Category Archives: Veronica Robbins

Grant Writing – Don’t Chase the Money

You have seen this here before – Chase your dream (your vision, your mission), not the money.  I know it sounds counter-intuitive to you, especially if you are a non-profit executive or school administrator who is just trying to keep your programs alive, but it’s important.  Not only is a focus on the money rather than your mission the surest way to get pulled off-track with your work, but most savvy funders can see right through the ruse. You end up doing more work for less return.

It just makes more sense to stay focused on your mission than  to keep trying to fit the square peg of the funding source in front of you into the round hole that is your organization’s mission-driven need.

No matter how hard I try to educate my clients, I saw it again last week,  As I met with a client to discuss the details about a grant the said they wanted to pursue, it became obvious that this grant opportunity is not aligned with the organization’s current priorities.  Yes, they could go for it.  They might even get it, but then they’d have to implement a program that is not aligned with where they say they want to go…..and all this for a couple of million dollars that they wouldn’t be allowed to spend on what they really need anyway..

Let’s say you need $100 to get to New York next month for a family reunion and someone offered to give you $200, but only if you would go to Santa Cruz next month. Would you take it?  Only if you really wanted to go to Santa Cruz instead of New York anyway. If not, you’d probably be focused enough to know that spending next month in Santa Cruz would take you off track from your plan to get to New York for the family reunion and you wouldn’t take that deal.  You’d keep looking for someone who could help you get to New York.

You should keep the same level of focus with your grant research. Keep your mission and vision front and center, and look for the funding sources to help you get there.

—————————–

Would you like a free 30-day trial membership at GrantGoddess.com? Send an email requesting a free 30-day trial with your first and last names and email address.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Grant Writing Mistakes to Avoid

The list of grant writing mistakes to avoid could be longer than the list of tips to do it right because there are so many ways to slip up, particularly when writing large and complex government grants. Here’s a quick list of a few mistakes to avoid that have come up lately:

Mistake #1: Not reading everything in the RFP.  This may seem like a no-brainer to you, but you would be surprised how often people don’t read everything. Reading everything in the RFP is so important that you should do it no matter how many times you have written a particular category of grant.  Things change.  Yes, they really do. I’m working on a grant project right now that has undergone some major modifications.  The RFP is full of brand new detail, websites to visit, and assessments to review.  Calling it complex would be a bit of an understatement. It would be a huge mistake not to read absolutely everything.

Mistake #2: Not participating in the informational conference calls and webinars. About 50% of the time, there is nothing shared on the informational call that is not also in the RFP; however, half the time, some valuable detail is shared that will give you a competitive advantage.  Ok, ok, I know.  That’s not supposed to be the way it works.  Everything you need to apply is supposed to be included in the Federal Register announcement and the RFP, but that’s just not the way it works. I know an organization that was denied funding because they did not comply with a restriction that was explained in the informational webinar and not in the RFP.  It’s still in appeal, but it would have been a lot easier just to participate in the webinar.

Mistake #3: Not using the checklist provided in the RFP.  This is such a common mistake, that many funding agencies now require that you include the checklist in your application.  It’s their way of making sure that you have actually looked at the checklist.  Using the checklist helps you be sure not to leave required pieces out of your application.  It won’t help you with the quality of the narrative response (follow the scoring criteria for that), but it will help you submit all the required documents in the right order.

Mistake #4:  Waiting until the last minute to call with your questions. This requires some advance planning. You can call to ask questions, but the representative from the funding agency will usually not answer the phone, and he/she may not return your call in a timely manner.  If you have waited until the last day to ask a critical question, you’ll be out of luck. 

Mistake #5: Not reading the FAQs or supplemental information suggested in the RFP. This is related to mistake #1 (above), but often people do not think that the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are really part of the RFP, so they don’t read them.  Some agencies publish the FAQs separately.  They can contain some very valuable clarifying information.  The same is true of supplemental information referred to in the RFA.  Sometimes the website the funder is pointing you to really is just for extra information that you don’t need or may already know, but from time to time those references include critical information that will make the difference between success and failure.


Mistake #6:  Including needs that you don’t plan on addressing in the project.  It’s really easy to get carried away providing all sorts of information about how needy your organization is, but you need to be sure that you target your needs section toward the project at hand.  If you identify a need, then your project to address that need (at least in part).  Remember, all of the sections of your proposal need to be connected – from needs, to goals and objectives, to design, to management, to evaluation, to budget.

——————————-

Related Posts:


Five Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Grant Objectives

How Can the Grant You Just Finished Help Make You a Better Writer?


Lessons Learned from Failure

Top 10 Lessons I Learned from My Grant Writing Mentor

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Grant Writing Mistakes to Avoid

The list of grant writing mistakes to avoid could be longer than the list of tips to do it right because there are so many ways to slip up, particularly when writing large and complex government grants. Here’s a quick list of a few mistakes to avoid that have come up lately:

Mistake #1: Not reading everything in the RFP.  This may seem like a no-brainer to you, but you would be surprised how often people don’t read everything. Reading everything in the RFP is so important that you should do it no matter how many times you have written a particular category of grant.  Things change.  Yes, they really do. I’m working on a grant project right now that has undergone some major modifications.  The RFP is full of brand new detail, websites to visit, and assessments to review.  Calling it complex would be a bit of an understatement. It would be a huge mistake not to read absolutely everything.

Mistake #2: Not participating in the informational conference calls and webinars. About 50% of the time, there is nothing shared on the informational call that is not also in the RFP; however, half the time, some valuable detail is shared that will give you a competitive advantage.  Ok, ok, I know.  That’s not supposed to be the way it works.  Everything you need to apply is supposed to be included in the Federal Register announcement and the RFP, but that’s just not the way it works. I know an organization that was denied funding because they did not comply with a restriction that was explained in the informational webinar and not in the RFP.  It’s still in appeal, but it would have been a lot easier just to participate in the webinar.

Mistake #3: Not using the checklist provided in the RFP.  This is such a common mistake, that many funding agencies now require that you include the checklist in your application.  It’s their way of making sure that you have actually looked at the checklist.  Using the checklist helps you be sure not to leave required pieces out of your application.  It won’t help you with the quality of the narrative response (follow the scoring criteria for that), but it will help you submit all the required documents in the right order.

Mistake #4:  Waiting until the last minute to call with your questions. This requires some advance planning. You can call to ask questions, but the representative from the funding agency will usually not answer the phone, and he/she may not return your call in a timely manner.  If you have waited until the last day to ask a critical question, you’ll be out of luck. 

Mistake #5: Not reading the FAQs or supplemental information suggested in the RFP. This is related to mistake #1 (above), but often people do not think that the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are really part of the RFP, so they don’t read them.  Some agencies publish the FAQs separately.  They can contain some very valuable clarifying information.  The same is true of supplemental information referred to in the RFA.  Sometimes the website the funder is pointing you to really is just for extra information that you don’t need or may already know, but from time to time those references include critical information that will make the difference between success and failure.


Mistake #6:  Including needs that you don’t plan on addressing in the project.  It’s really easy to get carried away providing all sorts of information about how needy your organization is, but you need to be sure that you target your needs section toward the project at hand.  If you identify a need, then your project to address that need (at least in part).  Remember, all of the sections of your proposal need to be connected – from needs, to goals and objectives, to design, to management, to evaluation, to budget.

——————————-

Related Posts:


Five Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Grant Objectives

How Can the Grant You Just Finished Help Make You a Better Writer?


Lessons Learned from Failure

Top 10 Lessons I Learned from My Grant Writing Mentor

Reflections on Freedom

It’s hard for me to celebrate Independence Day without taking some time to reflect about the powerful impact of freedom on my life – both personally and professionally. I think many of us take it for granted.  We don’t understand that are millions of people across the globe who don’t have the freedom that we enjoy here in America and several other nations.

As a woman, I am particularly grateful for the blessings of liberty.  There are places in the world today where women are legally treated as property, where the education of a woman (either at all or beyond basic literacy) is forbidden, and where a woman’s ability to think and reason is not recognized or accepted.

As a writer, I recognize that I enjoy the benefits of freedom every day.  My writing is not censored and, for the most part, I write without fear of serious repercussion of any kind.  Of course, I need to be responsible about how I use my gift or I will experience some unpleasant consequences, but the government doesn’t tell me what I can write and what I can’t.  I don’t have to worry about my livelihood being threatened because I write something that offends a government official, and I don’t have to worry about my life or the lives of my family being in danger because of what I have to say in print.

As a Christian, I am blessed daily with the right to worship freely, to gather with other believers, and to publicly profess my faith if I choose (or to keep it myself, if I prefer). There are still places in the world where freedom of worship is not accepted. Christians are persecuted today as they were two thousand years ago, but not me.  I am among the fortunate ones.

The question that strikes me, though, is “What are we doing with this amazing gift of freedom?”  We have the right to speak out against (verbally and in writing) the injustices around us, but we often don’t.  We have the right to practice our faith openly, yet many choose not to.

Many of our Founding Fathers risked their lives practicing these rights.  They were that important to them. And no discussion of our freedoms is complete without remembering and respecting the sacrifice of the many thousands of men and women over the years who have died defending them.  What did they die for?  My right to play Farmville? 

Don’t we cheapen their sacrifice if we don’t exercise our freedom in a way that helps others and makes the world a better place? Many before us feared for their lives.  Many of us fear ridicule or social consequences if we use our freedom to speak up for what is right, to defend others (particularly those who cannot defend themselves). I think it is one of our responsibilities to do so….or we’ll eventually lose it.  This is especially true in a time when political discourse has commonly degenerated into meaningless arguments and more and more people are content to be supported by the efforts of others rather than to earn their own way.

Yes, you may have the freedom to do nothing, but exercising that freedom in that way may result in your children having far fewer liberties than you so.  Can you live with that?

So, happy Independence Day!  How are you going to celebrate your freedom?

——————————-

GrantGoddess.com

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

Reflections on Freedom

It’s hard for me to celebrate Independence Day without taking some time to reflect about the powerful impact of freedom on my life – both personally and professionally. I think many of us take it for granted.  We don’t understand that are millions of people across the globe who don’t have the freedom that we enjoy here in America and several other nations.

As a woman, I am particularly grateful for the blessings of liberty.  There are places in the world today where women are legally treated as property, where the education of a woman (either at all or beyond basic literacy) is forbidden, and where a woman’s ability to think and reason is not recognized or accepted.

As a writer, I recognize that I enjoy the benefits of freedom every day.  My writing is not censored and, for the most part, I write without fear of serious repercussion of any kind.  Of course, I need to be responsible about how I use my gift or I will experience some unpleasant consequences, but the government doesn’t tell me what I can write and what I can’t.  I don’t have to worry about my livelihood being threatened because I write something that offends a government official, and I don’t have to worry about my life or the lives of my family being in danger because of what I have to say in print.

As a Christian, I am blessed daily with the right to worship freely, to gather with other believers, and to publicly profess my faith if I choose (or to keep it myself, if I prefer). There are still places in the world where freedom of worship is not accepted. Christians are persecuted today as they were two thousand years ago, but not me.  I am among the fortunate ones.

The question that strikes me, though, is “What are we doing with this amazing gift of freedom?”  We have the right to speak out against (verbally and in writing) the injustices around us, but we often don’t.  We have the right to practice our faith openly, yet many choose not to.

Many of our Founding Fathers risked their lives practicing these rights.  They were that important to them. And no discussion of our freedoms is complete without remembering and respecting the sacrifice of the many thousands of men and women over the years who have died defending them.  What did they die for?  My right to play Farmville? 

Don’t we cheapen their sacrifice if we don’t exercise our freedom in a way that helps others and makes the world a better place? Many before us feared for their lives.  Many of us fear ridicule or social consequences if we use our freedom to speak up for what is right, to defend others (particularly those who cannot defend themselves). I think it is one of our responsibilities to do so….or we’ll eventually lose it.  This is especially true in a time when political discourse has commonly degenerated into meaningless arguments and more and more people are content to be supported by the efforts of others rather than to earn their own way.

Yes, you may have the freedom to do nothing, but exercising that freedom in that way may result in your children having far fewer liberties than you so.  Can you live with that?

So, happy Independence Day!  How are you going to celebrate your freedom?

——————————-

GrantGoddess.com

The Detail Dilemma of Grant Writing

There are many things that make grant writing a challenging endeavor.  One of those things is something I call the “detail dilemma.” Knowing how much detail to include about your need, your project design, your activities and your evaluation is not always obvious.  In fact, it is one of the things that new grant writers struggle with most.

On the one hand, you need to provide enough detail to make your plans perfectly clear to the readers and to thoroughly address the scoring criteria.  On the other hand, you usually also have a page limit pressing against you and keeping you from providing as much detail as you might like to include.

It makes it worse when the guidance from the funding source is nebulous.  I participated in a webinar this morning during which a funder was providing guidance for a grant due next week.  This one has no page limitation for the narrative (a very rare situation), and lots of terms like “describe thoroughly” and “provide detail about” in the RFP.  When asked for some guidance, the funder’s representative simply replied, “Well, don’t write too much, and be succinct, but you need to describe your plan thoroughly and provide enough detail so the readers will feel comfortable about how you addressed the scoring criteria.”

Leave it to the government to provide a non-answer to a perfectly legitimate question. Sometimes you just want to yell, “Can’t you give me a straight answer?”

So, what do you do?

Here’s the advice I give to others (and the advice I try to follow myself):

  1. Assume that your reader knows nothing about your organization and what you do.  You need to provide enough detail for someone who knows nothing about you to understand a) who you are, b) what you are planning to do, and c) how you plan to do it.
  2. Provide more detail in sections that will gain you higher points. Remember, it’s a numbers game.  It’s a subjective numbers game, but a numbers game nonetheless.
  3. Provide more detail in the first several pages, regardless of how many points are allocated for the first section.  The first few pages that the readers see set the tone for their attitude for your whole proposal.  You need to start off strong sounding competent and like you have thought it all through.
  4. If you have no page limitation, or if you have more room left than you have already used, ask yourself, “What additional details I can provide that would help the readers select this project over another?”  Then add to your narrative accordingly.
  5. Read through your proposal to make sure it is focused on the scoring criteria.  Sometimes, writers fill their proposals with information they think is interesting, but that has little to do with what the funder wants to know.  I call this extra stuff “grant noise”. Keep the grant noise to a minimum.  Focus on what the funder is asking and choose a simple project design. Sometimes pulling out all the “noise” helps you see where you need to add detail.
  6. Give your proposal to someone who has not been involved in the development of the project, and ask their opinion.  If there is anything that they think is unclear, add more detail to clarify the point.  This is definitely a time to “check your ego at the door.”  Even if you think you said it clearly, if your friendly reader needed more explanation, the funder’s readers probably will,  too.

—————————-

Want more grant writing tips?  Try 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers and consider taking an online grant writing seminar or course through the Online Learning Center.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

The Detail Dilemma of Grant Writing

There are many things that make grant writing a challenging endeavor.  One of those things is something I call the “detail dilemma.” Knowing how much detail to include about your need, your project design, your activities and your evaluation is not always obvious.  In fact, it is one of the things that new grant writers struggle with most.

On the one hand, you need to provide enough detail to make your plans perfectly clear to the readers and to thoroughly address the scoring criteria.  On the other hand, you usually also have a page limit pressing against you and keeping you from providing as much detail as you might like to include.

It makes it worse when the guidance from the funding source is nebulous.  I participated in a webinar this morning during which a funder was providing guidance for a grant due next week.  This one has no page limitation for the narrative (a very rare situation), and lots of terms like “describe thoroughly” and “provide detail about” in the RFP.  When asked for some guidance, the funder’s representative simply replied, “Well, don’t write too much, and be succinct, but you need to describe your plan thoroughly and provide enough detail so the readers will feel comfortable about how you addressed the scoring criteria.”

Leave it to the government to provide a non-answer to a perfectly legitimate question. Sometimes you just want to yell, “Can’t you give me a straight answer?”

So, what do you do?

Here’s the advice I give to others (and the advice I try to follow myself):

  1. Assume that your reader knows nothing about your organization and what you do.  You need to provide enough detail for someone who knows nothing about you to understand a) who you are, b) what you are planning to do, and c) how you plan to do it.
  2. Provide more detail in sections that will gain you higher points. Remember, it’s a numbers game.  It’s a subjective numbers game, but a numbers game nonetheless.
  3. Provide more detail in the first several pages, regardless of how many points are allocated for the first section.  The first few pages that the readers see set the tone for their attitude for your whole proposal.  You need to start off strong sounding competent and like you have thought it all through.
  4. If you have no page limitation, or if you have more room left than you have already used, ask yourself, “What additional details I can provide that would help the readers select this project over another?”  Then add to your narrative accordingly.
  5. Read through your proposal to make sure it is focused on the scoring criteria.  Sometimes, writers fill their proposals with information they think is interesting, but that has little to do with what the funder wants to know.  I call this extra stuff “grant noise”. Keep the grant noise to a minimum.  Focus on what the funder is asking and choose a simple project design. Sometimes pulling out all the “noise” helps you see where you need to add detail.
  6. Give your proposal to someone who has not been involved in the development of the project, and ask their opinion.  If there is anything that they think is unclear, add more detail to clarify the point.  This is definitely a time to “check your ego at the door.”  Even if you think you said it clearly, if your friendly reader needed more explanation, the funder’s readers probably will,  too.

—————————-

Want more grant writing tips?  Try 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers and consider taking an online grant writing seminar or course through the Online Learning Center.

Two Great Opportunities for Grant Writing Resources Are Slipping Away

Two big opportunities are coming to an end in the next few days, so I thought I’d send out an announcement so you can take advantage of them before it’s too late.

First, the opportunity to become a member at GrantGoddess.com for the early-bird membership rate of $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) ends on Monday.  Beginning June 1st, the membership price will go up to $19.99 per month (or $199.99 per year).  It’s a bargain at the regular rate, but why miss this great chance to lock in the reduced pri9ce forever?

Members get unlimited access to articles, webinars, videos, and other resources on grant writing, grant seeking, program evaluation, and non-profit development. This summer, we’ll be offering our first, full-blown online grant writing course, and members will get the first chance at registration and a dramatically decreased registration fee.  Go to the member information page to get more information and to sign up before June 1st.

As if that’s not enough, if you become a member between today and 11:59 p.m. on May 31st, I’ll also give you a FREE copy of my book, 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers!  If you live within the United States, I’ll pay for shipping, too!

And here’s another opportunity — If you go to our Grant Goddess Facebook page and click on the “Like” button at the top of the page by midnight tonight (5/28), you’ll have a chance to win of TEN free books I’ll be giving away! Tomorrow morning, I’ll be randomly selecting 10 friends/fans from that page and contacting them to send them a free 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers book!  If they live in the U.S., shipping will be free, too.

Our Grant Goddess Facebook page focuses on electronic and multimedia resources for grant writing.  We post grant tips, sources, inspiration, and other interesting tidbits. It’s 100% free and it’s focused on providing information, not selling anything.

So, act now to take advantage of these two great opportunities before they slip away forever.

Two Great Opportunities for Grant Writing Resources Are Slipping Away

Two big opportunities are coming to an end in the next few days, so I thought I’d send out an announcement so you can take advantage of them before it’s too late.

First, the opportunity to become a member at GrantGoddess.com for the early-bird membership rate of $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) ends on Monday.  Beginning June 1st, the membership price will go up to $19.99 per month (or $199.99 per year).  It’s a bargain at the regular rate, but why miss this great chance to lock in the reduced pri9ce forever?

Members get unlimited access to articles, webinars, videos, and other resources on grant writing, grant seeking, program evaluation, and non-profit development. This summer, we’ll be offering our first, full-blown online grant writing course, and members will get the first chance at registration and a dramatically decreased registration fee.  Go to the member information page to get more information and to sign up before June 1st.

As if that’s not enough, if you become a member between today and 11:59 p.m. on May 31st, I’ll also give you a FREE copy of my book, 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers!  If you live within the United States, I’ll pay for shipping, too!

And here’s another opportunity — If you go to our Grant Goddess Facebook page and click on the “Like” button at the top of the page by midnight tonight (5/28), you’ll have a chance to win of TEN free books I’ll be giving away! Tomorrow morning, I’ll be randomly selecting 10 friends/fans from that page and contacting them to send them a free 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers book!  If they live in the U.S., shipping will be free, too.

Our Grant Goddess Facebook page focuses on electronic and multimedia resources for grant writing.  We post grant tips, sources, inspiration, and other interesting tidbits. It’s 100% free and it’s focused on providing information, not selling anything.

So, act now to take advantage of these two great opportunities before they slip away forever.

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com

101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers

Yes, it’s finally here!  You can now pre-order a copy of 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers. This 169-page book by Veronica Robbins is divided into 13 chapters, and is designed to walk you through the preparation of a grant application from start to finish.

If you pre-order between now and April 22, 2010 you can get the book for only $8.95 (that’s $4.00 off the $14.95 cover price). All pre-orders will ship around April 23, 2010.

The chapters included in 101 Tips for Aspiring Grant Writers are:

  • General Grant Writing Tips
  • Expressing Your Need for the Grant
  • Goals and Objectives
  • Program Design
  • Management Plan
  • Personnel
  • Evaluation
  • Budget
  • Editing
  • Formatting
  • Assembly and Mailing
  • Ethics
  • Finding Grants

Extra bonus!  Anyone who pre-orders by April 15, 2010 will receive an autographed copy of the book, signed by the author!

Published by Creative Resources & Research http://grantgoddess.com