not want your college to be a lone ranger.

Following the initial planning and gathering steps, you will have (or, perhaps for a very complex grant proposal, you should have) a draft planning matrix, a preliminary support sheet, and a set of well-defined ideas or programs that your community will benefit from. Before spending hundreds of hours working on a full proposal, verify your ideas with key external reviewers. Identify potential funders. Why should you or your company invest time and energy in a lengthy grant strategy? Because most community colleges have a 15% to 20% success rate when it comes to winning federal or state awards. Instead of approaching a funder with a neat idea in hopes of matching it with program requirements, write an RFP and then carefully develop a concept and design that will address funder-specific goals.

4. Navigating the Grant Submission and Review Process

Your finance officer in the business office will provide information regarding the submission. An effective team effort would lead to successful submission. After submission, the best thing that applicants can do is to wait. This is an important moment for organizations to be recognized. This is also the time when applicants closely recognize how appropriate their order was. This is an excellent time to evaluate communication between colleagues and clarify how to approach tasks and issues that may not have been selected by reviewing the assignment. Evaluators are usually members of the review committee. Time will vary from two to five months, relying on the agency and the period of year.

After submission, applicants will be asked to sign acknowledgements and a form page that summarizes the application and proposes a budget. In addition, the applicant must check the contact information. When the application is submitted, the applicant will be sent an electronic acknowledgement verifying receipt of the application. However, this confirmation would not have any information regarding the status, such as application conditions, whether the application is checked, or whether the visitor has been offered. This feedback will be checked electronically and it can take 24-48 hours. If the application is denied, instructions on correcting the application would be provided. Applicants being awarded a scholarship will be sent awarded documents and returns instructions. Make sure that applications are submitted at least 5-7 days in advance to manage submission issues.

5. Tips for Securing Funding and Building Long-Term Relationships

Write to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the funding agency. Be honest and straightforward in the proposal without overhyping the research. Writing grants should reflect an attitude that the fiscal resources of the sponsor are not my private domain but a fund from which projects are selected that offer the best promise of achieving the goals of the program. Understand that the competition for research funding is increasing and that gaining access to projects is becoming more difficult. Fast response to all requests for information and for evaluations of proposed projects from your sponsoring agency will develop your credibility. If sponsored work is completed late, over budget, or of inferior quality, so will your future.

Finally, don’t overlook relationships. Seeking funding is an ongoing process that is best done through long-term relationship building. If you take nothing away from reading this book, let it be the simple adage “building relationships pays.” Early engagement in shared endeavors with potential funders is the best way to gain an understanding and appreciation of their interests, and to let them get to know you. If you don’t have a personal connection to a more distant potential funder, use a secured affiliation such as political connections or a mutual contact to smooth communications. The most successful fund development efforts are those that greatly overestimate the magnitude of the task. Effort may be reduced and mistakes will remain small when potential sources of funds are approached with an organized, well-planned approach that covers all the bases.