Today at 3:00 p.m. PST, Tips from the Grant Goddess on BlogTalkRadio will focus on Current Federal Grant Opportunities.
In this episode, the Grant Goddess will review several current federal grant opportunities for schools, school districts, and social service non-profit agencies. She will discuss the key features and requirements of each opportunity, her tips for success, and some things to consider in making the decision if each opportunity is right for you. You won’t want to miss this one!
Today at 3:00 p.m. PST, Tips from the Grant Goddess on BlogTalkRadio will focus on Current Federal Grant Opportunities.
In this episode, the Grant Goddess will review several current federal grant opportunities for schools, school districts, and social service non-profit agencies. She will discuss the key features and requirements of each opportunity, her tips for success, and some things to consider in making the decision if each opportunity is right for you. You won’t want to miss this one!
I often have conversations with people say they wish they were better writers. They usually speak as if writing were a talent that you either have or you don’t. While I think it’s true that some people have more of a natural gift than others, the core skills of writing in general, and grant writing in particular, can be learned and improved over time. Of course, as with most things that don’t come easy, people usually just want to be better without putting in the time, effort, and work.
I have also been asked if there are any shortcuts. Well, I don’t think you can get around the time part of the time-effort equation, and there has to be some effort involved, too, but I do have some suggestions for anyone who is on a journey to be a better writer.
Be forewarned – these are bigger picture suggestions, not technical suggestions like always proofread your work, use spell-check, take a class, etc., although I certainly think those are good ideas and important things to do if you are serious about improving your writing.
Here’s the most important thing you can do to be a better writer…..
Be a reader.
I don’t know anyone who is (or was) a good writer who isn’t (or wasn’t) also an avid reader. Everything you read teaches you something – about language, grammar, vocabulary. The beauty of it is that you don’t necessarily realize it at the time.
And don’t limit yourself to reading only within the genre that you write. Read anything and everything that interests you. Grant writing is ultimately about telling a story. Your grant writing skill can be greatly enhanced by reading fiction, as well as non-fiction.
Here’s the list of what I have read within the last 7 days:
This list doesn’t even count all the email, regular mail, and catalogs I looked through this week. Also, I didn’t read any magazines this week, but I usually do.
I read something for pleasure every day. I read something for inspiration every day. I read something for my own ongoing education every day. When all three of those come together in the same piece of reading, I get to experience pure joy.
The typical response when a share a list like this is that I must have lots of time on my hands. That makes me laugh. I try to remember what a good friend of mine told me long ago, “We make time for those things (and people) that are important to us.” It’s easy to see what you really value by examining how you spend your time. If you don’t think your values are being accurately reflected in how you send your time, it’s time for a change, don’t you think?
The other issue with time is this —I don’t read all of those things every day and in large blocks of time. I prefer to read novels when I have a block of time of an hour or more, but all the other things I read I can (and do) read in smaller snippets of time – 5 minutes here, 20 minutes there. My favorite time to read is late in the evening after everyone has gone to bed, but I’ll read wherever and whenever I can. If I find that I am not reading as much as I want to, I’ll block out and schedule a period of time every day to do a certain type of reading. I keep it scheduled until it becomes a habit.
So, if you want to be a better writer, the first step is to become a reader.
Of course, reading is not all there is to becoming a better writer. Continue to Part 2 for the rest of the story. . .
I often have conversations with people say they wish they were better writers. They usually speak as if writing were a talent that you either have or you don’t. While I think it’s true that some people have more of a natural gift than others, the core skills of writing in general, and grant writing in particular, can be learned and improved over time. Of course, as with most things that don’t come easy, people usually just want to be better without putting in the time, effort, and work.
I have also been asked if there are any shortcuts. Well, I don’t think you can get around the time part of the time-effort equation, and there has to be some effort involved, too, but I do have some suggestions for anyone who is on a journey to be a better writer.
Be forewarned – these are bigger picture suggestions, not technical suggestions like always proofread your work, use spell-check, take a class, etc., although I certainly think those are good ideas and important things to do if you are serious about improving your writing.
Here’s the most important thing you can do to be a better writer…..
Be a reader.
I don’t know anyone who is (or was) a good writer who isn’t (or wasn’t) also an avid reader. Everything you read teaches you something – about language, grammar, vocabulary. The beauty of it is that you don’t necessarily realize it at the time.
And don’t limit yourself to reading only within the genre that you write. Read anything and everything that interests you. Grant writing is ultimately about telling a story. Your grant writing skill can be greatly enhanced by reading fiction, as well as non-fiction.
Here’s the list of what I have read within the last 7 days:
This list doesn’t even count all the email, regular mail, and catalogs I looked through this week. Also, I didn’t read any magazines this week, but I usually do.
I read something for pleasure every day. I read something for inspiration every day. I read something for my own ongoing education every day. When all three of those come together in the same piece of reading, I get to experience pure joy.
The typical response when a share a list like this is that I must have lots of time on my hands. That makes me laugh. I try to remember what a good friend of mine told me long ago, “We make time for those things (and people) that are important to us.” It’s easy to see what you really value by examining how you spend your time. If you don’t think your values are being accurately reflected in how you send your time, it’s time for a change, don’t you think?
The other issue with time is this —I don’t read all of those things every day and in large blocks of time. I prefer to read novels when I have a block of time of an hour or more, but all the other things I read I can (and do) read in smaller snippets of time – 5 minutes here, 20 minutes there. My favorite time to read is late in the evening after everyone has gone to bed, but I’ll read wherever and whenever I can. If I find that I am not reading as much as I want to, I’ll block out and schedule a period of time every day to do a certain type of reading. I keep it scheduled until it becomes a habit.
So, if you want to be a better writer, the first step is to become a reader.
Of course, reading is not all there is to becoming a better writer. Continue to Part 2 for the rest of the story. . .
I probably spend more time than I should scouring the Internet for resources and useful information. There are many blogs and websites out there that don’t provide much useful information or, if they do, you have to pay to get it. Every now and then I come across some great resources that are useful and free. I’ll be sharing them from time to time, so keep checking back.
The first blog I want to share with you is 79 Grant Writing Resources. The blog gives some excellent grant writing and grant seeking tips, as well as links to resources on a variety grant related topics. You’ll also find some good warnings about little known tricks and errors to avoid.
Check it out. You will definitely learn something you didn’t know before.
I probably spend more time than I should scouring the Internet for resources and useful information. There are many blogs and websites out there that don’t provide much useful information or, if they do, you have to pay to get it. Every now and then I come across some great resources that are useful and free. I’ll be sharing them from time to time, so keep checking back.
The first blog I want to share with you is 79 Grant Writing Resources. The blog gives some excellent grant writing and grant seeking tips, as well as links to resources on a variety grant related topics. You’ll also find some good warnings about little known tricks and errors to avoid.
Check it out. You will definitely learn something you didn’t know before.
When writing a grant, you usually need to devote a section to making the case for your need for the grant. Most people really go overboard with this. They write about all the things they need to serve their clients well. They write about how needy their clients are. They produce all sorts of statistics to document just how much they need help.
The problem with going overboard in documenting your need for the grant is that you run the risk of looking incompetent. Your readers might start asking questions like this: If the situation is really that pathetic, how did you let it get this way? If you haven’t solved it by now (in your organization’s 30 years of business), why should anyone think you’ll solve it with the addition of a three-year grant?
The trick is to accurately demonstrate your need for the grant while also demonstrating your capacity to manage the funds well and use the funds to make a real difference and improve the situation. It also helps to highlight some strengths on which you can build. Ideally, you’ll be able to show how the funds you are requesting will enable you to leverage other resources to really make a difference.
It’s a balancing act. Don’t go too far in the direction of showing too much need, or you may end up without the funds to help you work toward a solution.
When writing a grant, you usually need to devote a section to making the case for your need for the grant. Most people really go overboard with this. They write about all the things they need to serve their clients well. They write about how needy their clients are. They produce all sorts of statistics to document just how much they need help.
The problem with going overboard in documenting your need for the grant is that you run the risk of looking incompetent. Your readers might start asking questions like this: If the situation is really that pathetic, how did you let it get this way? If you haven’t solved it by now (in your organization’s 30 years of business), why should anyone think you’ll solve it with the addition of a three-year grant?
The trick is to accurately demonstrate your need for the grant while also demonstrating your capacity to manage the funds well and use the funds to make a real difference and improve the situation. It also helps to highlight some strengths on which you can build. Ideally, you’ll be able to show how the funds you are requesting will enable you to leverage other resources to really make a difference.
It’s a balancing act. Don’t go too far in the direction of showing too much need, or you may end up without the funds to help you work toward a solution.
I just added two new video podcast episodes:
Don’t Try to Say Too Much
and
Proofread, Proofread…..Then Proofread Some More
There are several ways you can access the podcasts. One way (and probably the easiest way) is to go to my helloWorld site. When you get there, click on the i-pod icon on the left side of the page. Then you’ll see a list of all the video podcast episodes.
I just added two new video podcast episodes:
Don’t Try to Say Too Much
and
Proofread, Proofread…..Then Proofread Some More
There are several ways you can access the podcasts. One way (and probably the easiest way) is to go to my helloWorld site. When you get there, click on the i-pod icon on the left side of the page. Then you’ll see a list of all the video podcast episodes.