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.

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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

Avenues to Grant Writing Success

Of all the things I’ve done for a living, grant writing is the most challenging. Oh, I’ve flipped hamburgers at McDonalds through the great Big Mac rush of ’74, I’ve put out forest fires during the summer of the great Marble Cone fire in ’77. Why, I’ve even planted flower bulbs for the frenetically manic Ms. Taylor (all names have been changed to protect the innocent).

But grant writing, my friends, demands concentration beyond correcting alternating tulip bulb colors to accent the curtains in a crazy woman’s parlor window (she was inspired by Monet no less). Grant writing is an intense and detail-oriented craft that combines fact with planning to create a sort of future-based fiction.

So, how do you learn to be a good grant writer? If becoming a grant writer is your goal, then I suggest these avenues to that end.

Avenue One – Take a class from an expert grant writer like Veronica Robbins . An experienced grant writer can give you a head start by sharing tips an secrets of the craft that will save you learning them on your own.

Avenue Two – As I’ve recommended before, I suggest you read some grants. You can either volunteer as a reader in a grant competition, or you can get some sample grants to read in your spare time.

Avenue Three – Start your own blog and begin to write on it as frequently as you can. Writing is a skill and a skill takes practice to perfect. And don’t be surprised if your writing is never perfect, but practice is the only road that will take you closer.

I wish you well in your travels and on the road to becoming a grant writer. Grant writing is a tough and rewarding job in which you’ll meet lots of interesting people. You get to help energetic people find money for brilliant ideas!

By: Derek Link, grant writer and non-profit consultant

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Would you like access to the largest collection of grant writing and grant seeking resources on the web?  Become a member at GrantGoddess.com!

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

Avenues to Grant Writing Success

Of all the things I’ve done for a living, grant writing is the most challenging. Oh, I’ve flipped hamburgers at McDonalds through the great Big Mac rush of ’74, I’ve put out forest fires during the summer of the great Marble Cone fire in ’77. Why, I’ve even planted flower bulbs for the frenetically manic Ms. Taylor (all names have been changed to protect the innocent).

But grant writing, my friends, demands concentration beyond correcting alternating tulip bulb colors to accent the curtains in a crazy woman’s parlor window (she was inspired by Monet no less). Grant writing is an intense and detail-oriented craft that combines fact with planning to create a sort of future-based fiction.

So, how do you learn to be a good grant writer? If becoming a grant writer is your goal, then I suggest these avenues to that end.

Avenue One – Take a class from an expert grant writer like Veronica Robbins . An experienced grant writer can give you a head start by sharing tips an secrets of the craft that will save you learning them on your own.

Avenue Two – As I’ve recommended before, I suggest you read some grants. You can either volunteer as a reader in a grant competition, or you can get some sample grants to read in your spare time.

Avenue Three – Start your own blog and begin to write on it as frequently as you can. Writing is a skill and a skill takes practice to perfect. And don’t be surprised if your writing is never perfect, but practice is the only road that will take you closer.

I wish you well in your travels and on the road to becoming a grant writer. Grant writing is a tough and rewarding job in which you’ll meet lots of interesting people. You get to help energetic people find money for brilliant ideas!

By: Derek Link, grant writer and non-profit consultant

———————————
Would you like access to the largest collection of grant writing and grant seeking resources on the web?  Become a member at 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

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

Grant Writing is a Team Sport

Nobody likes to work alone more than I do. Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy the company of others or the intellectual stimulation that only comes with working with others, but I love the feeling of getting into “the zone” when I’m writing, and that simply doesn’t happen when there are other people around interrupting the work.  OK, they may call it “offering ideas,” but when you’re deep into the writing, it feels like an interruption.

That said, it’s important to remember that grant writing is not a solo sport – it’s a team sport. Even if you are self-employed and you have no support staff, your client is part of your team.  He or she has information that you need to get the work done.  If you are the executive director of a non-profit organization who does all the grant writing for your organization, you may feel like you’re flying solo in the grant writing process, but you’re not.  You have a team of folks who all have bits and pieces of what you need to complete the task and do it well.

This means that all of us lone wolves (or prima donnas, depending on your perspective) need to remember what we learned in kindergarten – that it is very important to know how to work and play well with others.

I have had some clients who apparently never learned that.  They either act like the playground bully, shouting orders and demands, or they play off alone in their own sandbox and then wonder later why I couldn’t read their minds.

You can call it working together, or teamwork, or collaboration, but the reality is that you can’t do it well alone.  You need others to help you get to your goal.  The more you recognize that and embrace that, the more successful you’ll be.

—————————-
Related Posts:

The Importance of Networking

Our Favorite Clients

When Partnerships Go Bad

—————————-

If you really want some help with your grant writing, consider becoming a member of grantgoddess.com!

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

Grant Writing is a Team Sport

Nobody likes to work alone more than I do. Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy the company of others or the intellectual stimulation that only comes with working with others, but I love the feeling of getting into “the zone” when I’m writing, and that simply doesn’t happen when there are other people around interrupting the work.  OK, they may call it “offering ideas,” but when you’re deep into the writing, it feels like an interruption.

That said, it’s important to remember that grant writing is not a solo sport – it’s a team sport. Even if you are self-employed and you have no support staff, your client is part of your team.  He or she has information that you need to get the work done.  If you are the executive director of a non-profit organization who does all the grant writing for your organization, you may feel like you’re flying solo in the grant writing process, but you’re not.  You have a team of folks who all have bits and pieces of what you need to complete the task and do it well.

This means that all of us lone wolves (or prima donnas, depending on your perspective) need to remember what we learned in kindergarten – that it is very important to know how to work and play well with others.

I have had some clients who apparently never learned that.  They either act like the playground bully, shouting orders and demands, or they play off alone in their own sandbox and then wonder later why I couldn’t read their minds.

You can call it working together, or teamwork, or collaboration, but the reality is that you can’t do it well alone.  You need others to help you get to your goal.  The more you recognize that and embrace that, the more successful you’ll be.

—————————-
Related Posts:

The Importance of Networking

Our Favorite Clients

When Partnerships Go Bad

—————————-

If you really want some help with your grant writing, consider becoming a member of grantgoddess.com!

Grant Writing Made Easy

We make everything easy these days. Microwave ovens made cooking easy. GPS relieved men from stopping to ask for directions after getting hopelessly lost. Some cars parallel park all by themselves. Debit cards all but replaced checks making it easier to get and spend money.

Most of our lives is so much easier now; it’s about time to make grant writing easy too. Here are ten ideas to make your grant writing easy. Don’t skip a step or you’re going to make your writing hard again!

  1. Hire a grant writer; but, if you’re still determined to write the grant yourself, proceed to steps 2 – 9.
  2. Get a really-really comfortable chair because you’re going to be there a while.
  3. Get a second screen for your computer so you can have multiple documents open at once and still see at least two of them.
  4. Get extra ink and paper for your printer so you don’t have to run to Office Max in the middle of production.
  5. Get a grant outline or write your own.
  6. Get one or two grant samples at http://grantsample.com/ to read before you start to write.
  7. Push the DND button on your phone (that’s “Do Not Disturb”) and let the answering machine handle the calls from sales people and neighbors wondering why your lights were on until 3 AM.
  8. Hit crtl-S every few minutes to save the work so you don’t experience the Prozac-inducing experience of a frozen computer and lost narrative.
  9. Highlight in yellow the areas you need more information about so you don’t forget to go back to them and highlight in green items that you need to remember to put into the budget.
  10. Plan ahead on how you are delivering the finished grant so you aren’t driving it like a maniac to beat a deadline at the last moment.

Even following all of the steps above aren’t guaranteed to make your grant writing easy. When you are writing grants you will find that some narratives just flow easily from your mind while others will cause writer’s block and even the most comfy chair won’t unblock you. If you are really looking for the easy button on grant writing, it’s hiring a professional to do it for you!

This post was written by non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link.
————————————-
 
Want mroe grant writing tips?  Check out our free webinars or sign up for an online seminar or course at our Online Leanring Center.  

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

Grant Writing Made Easy

We make everything easy these days. Microwave ovens made cooking easy. GPS relieved men from stopping to ask for directions after getting hopelessly lost. Some cars parallel park all by themselves. Debit cards all but replaced checks making it easier to get and spend money.

Most of our lives is so much easier now; it’s about time to make grant writing easy too. Here are ten ideas to make your grant writing easy. Don’t skip a step or you’re going to make your writing hard again!

  1. Hire a grant writer; but, if you’re still determined to write the grant yourself, proceed to steps 2 – 9.
  2. Get a really-really comfortable chair because you’re going to be there a while.
  3. Get a second screen for your computer so you can have multiple documents open at once and still see at least two of them.
  4. Get extra ink and paper for your printer so you don’t have to run to Office Max in the middle of production.
  5. Get a grant outline or write your own.
  6. Get one or two grant samples at http://grantsample.com/ to read before you start to write.
  7. Push the DND button on your phone (that’s “Do Not Disturb”) and let the answering machine handle the calls from sales people and neighbors wondering why your lights were on until 3 AM.
  8. Hit crtl-S every few minutes to save the work so you don’t experience the Prozac-inducing experience of a frozen computer and lost narrative.
  9. Highlight in yellow the areas you need more information about so you don’t forget to go back to them and highlight in green items that you need to remember to put into the budget.
  10. Plan ahead on how you are delivering the finished grant so you aren’t driving it like a maniac to beat a deadline at the last moment.

Even following all of the steps above aren’t guaranteed to make your grant writing easy. When you are writing grants you will find that some narratives just flow easily from your mind while others will cause writer’s block and even the most comfy chair won’t unblock you. If you are really looking for the easy button on grant writing, it’s hiring a professional to do it for you!

This post was written by non-profit consultant and expert grant writer, Derek Link.
————————————-
 
Want mroe grant writing tips?  Check out our free webinars or sign up for an online seminar or course at our Online Leanring Center.