Grant Writing Tips

April 16, 2008 in Education | No comments

With shrinking school budgets, educators might consider looking to grants for project funds. Here are some tips (from the links below and from personal experience) for you if you are thinking of applying for a grant.

Preparation

Make sure your idea fits the grant criteria (location, non-equipment, etc)
Look for full grants and mini-grants too
May need to become member of professional organization(s) to be considered
Grants have two broad categories:
- New proposals
- Help to buildup existing projects
“Less is more” in proposal
Find colleagues as collaborators, community support
Look at successful proposals of other grant ideas
Find multiple uses of money, if possible
Involve students
Is your project sustainable beyond funding?
Gather ‘writing tools’
Success breeds success in grants

Writing

Use technical writing, not a creative writing style
Be clear and concise in writing style
Make sure to plan ahead and make the deadline, if not before
Display confidence & enthusiasm
Do your homework: research, cite studies that support your project
“Jargonize” appropriately
“Less is More” in writing
Develop specific, attainable goals in your project
Provide and timeline and a means for evaluation
Be prepared to showcase your successes already related to grant
Discuss potential problems and pitfalls
Consider your funding needs
Proofread! Avoid simple typos, misspellings, or awkward formatting
Critique your own proposal
Have others read your final draft as well
Turn in ON TIME (or ahead of time)

Follow-up

Some grants will contact you regardless of acceptance
Don’t get discouraged – a good idea is still worth doing. Look for other funding, try again next year
You may have a perfect idea/application and still get rejected
If rejected, ask grantor for comments/suggestions
If accepted, make sure to follow criteria for follow-up: report, publicity, etc

Links