Grant writing is a skill that requires both creativity and precision. As a grant administrator, you may have to mentor and coach grant writers who are new to the field or want to improve their craft. How can you help them develop their own style while adhering to grant writing guidelines? Here are some tips to consider.
The first step in any grant writing project is to identify the purpose and audience of the proposal. It is important to know why you are seeking funding and who you are addressing in order to tailor your tone, language, and structure to suit the expectations and needs of the funder. To help grant writers clarify their purpose and audience, consider asking questions such as what is the main problem or opportunity that your project addresses, what are the goals and objectives of your project, how does your project align with the funder's mission and priorities, who are the key stakeholders and beneficiaries of your project, and how will you measure and report your outcomes and impact?
We submit over 100 grant proposals a year. Knowing that, you should get some mentoring to help you understand what each foundation wants. Some want the story, some lots of data and financial information. Find someone who has experience with your foundations to help you craft your asks. Remember, the decision makers are not the gate keepers. Your grant officer will not be making the final decision, but they can give you some very valuable advice. Other grant writers can give you some good advice, so ask your network on social media and AFP. No matter what, be specific, clear, consistent, and concise.
Understand the goals of the grant and tailor your writing to resonate with the specific audience. If it's a scientific grant, convey your message with precision; for a community-focused grant, infuse empathy into your narrative.
The next step is to review the guidelines and criteria of the grant program you are applying to. These are the rules and requirements that you must follow to submit a successful proposal. To help grant writers review the guidelines and criteria, you can ask them questions such as what are the eligibility and submission requirements, format and length specifications, evaluation and selection criteria, budget and reporting guidelines, deadlines, and contact information? All of these elements are important for ensuring that your proposal is complete and meets all of the necessary requirements.
Carefully study the grant guidelines to ensure compliance. Pay attention to word limits, formatting, and any specific requirements. Your style should align
The core of any grant proposal is the narrative, which tells the story of your project and why it deserves funding. To help grant writers develop a clear and compelling narrative, you can ask them questions such as how they introduce their project and its relevance, describe the design and implementation, demonstrate feasibility and sustainability, highlight innovation and differentiation, and persuade the funder to support their project. Asking these questions can help create a narrative that will make the project stand out from the competition.
Craft a storyline that clearly articulates your project's significance. Use a logical flow, starting with a strong introduction, addressing key points, and concluding with a compelling summary. Make it easy for reviewers to understand and appreciate your proposal.
Tips for submitting a HRDF/HRD Corp Training Grant Application: 1. Request from the Training Provider to provide these 3 main documents: ?Course Content/Training Itinerary ?Trainer's Profile ?Quotation of the Course Fee 2. The narrative in the Course Content/Training Itinerary must be clear & easy to understand on how the training will be conducted. 3. Make sure the Training Itinerary meets the minimum training hours as per the Allowable Cost Matrix: ?Half Day Training = 4 hours ?Full Day Training = 7 hours
The quality of your writing has the power to make or break your grant proposal. To ensure that grant writers use effective writing techniques, you can ask them questions such as how they organize their proposal into logical sections and headings, how they write clear, concise, and coherent sentences and paragraphs, how they use active voice, action verbs, and positive language, how they avoid jargon, acronyms, and technical terms without explanation, and how they proofread and edit their proposal for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Employ persuasive techniques, such as powerful language, data-driven evidence, and impactful examples. Break down complex ideas into digestible sections, ensuring your writing is both engaging and informative.
Tips for submitting a HRDF/HRD Corp Training Grant Application: 1. The narrative in the Course Content/Training Itinerary must be clear & easy to understand on how the training will be conducted. 2. Avoid attaching a Training Provider's company profile or testimonials together with your online application. - this will speed up the review process 3. Documents attached in PDF format is preferred because it will load faster compared MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint format.
It is important to follow guidelines and criteria when writing grant proposals, but it is equally important to maintain a unique voice and style. To help grant writers find their own voice and style, encourage them to think about how they can express their passion and enthusiasm for their project, showcase their expertise and credibility in their field, inject some personality and humor into their writing, vary sentence structure and word choice to avoid monotony, and use examples, anecdotes, and quotes to illustrate their points.
While adhering to guidelines, inject your unique voice into the narrative. Showcase passion for your project to make it memorable. Balance professionalism with authenticity, allowing your personality to shine through without compromising the seriousness of the proposal.
Tips for submitting a HRDF/HRD Corp Training Grant Application: 1. The narrative in the Course Content/Training Itinerary must be clear & easy to understand on how the training will be conducted. 2. There are no restrictions on how a Training Provider should design their training/marketing brochures - so let your creativity flow as long as the narrative is clear & easy to understand.??????
Clarity: Ensure your writing is clear and concise, avoiding unnecessary jargon. Proofreading: Thoroughly proofread your proposal to eliminate errors and enhance overall quality. Formatting: Follow any formatting instructions meticulously, as presentation can impact the perception of your proposal. Feedback: Seek feedback from colleagues or mentors to refine your style and improve the overall effectiveness of your grant writing.
A proverbial so-called trick of the trade in grant writing is for you to write outside of an application structure such as write your views and opinions, write to friends and colleagues, write notes to yourself, start a diary. The point is that one can and should have a unique writing style which is not stifled by the rather rigid limitations and requirements of the typical grant application. You will be surprised as to how much more confident and clear headed you can be in meeting the rigors of space and language limitations in an application if you are comfortable with how you write.