3 WISE Ways to Make Your Grants Stand Out
By Strategy Partner Heather Quinn, CFRE
When getting started writing grants, the whole idea can seem very overwhelming. There’s all kinds of coded language, weird requests, and (sometimes) a standoffish feeling from funders. Asking for money is not something that comes naturally to everyone. Luckily, there’s a few key tips that will get any grant writer off on the right foot.
1. Relationships Are Everything
It may surprise you, but the highest ROI in grant writing comes from developing relationships.
Before ever submitting a grant proposal, you must try to make personal contact with someone at the foundation/corporation/wherever you are applying. This will most likely be a program officer or a grants administrator, but at smaller funders, might be the President or Director.
Treat this like any other relationship and get to know them, what they are looking for, and what would help them reach their goals before asking for anything. Best case scenario, you can offer them a stellar program that will help them reach their funding dreams!
This extends to after you hit "Submit". Continue to communicate throughout the year with your contact. This will keep you top of mind even when they're not in the middle of a grant cycle.
2. If the Shoe Fits, Wear It
After researching the funder and establishing a relationship, you've got a good idea of whether your program is going to fit. First of all, if it's not a fit, move on to the next one. If you have done all the relationship building work, you're not going to build trust by submitting something that completely contradicts what your new friend told you. There is always a funder out there that's a better fit.
If you've done your research, had great conversations, and built a relationship that has established your program as a great fit, own it! Write your proposal with active language, avoiding statements like "we believe" or "we think". Match the tone the funder uses and stick in some of the keywords that you’ve read or heard from them in your conversations or on their website. This will make your proposal customized to what they’re looking for instead of just a copy/paste job– they’ll take notice.
3. Reuse & Recycle
Finally, once you get a few grants under your belt, you’ll see that many parts of grants repeat: organization history, the need, and program descriptions, to name a few. Once you’ve developed some writing you like and converts to winning grants, save this template language so future proposals go so much faster! Don't forget common attachments or supporting documents. I’m a big believer in not doing the same work twice or reinventing the wheel. Just remember to personalize each proposal with those keywords and match whatever format your funder is looking for. The more organized you are with responses ready to go, the more you'll stand out from the pack.
These basic tips really support an entire grant writing program and process. Need help with launching a grant writing program? Contact us today to learn how we can help.