Truth 33. Root grant applications in “mission”—yours and the funder’s

Creating a grant application is similar in many ways to a business proposal. The specifications provide major clues on how to articulate your goals, and the tone and language to use. So study them in depth.

A good grant request feels rooted in an organization’s mission. It must also tie closely into the mission of the funding organization, because advancing that mission is the decision makers’ own goal. So here, too, know your audience. Research the funder’s history and previous grant recipients. Figure out what the funding organization values: Intra-agency collaboration? Groundbreaking ideas? Programs that promote institutional change or help for specific populations?

Foundations and donors understand that maintaining day-to-day operations is a constant challenge for many nonprofits. Nevertheless, they usually prefer to fund programs—projects and initiatives that will be created, in whole or part, with the money they give. Funders these days also like to see nonprofits collaborate with other agencies, public entities, and corporations to extend the scope of their own capabilities and operate more efficiently.

A good grant application tells a good story. The natural story line suggests how to organize the request, though of course you should follow the format you’re given. One way or another, try to…

• Establish a need.

• Propose a solution.

• Explain how the idea will be implemented—process, partnerships, collaborations, staffing.

• Demonstrate the organization’s solidity, strengths, and track record.

• Present the budget clearly.

• Outline what the program will accomplish and exactly how program success will be measured.

Good grant-writing techniques—Applications are evaluated solely on the basis of what you write—so use your best skills to produce a concise, clear, readable, jargon-free, and error-free document. Editing and proofreading are essential. Spelling mistakes and bad grammar undercut credibility.

Aim for the right level of detail to support your case. If you are using boilerplate pieces—such as a standard description of the agency—take the time to tailor them to the application. If you have a typical committee-written obtuse mission statement, don’t use it; or if you must, tuck it somewhere inconspicuously, and where it counts, explain your organization’s reason-for-being in simple, direct words. This may not be easy, but it matters.

An executive summary is usually a plus. Take the time to work out a strong, concise overview of the story you’re telling. It should set up the reader to view the application in the context you’d like. Ideally, try to excite the reviewer.

In each section, make sure your important points are right up front. Invariably, grant evaluators work through a pile of competing applications, and it is wearying work. If your meaning is dense, buried in excess wordiness, or hard to follow, your application joins the reject pile.

Most applications are very repetitive, and this can make a judge especially grumpy. How much material should you repeat in the various sections? As little as possible. If you’re applying for a government grant, or any with word-count limitations, you usually can’t afford the space. Even when there are no limits, it’s risky to bore your readers. They’ll just stop reading. Include just enough repetition to make each section self-contained, in case different readers evaluate them. But unless you’re applying for a very high-end, big-money grant, assume a series of readers will each review the entire application and score it that way.

Focus on goals, not process—Many applications and proposals talk about what a program will “do,” rather than what it will accomplish. In marketing terms, it’s a matter of “features” versus “benefits. For example:

We will present three workshops weekly for 12 weeks to 15 teenagers.

Works better as:

We will teach 15 sophomores to be peer mediators, able to intervene in school conflict situations and in turn to train dozens of other students in the techniques. A better school atmosphere will evolve every year.

Another example:

The funding will be used to buy nine horses so we can expand our riding program.

Doesn’t work as well as:

The nine additional horses will enable us to give dozens of physically impaired children the life-changing experience of freedom and power their limitations generally deny them.

Individuals and organizations give money to make the world better or to make life better for people. Your application should show how you will do that.

And, provide as much hard evidence as you can of your organization’s success, and, how you plan to measure the effectiveness of the proposed program. Today’s keyword is accountability: It can be hard to show how you’ve changed people’s lives, or what bad things you’ve prevented, but those who make decisions on substantial grants want applicants to talk the language of business. Find ways to quantify “return on investment.”

Build relationships, too—Giving money involves trust and faith. So relationships make a difference. Look for opportunities to personalize your dealings with grant givers and make your organization more than just a name to them. You might call to ask whether your agency is eligible; pose questions about the best way to fill out the application; find out who previous recipients were, if that information is not easily available; check whether the application was received; or if you have something important to add after you’ve applied, like another grant award. Communicate the importance of the agency’s mission and your total belief in it as a subtext.

Follow up, too. Be gracious and appreciative if you don’t get the grant. Consider asking what you might do differently in the future.

And puh-lease, when you get a grant, supply a solid written report on what you accomplished with the money, even if the funder didn’t require it. Surprisingly, many nonprofits don’t do this, or do it poorly, which shows disrespect. If you apply to the same organization again, this omission will be discussed by the review committee and held against you. Count on it.