3 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started Grant Writing
I have been in the grant writing business for 25 years, and I have experienced many successes, but I have also made some mistakes. Some lessons are learned best by looking back in the rear view mirror. Here are a few of the things I wish I’d known when I started.
Leave plenty of time for the final stages of the grant writing process.
Proofreading, formatting, final proposal assembly – these tasks (which I call the “back end” of the process) always take longer than expected. Yes, even after all this time I still tend to underestimate the time I need for these things. When I started, I did not give any thought at all to these steps; I just assumed that they were quick and easy administrative tasks. It’s true that they are not difficult, but you need ample time to complete them.
Never send your client (or supervisor) your first draft of a proposal for review.
Others will want to see your first draft so they can make sure you are on the right track. Sharing your first draft (also known as your “sloppy copy”) before you have cleaned it up is not a good idea. The client sees the holes for things that need to be filled in, the rough language, and your research notes and tends to respond with an avalanche of comments and corrections. Typically, they are all things that you were planning to change on your own, but you just were not finished yet. Sometimes, they will judge you by that sloppy copy and lose confidence in your abilities. It is better to send them your more complete second draft when it is really ready for comments. You will save yourself both time and frustration.
Research pays off!
Doing your research on the funder, previous grantees, your client, and the content area of the proposal always pays off. In fact, incorporating some of the lessons you have learned from that research can make the difference between being funded or receiving a rejection notice.
I’ve learned many more lessons over the years, but knowing these few simple things in the beginning of my grant writing career would have saved me a lot of time, and my early success rate would have been even better.
Let me know…
What things do you wish you had known when you started writing grants?
If you have not written any grant proposals yet, what are your biggest questions?
