10 Elements of Successful
Grant Writing
Presented by Michael Lane
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No. 1
 Know Your Funder
 Is what you are proposing in sync with their funding priorities
 Establish a relationship
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No. 2
 Grants are business agreements
 Funders see themselves as investors and to be treated
accordingly
 Grants must clearly define the quantifiable/qualifiable
deliverables of the proposal – i.e., what is the funder/investor’s
return on the dollar
 Grants are not creative writing – cute, clever or pedantic are
sure fire losers
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No. 3
 It is virtually impossible to write a worthwhile
grant when you have nothing worthwhile to write
about
 Proposal is ill-conceived or ill-planned
 Proposal is a vanity project
 Proposal is outside the organization’s mission – i.e., chasing
grant money
 Proposal is duplicative of other organization’s services or
programs
 Proposal is for programming that has gone “stale”
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
No. 4
 Do not under estimate what your funders know
about you – they know everything
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
No. 5
 Grant budgets are not creative accounting – the
number 1 grant killer
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
No. 6
 Grammar and spelling – the three “Rs” are critical
 One typo is one too many
 Write in active tense; not passive
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No. 7
 Get to your point – be bright, be brief, be gone
 On average, you have less than 1 minute to impress a grant
analyst the first time he or she reads your proposal. Your
summary or abstract paragraph must encapsulate the
fundamentals of your proposal in 3 to 4 sentences.
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No. 8
 Pay attention to the instructions
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
No. 9
 If an e-file grant (i.e., online) do NOT wait until the
last day to submit
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
No. 10
 Write thank you notes
 If you are awarded a grant, write a thank you note. If you are
declined, write a thank you note. Above all DO NOT GIVE
UP!
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
Sealing
The
Deal:
You and Your Funders
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
Funders:
Dating with Intent of Marriage
 Do your homework
 Open a dialogue with potential funders
 Network
 One the relationship is established, keep funders updated and
in the loop.
 Funders ARE NOT ATM MACHINES
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
Grants Are Business Agreements
 You may not think of yourself as a business, but your funders
do.
 Questions most likely asked about the business component of
your organization
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
You Want to Know What?
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
The questions everyone
hates to answer
 How often does the board meet?
 How important is it to have trustees with a deep
understanding of your services? Describe how your trustees
are involved in assessing the quality of your programs and the
organization’s ability to reach service goals.
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The questions everyone
hates to answer
 Describe your board’s level of engagement with the
organization. Discuss the board’s committee structure and
its level of ongoing activity.
 What is your organization’s policy on board giving?
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The questions everyone
hates to answer
 Discuss the management staff capacity of your organization:
 Please list key staff by name and title, and attach their
resumes to the application:
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The questions everyone
hates to answer
 Describe any changes in key staff positions in the last year:
 Describe your organization’s technological capacity and
business systems, including: computer network, hardware
and software; internet access, email, website; telephone
system, voice mail; automated accounting, bookkeeping,
financial management reports, etc.; desktop publishing:
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The questions everyone
hates to answer
 Describe your office set up and its level of functional
adequacy:
 Describe the adequacy of your performing/presenting venue
and your ability to manage or control it effectively for your
needs
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The questions everyone
hates to answer
 Discuss any exceptional growth or reduction in your
operating budget over the past year. If there was less than
5% growth or reduction, you may answer “not applicable.”
 Did you have a negative balance at the end of your last fiscal
year; if so, explain how you are addressing it.
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The questions everyone
hates to answer
 Describe how you manage cash flow; include information on
cash reserves, lines of credit, board or staff loans, or use of
personal credit.
 Describe how your organization has dealt with anticipated
financial changes over the last five years; provide specific
examples
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The questions everyone
hates to answer
 Does the organization owe any long-term debt? If so, to
whom and how much?
 Describe any capital projects that the organization currently
has underway
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The questions everyone
hates to answer
 If something happens to the person delivering the program,
how will the organization meet its commitments?
 Can the organization meet its immediate obligations?
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I'll Grant You This - Development Consulting
The questions everyone
hates to answer
 Is the organization prepared to replace the leader in case of
an emergency?
 Please state if there is no vision of the organization beyond
the founder:
 Does the organization engage in any long-range or strategic
planning? If so, please describe the process below and attach
a copy of your most recent document(s).
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I’ll Grant You This
Development Consulting
Michael S. Lane, Owner
p: 856.503.6282
e: mlane32201@aol.com
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