Carol has been a successful grant writer since 1999, with an overall record of 83% of proposals funded. She has a passion for helping non-profit organizations obtain funds so they can more effectively serve their community. She will work with your staff to prepare letters of inquiry, proposals and reports, either doing the writing herself or coaching your staff in the process. Call (866) 559-8720, (503) 381-7032, or email sweetwriter@gmail.com for more detailed information on how Carol can help your organization fund special projects or operating expenses.

Grant Writing Tips

1. When choosing a foundation to send a proposal to, make certain to not only check the areas of interest they list, but also look at grants they've awarded in that area over the past few years. Often a foundation will list an area, say for example mental health, but when you look at the grants actually given out, you'll see that their current interests are actually in another area. This doesn't necessarily mean you won't get the grant, but you may want to check with them to see if your program falls within their current priorities.

2. When writing your proposal, be sure to emphasize how your program is going to serve the community and addresses the funder's goals. If, for example, you are writing about a program that will prepare at-risk youth for employment, thereby saving taxpayers money currently spent to house and support these kids, put that in your first paragraph. Make it strong, make it pull at the heartstrings, make it clear that this program will help these kids lead the successful lives they were meant to live while saving tax dollars. And link it to the funder's priorities by using the same language the funder uses in stating their priorities. A sentence that reads for example, "This program addresses the Smith Foundation's priorities of helping at-risk youth live successful lives by preparing them for employment with skills training and job-seeking strategies."

3. Remember, the funder's first, second and third interests are (a) how your program will help the community as a whole and specifically the deserving population your organization serves, (b) that your organization is qualified to provide this service, and (c) that if you are awarded a grant the money will be spent strictly to fulfill that purpose. The funder does not want to hear how the grant money will benefit the employees of your organization. If, for example, you are requesting funds for computer equipment, emphasize how the added efficiency will increase your capacity to serve your clients, thus strengthening the community. 

4. Everyone involved knows that you are asking for money, but you can soften the request, make it sound more respectful, by changing the wording slightly. Instead of writing "We are requesting a grant in the amount of $25,000...," write "We are requesting the Smith Foundation's consideration of a grant in the amount of $25,000 in support of our program to..." In the conclusion of the proposal, thank the foundation for their consideration of your request.

5. If you have secured funding from other foundations, refer to that in your proposal. You might say, "We hope you will be able to join the Smith Foundation, the Jones Charitable Trust and the Hornby Family Foundation in supporting this important program."

6.  If you are hiring a contractor to write a grant on a freelance basis, do not plan to pay him or her out of the grant funds. It is unethical and it is not fair to the contractor. First, grant funds are to be spent strictly on the program you are requesting the money for. Most funders require a line-item accounting of how the funds were spent and if you didn't include "grant writer" in your proposal but spent a portion of the money on that service, you may be asked to return the money. If you include a grant writer's expenses in the proposal, you greatly decrease your chances of being awarded the grant.

There are many reasons for a proposal to be turned down that have nothing to do with how well or poorly it was written. Some possible reasons include a shift in the foundation's priorities for that year, your organization may not present itself well in a site visit, or any number of other factors. The most common reason for a proposal being turned down is simply that the foundation had too many proposals and were forced to turn many of them down. So if your proposal is rejected, don't take it personally. A phone call to the foundation respectfully asking why it was turned down is perfectly acceptable and may give you insight into how to approach them in their next grant cycle.

If you have hired a contract grant writer to prepare the proposal, paying the grant writer should not be conditional on whether the grant is awarded. When the grant writer puts time and effort into writing a proposal for your organization, he or she deserves to be paid.