How can you use tone to create urgency in nonprofit grant writing?

1 Why urgency matters

Urgency is the sense of importance and immediacy that you create in your grant proposal. It shows the funders that your nonprofit is addressing a pressing problem, that your solution is feasible and impactful, and that you need their support now. Urgency can motivate funders to act quickly, prioritize your proposal, and feel more invested in your cause. However, urgency should not be confused with desperation, which can undermine your credibility and professionalism.

2 How to create urgency with tone

Tone is the way you express your urgency through your word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and voice. To create urgency with tone, you should opt for active and direct language, positive and confident words, specific and concrete details, short and simple sentences, as well as punctuation and formatting to emphasize your points. For example, instead of saying "The project will be implemented by our team", say "Our team will implement the project". And instead of saying "The project will benefit many people", say "The project will benefit 500 people in the community". Moreover, use bold, italic, underline or quotation marks to highlight key words and phrases. Finally, use exclamation points, question marks or dashes to create excitement. For instance, "The project will have a lasting impact on the lives of women entrepreneurs!" or "Why is this project important? Because it will empower women to overcome poverty and inequality".

3 How to balance urgency with tone

It is essential to be urgent while not exaggerating or being disrespectful. To achieve this balance, you should respect your funders, be realistic about your goals and challenges, and be relevant to their needs and priorities. Show gratitude and appreciation for their work and interests. Be honest, transparent, and humble about your achievements and learning. Do not make claims or assumptions that you cannot back up with data or evidence. Tailor your proposal to their specific criteria and expectations. Avoid using jargon or acronyms that they may not understand. Do not include irrelevant or unnecessary information that may distract or bore them. By doing this, you can inform and reassure the stakeholders, as well as provide valuable insights for improving your project.

4 How to test your urgency with tone

Before you submit your grant proposal, you should test the urgency of your tone by asking yourself or others if your proposal conveys a clear and compelling problem and solution, shows why the project is important and timely, demonstrates your credibility and capacity to deliver the project, appeals to your funders' emotions and logic, and stands out from the crowd. If you can answer yes to these questions, you have successfully used tone to create urgency in nonprofit grant writing. However, if not, it may be necessary to revise your tone in order to increase your chances of getting funded.