Grant Writing Essentials: A Guide to Writing Compelling Grants
If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of writing a grant, you’re not alone. People tend to swoon a little when we say we write grants at L Professional Writing. It’s not just the complexity of some grants that discourages people. It’s also the difficulty of finding the time and brainpower to write a good grant. In the busy, often scrappy world of nonprofits, it sounds like a lot of extra work.
What’s our secret?
Following directions.
Whether a grant has three questions and three attachments or 50 questions and 15 attachments, you’re always on the right track if you focus on the directions, questions and requirements. It’s just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. This approach applies from the funder selection phase all the way to the reporting phase.
To help you write a grant that checks all the boxes, we’ve put together a guide to grant writing basics (or essentials). We’ve also developed a grant proposal template you can use to house common, pertinent information that funders request ask for.
What are the steps to writing a compelling grant proposal?
Before you even get to the point of following a grant’s instructions and answering its questions, there’s a lot of groundwork to lay. You need to be able to answer a whole other set of questions first:
- Are you sure your mission aligns with that of this foundation, trust or company?
- Does your organization meet all of their requirements, or does it actually land somewhere on their “Does Not Fund” list?
- What does your organization actually need in terms of funding and programming?
- What impact will this grant have in your focus area?
- Do you have the capacity to follow through on this grant if funded, including required reporting?
Having all of this information upfront will not only provide clarity and save you time when it comes to writing it’s time to write the grant, it will also keep you from wasting time on an impractical proposal. We’ve identified five essential steps to writing a compelling grant proposal:
- Research (funder and scholarly)
- Information Gathering
- Grant Writing
- Reporting
- Project Management
Learn more about the five steps to writing a grant.
How do you structure a grant?
Each grant opportunity will have its own structure based on the funder’s needs and expectations. However, there are several common requirements. Our go-to grant outline includes:
- Mission and History of the Organization
- Need Statement
- Program or Project Description
- Evaluation and Outcomes
- Budget(s)
Learn more about structuring a grant.
What are the most common grant writing mistakes?
Even the most seasoned grant writers make mistakes. Some of the most common mistakes can be avoided with a thorough review of the grant requirements, a close read of your near-final draft, and a second set of eyes.
Learn how to catch common grant writing mistakes.
What are the biggest challenges with grant writing?
Watch for our upcoming blog on the topic of grant writing challenges.
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 contact@lprowriting.com for a one-hour fit call/consultation.
