Grant writing can be confusing at times but there are some tried and tested tips in writing a grant that can help individuals in their proposals.
Organize ideas After gathering the necessary information, it is wise to go back and reread the grant guidelines to understand clearly what the prospective funder needs.
Identify the main point and concept of the grant proposal.
Make sure that all the points in the application will relate directly to the main concept.
Take time to build an outline Writing a proposal is a meticulous process.
Hence, a writer can save a lot of time by making an outline first.
Once the outline is in order, he or she just needs to fill in the details.
An outline also helps a writer see the structure of their proposal with a wider perspective.
When confused, refer to the outline Making an outline is one of the most important elements in grant proposal writing.
If a writer gets stuck on a part of the proposal, they can easily skip it and move to another part and come back to it later.
Having an outline can help ease the burden of providing too much information.
Add a human touch Institutional funders are trying to help other people so even though a grant is a serious paper, a writer can add in stories of real people to provide a better illustration to hopefully encourage prospective funders to consider the proposal more thoroughly.
Stories coupled with facts are the best way to touch the hearts and minds of the funders.
Don't exaggerate Never try to exaggerate any detail in the proposal.
Avoid using very passionate statements that make it very dramatic.
Describe in detail the problem and the solution as realistically as possible.
Also, avoid promising a result that is unattainable and carefully match the solution to the problem.
Simplify The length of a proposal does not affect the amount of money an organization or individual gets.
In fact, a lengthy proposal can negatively affect the grant since most funders do not have much time to read unnecessary details.
Try to stick to the main points and be as concise as possible.
Get rid of the jargon Unlike other papers and articles, grant proposals should be written in a language that is easy for anyone to understand.
Jargon can be viewed as pretentious.
Try to use short common words rather than fancy technical terms.
Revise and edit It is essential for a writer to edit and revise their work as carefully as possible.
Reread the proposal several times and make the necessary adjustments afterwards.