Effective Strategies for Grant to Work
Seeking grant funding is highly competitive. Your grant project may look feasible to you. But still you cannot be sure if it will be awarded with funds because you have not seen the work of the other grant applicants. For this reason, you have to do everything to make sure that your grant proposal, as well as the project itself, will capture the interest of the funding organizations or agencies. How? Here are five key strategies to make sure that your application for grant will work:
1. Determine your funding source.
Some organizations opt for a generic proposal that they will submit to all their funding sources. This is not a wise move. If a generic proposal is available, try to include information that each of the funding sources will require from you. You see, funding organizations have different grant guidelines. You must be able to attend to all their requirements. So, if you have five target funders, you must be able to create five different proposals. Now, if you will prefer to focus on one grant application only, choose the funding agency that will fit your project best. Analyze its guidelines carefully and make sure that all their information requirements, as well as format, font size, font type, and others, are included in the proposal. (For a customized grant proposal, please check the web site of Allied Grant Writers.)
2. Communicate earlier with your funding agency.
Some foundations or funding organizations prefer that grant applicants communicate with them first; so, they can easily tell the applicants if their proposed projects will be worth their time and effort. In addition, they require or recommend this process so they can give some helpful insights to the applicants. So, if this is stated in your chosen funding source, communicate with them immediately. Tell them your ideas; but, make sure that you are prepared and that you are not just holding a storytelling session. Make an impressive “presentation”.
3. Collaborate with other groups.
Collaboration is very important to funders. They believe that this process reveals the validity of the goal of the organization to provide assistance to their target population. By collaborating with local organizations, community groups, and others, the organization leaves an impression that it is truly aiming for success because it seeks the help of other organizations.
Make sure that you have already identified the names of the organizations that will become a part of your project. It is not truthful if you will just say “The organization has collaborated with other organizations within the community.” This is vague. Funders will not accept this. Moreover, you have to include in the grant proposal the role that each group will play in your program. Do not forget also to request for their letter of support, which will be included in the application.
4. Begin early.
If you think that your chosen funding agency will not give you enough time to write the proposal, gather people who will make up your project team, and others, do not consider this funding source. Look for another funder that will allow you to move slowly, but surely. Things that are done in a hurry, most of the time, do not produce good results. It is always recommended for applicants to start working on their grant application process at an early time. So, look for funders that will require submission of grant proposal in a month or longer. In this way, you will be able to maximize the use of time and you will be able to review your application. You may also be able to seek review assistance from other experts.
5. Plan your budget with heart.
Yes, you read it right—with heart. Why is this so? Some organizations cannot help themselves from feeling greedy. They ask too much. They thought that funding agencies will not be able to know, if for instance, they are asking too much. This is false. Funding agencies can detect greediness on the part of the applicants. So make sure that you are presenting an accurate budget plan. You may ask the help of professionals on this matter.
6. Focus on your goals and objectives.
Do not create programs that are already unrelated to your goals and objectives. If you do, you will only make the reviewers of your grant proposal frown and, worse, you will not be able to explain your project better. Worst, you will not be able to win the grant.
