Today's tip is: Follow the instructions, and applies both in the nonprofit world with grants, and in the nonprofit world with anything you have to submit to anyone.
I'm reviewing grants for the federal government this week and I am shocked, as I am each time I'm on a review panel, to find so many worthy, needy organizations that are incapable of following instructions.
When thousands of individuals or organizations are vying for the same bowl of funds, the funder must create a way to standardize its application process to make it easier to compare proposals and decide where to allocate funds.
The tragic problem that no one can do anything about in such situations is that often the neediest organizations don't get funded because their proposals are so inadequate because they don't have the money to hire a grantwriter. Though not being in a position to hire a professional can surely be an obstacle, it is one that can be overcome to a large extent with today's simple tip: follow the instructions.
Every RFP (Request for Proposal) tells the prospective grantee what it wants. It says something like:
1. Define the magnitude and severity of the need (10 points).
And guess what you do?
1. Define the magnitude and severity of the need.
Describe, using numbers and percentages and narrative, why the situation is so terrible for the population you plan to serve. You're making a case for support here, so make it good and make it thorough and include any relevant studies and statistics.
Each organization has a way of presenting itself and its cause to prospective donors and the general public. Be that as it may, the grant proposal is not the time to say what you want to say, how and when you want to say it. It's time to surrender to the process of filling out an application. That's all the proposal is--an application for funds. If it were a one-pager with yes/no questions, wouldn't you follow the format? Of course you would. And it's the same with grant proposals.
This includes double-spacing, paginating your application, and being mindful of page limits if there are any. And if they want certain answers in number or percentage form, that's how you present your answers (rather than in a narrative).
It seems dreadfully uncreative when you're creating a proposal, but that's not the time for creativity. Save that for your website and your marketing materials.
Once again, whether you're writing a book proposal or a grant proposal: follow the instructions.
