Grant Applications

Grant Applications

The art and science of applying for grant programs is called grantsmanship, and you can be assured, that it's no walk in the park and no stroll on the beach. Grant applications take a lot of skill and a lot of effort on your part. It may even cost you money and time.

There are many things you ought to consider during grant applications. Below are some of them:

Make a difference in the world.

That is the point of grants after all. Keep this in mind even before you approach that agency and apply for a grant. Make sure that your project is something that is going to help them do that. Your grant application should be in consonance with the overall goal of your prospective funder.

Know the specific goals of your funding source.

Alright so the general goal is to make a difference, but you also need to know the particulars for grant application. Ask them. They will be all too happy to tell you.

Also, you can ask them if they give funding to your local area. It is possible that some of these agencies provide free grants to entrepreneurs operating in a particular area. If you are one of these entrepreneurs, you stand a better chance at getting a local grant than a national one.

Plus, the agencies may also tell you what institutions they fund for. This kind of information would be a great help in your grant application.

Know the person who will be looking over your proposal.

Is he a person who knows nothing of your field? Or is he someone who knows a lot about your field and what is going on? If they know nothing about your field, you need to stay away from technical information that they may not understand. Write your grant application to their level of understanding. If they know your field, then it is acceptable to use more technical definitions. But the rule should always be to write simply. Use jargons only when absolutely necessary.

Know your fund source.

It will help you to know how to sound and feel in your proposal. Always back things up with facts and a clear understanding of the need for the funding.

Prepare a budget that is easy to read and clear on what it is you want to do.

Be as detailed as possible in your proposed budget. Always fully explain everything that is going to cost and include other match funding from other organizations. This is to allow your funding agency a clear picture of what your proposal entails.

At all cost, never ever slop together a proposal and hope for the best.

It never works and they see this right away. In fact, the proposal is already half of your grant application, and it is the one half of which you have control over. Don't mess it up.

Do not spend a lot of money going all out on the presentation.

It almost never impresses the funding agency. Never sacrifice the content of your proposal for style of the presentation. If you must spend money, spend it on the amount of planning you need for the project, not on mere presentation.

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