10 Grant Guidelines for Donors, Reviewers and Applicants

Over the last five years, I’ve had the privilege to serve on dozens of prize-like grant review panels disbursing funds to academic institutions, non-governmental organizations and social enterprises in UK, USA and various African countries. Here are my 10 guidelines for donors, reviewers and applicants.

1. Start with Impact: Who truly really cares, and why does it matter? If you do not state your desired and intended impact early on and why YOU care, no one will care. Some might say what’s your theory of change (ToC)?
2. Drop the jargon: Forget that thing about ToC. And definitely do not tell us about “state-of-the-art multidisciplinary and impact-driven innovative approach evaluated by mixed-methods at the nexus of A, B, C, and D …” wait, what was I saying again? Right, avoid latin et al. and use plain English or Arabic or whatever the submission language is.
3. Do not end poverty. Do something about poverty: In the international development world these days, it’s common for individual projects to make a claim about ending extreme poverty through their singular solutions. Leave that to the United Nations.
4. Engineers and Scientists: Applications led by highly technical people, particularly those with distinguished careers often do not seem to acknowledge other research contributions beyond their lab doors. It’s important to reference other approaches including those outside Science or Nature and pay attention to existing prototypes, start-ups and businesses. Be practical, it’s your forte!
5. Non-Engineers: Just mentioning the word “technology” and “innovation” doesn’t suddenly make the application cool. Or does it? If it’s innovative, you probably don’t have to use the word to describe it. But yes, technology is all over, around, on, by, and in us. Figure out which will positively add value to your work and integrate it.
6. Respect yourself or at least respect Reviewers’ time: Read the specific grant application guidelines. Reviewers also have a life to live and most of them are not paid. It’s a labor of love and free travel for some. Donors often don’t just want to throw their money away. So if you are at least going to apply, just pretend you care. (Note to self: the country of Sub-Saharan Africa does not exist.) 
7. Diversity isn’t a checkbox: Who do you trust more- 10 co-investigators, all male list gender diversity as a desired impact; or 17 listed collaborating institutions all from UK state that North-South collaboration is important? Here’s a tip- a gentleman named Gandhi once said; “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Don’t tell us. Show us! And certainly, it will take a diverse review panel to solve this. You can’t solve a problem by using the same thinking that created it (said by another unknown fellow- Einstein.)  
8. Wild card entries: Wildcard selection (remember Ivanisevic who won Wimbledon in 2001 as a wildcard entry?) must be part of every large call for proposals. For only the crazy ones will truly change the world. At least that’s what I've heard. And a few sane ones. Grants must present safe spaces to fail.
9. Give feedback Oprah-style: Applicants get one, Reviewers get one, Donors get one, the community gets one, everybody gets one. It’s essential that a concerted effort is made to share critical feedback throughout the entire grant and implementation process.
10. Be bold. Be brave. Make a commitment. But DON’T END POVERTY. Just kidding, go do something about poverty.
11. Be concise- unless... oh right!

Did I miss anything? Put your guidelines below (comments) and let’s make this a living document.