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4 Grant Writing Tips From Prospecting to Final Draft
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    4 Grant Writing Tips From Prospecting to Final Draft

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    By Joanne Fritz
    Updated June 27, 2018

    Grant writing is not for the faint of heart. It takes a genius for research and organization, the nose of a journalist, the organizational skills of a report writer, plus those of a master storyteller. There are at least four stages of grant proposal writing, Here are suggestions for being better at all of them.

  • 01
    Getting Ready

    grantwritingorganizing.jpg
    Reza Estakhrian/ Stone/Getty Images

    How to Develop a Grant Proposal Writing Process

    Writing a grant proposal should not be a single experiment. You don't write a grant proposal - you write many grant proposals. Grant proposal writing should be an ongoing process and an integral part of your overall fundraising program.

    The Well-Organized Grant Proposal Writer

    Grant writing begins long before you have the grant to write. Your primary tool is information. Even before you start looking for funders, an in-depth understanding of your organization's mission and activities plus a trove of easy-to-tap organizational details are essential.

    Steps To a Grant Calendar That Will Make Your Life Easier

    Creating a comprehensive grants schedule takes time and some super organizing. However, that work upfront will save you countless hours and resources over the year.

    In the Cloud:  New Grants Management Options for the 21st Century

    Once you have more than one grant going, keeping up can be hard. In addition to having a calendar, you might want to store all that information in a new, shiny, cloud-based application. Cut your ties to clunky Excel and enjoy the time savings you'll experience in the cloud.

  • 02
    Searching for and Cultivating Funders

    Researching a grant.
    Caiaimage/Sam Edwards/Caiaimage/Getty Images

    7 Steps to Finding Funders for Your Grant

    Looking for appropriate organizations that might fund your grant can be overwhelming. Cut it down to size with a system. Follow these tips for a start.

    How Does the 990-PF of a Foundation Help Me Find Grants?

    A little-known trick to finding grants has to do with examining the tax documents (the 990) of foundations you might be interested in. Those documents can tell you where the foundation's money goes and to what types of charities. 

    Should Your Small Nonprofit Go After Grants?

    So you're small. Does that mean you can't get grants? How can small nonprofits compete for grants and where should they look for grantors? The answers are "yes" and "locally."

  • 03
    Working Through the Grant Writing Maze

    Businessman making his way through a maze.

     Dave and Les Jacobs/Blend Images/Getty Images

    3 Types of Grant Proposals: Which One Should You Write?

    There are at least three ways to request funding. Two are rather short. Check out these descriptions and then decide which works for your proposal. 

    The Basics of Grant Proposals - From Summary to Budget to Cover Letter

    Most full grant applications require the same necessary information. Many grant-making organizations have their own proposal/application forms, although a few may only give you some basic guidelines. In any case, here are the most common sections of grant proposals and the information you should include.

    5 Common Grant Proposal Mistakes You Want to Avoid

    Martin Teitel gives us the view from the other side of the desk as the ED of a foundation who has seen thousands of proposals over the years. He says that there are five common mistakes that proposal writers make.

  • 04
    Polishing Your Prose

    Proofreading a grant proposal.
    Maica/E+/Getty Images

    The Pros and Cons of Hiring an Outside Professional Grant Writer

    Are you even sure that you want to write grants? Perhaps it would make more sense to hire a professional grant writer for a fee. Here's what you should know about enlisting outside help.

    How to Write an Effective Grant Proposal Cover Letter

    Probably no part of your grant proposal is more important than your cover letter. Don't make it an afterthought. Use these tips to make sure it catches the eye of the first person who reads it 

    ​Write Better Fundraising Materials by Targeting Four Personality Types

    You might not think of a grant proposal as fundraising material, but it is. As such, you can apply this nifty aspect of personality theory to make your proposal more appealing no matter who reads it.

    4 Steps to a Story-Centered Fundraising Appeal That Donors Will Love

    How good is your storytelling? Stories are not just for your direct fundraising materials; they work well in grant proposals too. Learning the stories of some of the people or animals that you help can be decisive when selling your project to a grantor. Brush up on your story techniques and adapt them to the grant writing process.

  • Woman working at her laptop.

    Grant-Writing Myths Nonprofits Should Reject

  • solutions.jpg

    Here Is a List of 5 Things You Should Not Do in Your Grant Proposal

  • Business people looking at report

    Why Good Grant Writers Snoop Around in the 990s of Foundations

  • Preparinng a budget.

    Write a Successful Grant Proposal Budget With These Tips

  • Businessman looking at graphs and charts on glass wall in office

    Grant Proposal Writing Process: Tips for Success

  • Two people drafting a proposal.

    Here Are Some Helpful Tips on How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal

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    How to Write an Effective Grant Proposal Cover Letter

  • Group of young grant writers working on a project.

    7 Steps to Finding Funders for Your Grant

  • Businessman Giving Money to His Partner While Making Contract

    How Long Will It Take for Our Grant Proposal to Be Approved?

  • Calendar showing a proposal deadline.

    3 Types of Grant Proposals: Which One Should You Write?

  • Assortment of samples and templates

    19 Templates, Samples, and How-tos for Nonprofit Organizations

  • Man and woman looking at a letter

    Sample Gift-in-Kind Donation Letter Request

  • Grant writing team.

    How to Write a Great Needs Statement for Your Grant Proposal

  • Businesswoman's hands writing on notepad in boardroom

    The Basics of the Evaluation Section of Your Grant Proposal

  • crumpled document with the words

    What to Do Immediately After Your Grant Application Is Rejected

  • Illustration of SMART goals and objectives.

    How to Write Goals and SMART Objectives for Your Grant Proposal

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