Discern the Costs and Benefits of Grants
Stop! Before you respond to that grant opportunity you just read in your inbox, take a few minutes to discern if you should apply or not. As I discussed in my blogpost, “Top 3 Grant Writing Tips,” just because a grant is available doesn’t mean it merits your time and resources to apply. So, be…
Avoid Deadline Creep – Use a Grant Calendar
Summer is winding down, but the grant season is just getting started. Now’s the time to get yourself organized so you don’t miss out on grant opportunities that come along in the coming year. One tool you can use is a grant calendar. It’s not a new concept – nothing magical – nothing I created. …
See the Logic: De-Mystifying Logic Models
Logic models may seem a little daunting at first. Maybe even a bit confusing. But there’s no need to twist yourself up in knots like Scarecrow. Keep reading. I’ll help you see the logic in logic models. If you’ve never heard of logic models before, you might be surprised to learn that they’ve been around…
Gleaning Information from an IRS Form 990
I invested a little time and money this month to participate in a webinar offered by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The topic: “Winning Grants from Family Foundations.” One of the presenters quipped, “When you’ve seen one family foundation, you’ve seen one family foundation.” I found myself shaking my head in agreement. It’s certainly not a…
Wading Through the Muck of Grant Guidelines
Do As I Say, Not As I Do. Quoting Alanis Morissette, “Isn’t it ironic?” when funders publish grant guidelines that contain jargon, undefined acronyms, and vague descriptions. These are the very issues that can prevent a proposal from being recommended for funding. In the case of complex guidelines such as for a federal grant, sometimes…
Support vs. Commitment Letters – Know the Difference
Collaboration among grantseekers has been trending so long, it has become the norm. One way you can demonstrate collaboration in your grant proposals is by submitting extraordinary letters from your partners and other key stakeholders. The type of letter you submit depends on the purpose—letters of support or commitment. Support or Commitment? Letters of support articulate general…
Kristin’s Top 3 Grant Writing Tips
As 2016 winds down, it’s time to reveal my top 3 grant writing tips to increase your success rate in the grant world. Tip #3 Form a grant team. Preparing and submitting a grant proposal requires a gazillion skill sets: identifying grant opportunities, program planning, researching data for the need statement, writing, editing, budget development,…
Grant Writing Tip #4: Invest Time in Pre-Writing
Have you ever taken a vacation without planning where you’re going? In the film “Yes Man,” Carl (played by Jim Carrey) and Allison (Zooey Deschanel) decided to take a spontaneous trip to a random location. They drove to the airport and purchased tickets on the next flight that was boarding, and off they flew to…
Grant Writing Tip #5: Use Active Voice
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Goldilocks. One day while the forest was walked in by Goldilocks, a house was seen by her. The door was knocked on, and, when a response was not heard, the house was entered by Goldilocks. Three bowls of porridge were sitting on the table. Hunger…
Create Visual Appeal with Tables & Graphs
One of the strategies you can use to support your case for a grant request is to provide comparative data to describe the need. Describing the data in narrative form is a good start, but you can reinforce your points by inserting charts, tables, and graphs. And you will enhance the visual appeal of your…
Grant Writing Tip: Make It Reader-Friendly
I sing in a women’s barbershop chorus. Whenever we adjust how we’re singing to fix a problem and hear an immediate improvement, our director shakes his head and asks, “Why would you do it any other way?” Well, grant writing is a little like that. If the proposal is difficult to read, you need to…
Grant Writing Tip: Review & Rewrite
Thank You, Mrs. Ellberg! I attended a very small high school, with just a few more than 100 in my graduating class. But I was fortunate to have excellent teachers, especially in the English Department. I already thanked Mr. Holmes. Today I want to thank Mrs. Ellberg. I enjoyed her class for many reasons, but…
Grant Writing Tip: Solicit an Objective Proofreader
You’ve invested countless hours meeting with your partners, writing the project narrative, creating a budget, and gathering the supporting documentation. When you click the submit button or slip the grant package into the mailbox, you have no control over what happens next. But you DO have control over the quality of the product you submit.…
Grant Writing Tip: Write the Executive Summary Last
Earlier this month, I launched my new blog, GrantSpeak. I shared my top 10 grant writing tips for improving your success rate in the grant world. This post goes into depth for Tip #10: Write the Executive Summary Last. Thank You, Mr. Holmes! When I taught junior high, my students often asked me, “Are we…
Kristin’s Top 10 Grant Writing Tips
I decided to take the plunge into the blogosphere. This is my first GrantSpeak post. Send your questions, concerns, burning issues about the grant world—you know, the things that keep you awake at night—to me at Kristin@GrantsGalore.net and I’ll address them in future blog posts. Practice Makes Perfect? Those of you who have attended my…
