At its most basic, grant writing is a matter of following directions and answering questions. However, certain factors can make the process feel more challenging, such as: 

• The complexity of the project itself
• Your comfort level and experience with grants
• Your time constraints and ability to focus

Just finding the time and brainpower to write a grant proposal can be an uphill battle for busy nonprofit leaders. In fact, lack of time and/or staff is the top challenge nonprofit leaders cited in Grant Station’s 2025 State of Grantseeking Report. If this is the case for your nonprofit, working with a contract grant writing agency could help you stay on track, be consistent with your fundraising strategy, and ultimately submit the grants. Seeking grants could not only open up new revenue streams, but also long-term partnerships and collaborations that will help you achieve and amplify your mission. 

What is the hardest part of writing a grant?

Opinions may vary, but I’ve found that the biggest challenge in grant writing is the mental barrier. It’s writer’s block in its truest form. You look at the grant guidelines and your vision goes blurry. You feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the whole process, and it’s easy to get discouraged and shut down – especially if you’re juggling multiple other responsibilities. At L Professional Writing, this is where we tend to make the biggest difference for our clients. We jump start the process, adding clarity and organization, and addressing and removing barriers our clients are experiencing.

How do you get past the mental barrier?

Slow down, take a deep breath, and break the process into smaller steps. Here’s an example:

1. Thoroughly read the guidelines, noting important nuances in the requirements.

2. Pull the grant questions into a blank document (such as Word or Google Docs).

Pro tip: Be sure to click on every box and/or put in content in every field in portals to capture EVERY drop down menu and question. Note questions that will require additional time and research, specific data points, or program information you don’t have yet.

3. Make a checklist of all required documents, certifications, signature pages, etc.

4. Create documents for requirements unique to the grant, such as a cover letter.

5. Take action on documents that require other parties’ assistance. For instance, loop your finance person in on the budget, send requests for Letters of Support (LOS), and alert your Board President if their signature and approval will be needed.

6. Conduct research and information gathering for the questions you noted earlier.

Pro tip: Use industry expertise/documents, and search engines to find relevant, up-to-date and critical scholarly research to bolster your case for support.

7. Answer the questions.

8. Draft the unique grant-related documents (cover letter, organizational summary).

9. Review and edit the grant and documents (and ask a team member or board member to review it as well!).

10. Collect the required attachments and prepare them to upload (and make sure they’re in the right format).

Perhaps the ultimate pro tip is: Start early. The earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to complete these steps and avoid last-minute stressors.

Love this checklist? Download it!

Grant Writing Hurdles (and How to Clear Them)

During this process, you may experience a few roadblocks that will add to the difficulty. See these roadblocks as opportunities:

The Grant Requirements are Complicated

Grants can get complex, especially government grants. They can have extensive requirements and use jargon that makes the guidelines feel encrypted. To better understand the opportunity, mine the funder’s site and grant databases for information. Funders’ FAQ sections are often rich sources of information, built upon questions other nonprofit leaders have asked. In addition, attend any webinars the funder might host about the opportunity and their process. And remember that there are real people behind each funding opportunity, including government grants. Most government grants have program officers, whose task is ensuring taxpayer dollars are being spent effectively. At the end of the day, they’re there to help you. Most funders are open to answering questions about grant opportunities.

You’re Herding Cats to Get Internal Information

It can be difficult to track down the information you need from team members, such as program information from program staff, financial documents from your finance person or team, and historic and current data about the organization from your systems and team members. See this as an opportunity to express the importance of a well-informed grant, and to improve systems of communication with your team members. 

You’re Struggling to Keep Track of Grant Details

Project management is a skill that takes time and practice to perfect – and there’s always more to learn! That’s why it’s one of the most difficult aspects of grant writing. Without attention to project management, you risk cutting it close on getting the data, information and attachments you need to apply on time. If you commit time to project management, you could save yourself from mistakes like missing a grant deadline.

This is another area where we’re able to make a significant difference for our clients. It’s difficult to find the capacity to stay on top of requirements and deadlines. Our team is dedicated to the task of grant writing, and we have systems in place to expertly manage grant calendars and strategies.

Post-Submission Grant Challenges

Sometimes, the biggest challenges come after you’ve submitted the grant. For example, if your grant isn’t awarded, handling the sense of rejection can be difficult. The best approach to rejection is to arm yourself with knowledge: Evaluate what might’ve gone wrong, pursue feedback from the funder, understand the funding landscape (especially given today’s funding climate) and strategize to improve for the next cycle – or skip the opportunity if it wasn’t aligned. 

On the other hand, if your grant is awarded, you must be prepared to execute on the project/program and track and report on the objectives you projected. This can be one of the greatest challenges in grant writing – and it’s not even about writing!

L Professional Writing is a professional grant writing agency in the Pikes Peak region. We have extensive grant writing expertise and knowledge of funders in our region and beyond. Contact us at info@lprowriting.com for a one-hour fit call/consultation, and sign up for our newsletter to get quarterly grant-related updates.