The Grant Writer as Detective
Grant-giving entities (known as grantmakers, funders, or sponsors) publish general grant application guidelines as well as Requests for Proposals (RFPs), which are usually more specific requests to fill an important need that they want to see addressed.
Think of writing a grant as similar to entering a contest. You need to take certain steps to prepare and send in your entry so it will be considered (and not thrown out because some detail wasn’t filled out correctly).
Guidelines and RFPs usually give you a step-by-step description of the desired content and the order of presentation for each section of a proposal. In addition, if you learn to read between the lines, you can discover what a grantmaker values and what problems it is interested in solving.
When writing, and later, assembling your grant, make sure you follow all the instructions and rules exactly, or your “contest entry” will be eliminated.
What can you/should you do if the instructions or RFP are unclear, or how else can you find out about what the audience (grantmaker) is looking for in your proposal? What “detective skills” can you use?
It’s absolutely vital to follow RFP directions to the letter. One slip-up, one piece of missing information, and your organization’s chances of receiving the grant are gone.
If the directions aren’t clear, I would check every resource available to me. If the grantmakers give their contact information, and allow queries, I would most likely email/call them first. This seems the most direct and useful route. If the grantmakers don’t allow queries, however, I would peruse their Web site for additional information, check the Foundation Center’s Web site, Guidestar.com, or visit a local Funding Information Center.
Kate,
You’ve made some great suggestions. A phone call or an email query may be possible and perhaps even welcomed. This is the quickest way to get the details or facts clarified. Larger foundations, including community foundations, often employ program officers to advise applicants, as do many government agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA, http://www.nea.gov).
Program officers typically do not make the funding decisions, but they know what decision-makers do want to see in a proposal. And they are a terrific resource for procedural questions and problems.
Web sites like The Foundation Center http://www.foundationcenter.org and GuideStar http://www.guidestar.com can provide additional information about grantmaker funding priorities and organizational values.
I’m interested to see what other strategies our bloggers suggest.
Sally
I agree with Kate’s suggestion. Contacting the foundation would be my suggestion as well. It’s worked for me in the business context preparing a response to an RFP, too.
The textbook we’re using at UW-Milwaukee, Grant Seeking in an Electronic Age (Pearson, 2004), mentions that a number of foundation websites will include information about previously funded programs. If available, such information could also give hints to grant seekers.
In today’s hectic world of electronic connections, I’ve found there is nothing that clears up a misunderstanding faster than a simple phone call. That direct personal contact seems to work every time.
If that isn’t available, I would get as much information as I could on past grantees as I could. While following the RFP to the letter is instrumental, viewing the past grant recipients could show what unintangibles the grantmaker is likely looking for.
Fred,
I agree, if phone calls are allowed. But sometimes, grant makers don’t want to talk with prospective applicants, because they don’t have the time. That’s when research skills become vital!
I’m a little confused by your last sentence – what is an “unintangible?”?
Thanks,
Sally