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Applying for a Grant -- Hot Tips |
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The talent of applying for grant programs is called grantsmanship, and you can be certain that it's no easy task. Grant applications take a lot of skill and a lot of work on your behalf. They may also cost you money and time.
There are several things you should consider during grant applications. Below are a few:
Make a difference in your community.
That is the purpose of grants after all. Bear this in mind even before you approach that agency and apply for a grant. Be sure that your project is something that is going to help them improve the community. Your grant application should be in harmony with the overall goal of your prospective funding source.
Learn about the specific goals of your funding source.
Although the general goal is to make a difference, you also need to know the particulars for grant application. Ask the staff at the grant agency. They will be eager to tell you.
In addition, you can ask them if they give funding to your local area. It is possible that some of these agencies offer grants to entrepreneurs operating in a particular area. If you are one of these entrepreneurs, you have a better chance at getting a local grant than a national one.
Also, the agencies may also tell you what institutions they grant funds. This type of information would be a great help in your grant application.
Know the person who would be evaluating your proposal.
Is it a person who knows nothing of your field? Or is it someone who knows a lot about your field and what is going on? If they know nothing about your field, you need to avoid getting into the technical information that they may not understand. Write your grant application with their level of understanding in mind. If they are familiar with your field, then it is acceptable to use more technical definitions. But the rule should always be to write clearly. Use jargons only when utterly necessary.
Be familiar with your fund source.
It will help you to know how to frame the information in your proposal. Always confirm your statements with facts and a clear understanding of the need for the funding.
Prepare a budget that is easy to understand and clear on what it is you want to do.
Be as thorough as possible in your proposed budget. Always fully explain everything that is going to require funding and include other match funding from other organizations. Doing so would give your funding agency a clear picture of what your proposal entails.
No matter what, never ever throw together a proposal and hope for the best. It never works and they see through the sloppiness right away. In fact, the proposal is half of your grant application, and it is the one half over which you have complete control. Don't muck it up.
Do not spend a lot of money going overboard on the presentation.
It hardly ever impresses the funding agency. Never forgo the content of your proposal for style of the presentation. If you must spend money, spend it on the amount of planning you need for the project, not solely on presentation.
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