Grant writing is the practice of completing an application process for a financial grant provided by an institution such as a government department, corporation, foundation or trust. Such application processes are often referred to as either a grant proposal or a grant submission.
Successful grant writing requires a clear understanding of grantsmanship. While the principles and fundamentals of grantsmanship apply broadly, it is important to know the target and to be able to tune the language appropriately.
One of the most common questions people ask us is, ‘Why was my grant request denied?’ And the answer is that there can be many reasons.
When it comes to applying for grants, rejections can be particularly dejected.
But a “no” from a potential funder doesn’t have to be the end of the process.
No research before applying – You haven’t found a strong match with a foundation: Submitting grants to lots of foundations blindly, without taking the time to seek out a great match.
Your writing is not up to the mark or otherwise needs improvement – Grant rejections are sometimes due to outside factors, but the writing can also be the problem.
You need to build better relationships with funders –Foundation grant writing success is often based on strong relationships.
Other reasons could be you’re just having plain bad luck or you’re not grant ready.
Reminders and remedies: The likelihood of your first proposal to a particular foundation or government agency being rejected is astonishingly high. Industry insiders put the average grant success rate somewhere between 12 – 20%. So NO PROBLEM!
Do not take it personally –bear in mind they just rejected your proposal – not you!
Contact the fundraiser – yes, let them share insights so you have the room to learn.
Request a copy of reviewers comment –so you can not repeat the mistakes.
Take copious notes – Keep track of the feedback you have received so that you can reference this when your next proposal is due.
Hire a professional – to review your proposal before you press submit.
Or
Ask for another set of eyes – Make sure you have someone else read your proposal to ask questions and strengthen the language from an outside perspective.
Rejections suck but you better parlay it into a learning opportunity – you’ll grow. Some are more informative opportunities than others – but every one is an opportunity.
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