Before Writing Grants
It takes a lot of work to write a grant, and the results are never guaranteed.
When deciding if you should pursue grant, make sure you can answer “yes” to 2 questions:
- Does the purpose of the grant match the mission of our agency?
- Do our stakeholders (supporters, staff, board members, clients) believe in the project?
Before you begin writing the grant, consider:
- Can we follow all laws and requirements stipulated by this grant?
- Do we have enough money to cover project costs before we receive the grant funds?
- How detailed and time-consuming is the application or request for proposal (RFP)?
- Who are we competing against for this money? Is it a national, state or local funding source? Do we have a good chance of receiving funding?
- What is the motivation of the funding source? What type of projects have they funded? Is our project along the same lines?
- How much will the grantor give per award? How much will the grantor award in total? Is the potential award worth the time it takes to apply?
- What selection criteria does the grantor use when awarding funds?
