Grant Writing

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Below you will find a list of do's and don'ts to keep in mind when proofing the document yourself.

DO consider the funding party's perspective

If you were the funding agency, would you award a grant to a proposal such as yours? What will the funding party get from this project? What is in it for them? Local notoriety, payback of funds, or recognition? How will your project make the funding party look good? Tell the agency what this will do for them, as well as what it could do for you.

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Summary

A general outline of the project. Ideally this should be short and interesting, maybe three paragraphs in length. Since this is your first impression, place extra care in making this summary interesting and memorable. Don't try too hard to sell your project here, you'll have opportunity to do so in other sections.

About You

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1. Use only 12-point, Arial font throughout the grant. Use 10-point Arial font for figure and table legends;
2. Leave a 1-inch margin on each side of the page;
3. If the grant proposal is not directly responding to a Request for Application (RFA), touch bases with the program director to ensure your concept will be met with cooperation and excitement;
4. Write in a succinct, easy-to-understand style that can be easily digested by people not closely related to your field of expertise. Use layman's terms whenever possible;

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Since every agency has different rules for applications, it is imperative to read the packet carefully and follow the instructions exactly. Beyond that, adding an additional touch is helpful to make your application stand out from the crowd.

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Most of the people you will be interacting with through your grant application process do not have incentives in any way to offer you special assistance. They will receive their bi-weekly paycheck whether they spend 2 minutes on the phone with you or they hold your hand through the whole process over a period of several weeks. How much help you get will be largely dependent on how you treat the people you interact with.

"They're in there with your food"

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Federal grants are created through the legislative process of Congress and the regulatory process of federal agencies (Federal agencies set up the process by which grants are reviewed, awarded and administered.) Congress establishes discretionary programs through authorizing legislation and appropriations legislation, which define how the program is to be managed. Once these regulations are published, the agencies can accept applications and give out grants.

Discretionary Grants

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The idea of receiving a substantial grant from the Government generates strong emotions in all of us. Many are skeptical, considering it a pipe dream or, at best, a bureaucratic nightmare. Some believe that it applies to only a few targeted demographics.

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