Grant Writing Tips
The grant writing process can be complex and even intimidating. The following tips are intended to assist you in getting started on your own grant writing experience. No one can guarantee your success; however, if you follow these tips, your experience can be more positive. The Center for Rural Health is available to assist you in a number of ways, such as locating possible funding sources, proposal critiques, and community technical assistance.
Read Grant Directions Carefully
As basic as it may sound, it is critical to carefully read the directions and follow them accurately. Consider making a checklist of the directions to be used as an outline. As you complete each task, check it off the list. People have written grant proposals and forgotten entire sections! If the program guidance (the document from the funder that tells you what they want to see in the proposal) states the order of the grant sections, write the grant accordingly. Do not differ from this, as it makes things more difficult for the reviewer. They expect to see certain subjects in a specific order.
Be Organized
Designate someone to coordinate the proposal planning and development. This person doesn't necessarily have to be involved in writing the proposal but having someone coordinate all the activities ensures that all the steps are accomplished, and no deadlines are missed.
Proposals Should Read as if One Person Wrote It
It's not uncommon for multiple people to collaborate in writing a grant proposal. However, the proposal will read better for the reviewer if someone in the group acts as the editor to ensure continuity in writing styles.
Clearly Show How Your Proposal Will Benefit People
For funders, your request is an investment in accomplishing some social good. They expect their funds to be used in a manner that makes life better for others. As you write your proposal, you need to clearly show that through your efforts, there will be a social benefit if your proposal is funded.
For example, if you are asking for financial support to purchase a piece of equipment, you need to help the funder understand having this equipment would help the people in your town and the surrounding area. In other words, it is not the health facility that benefits – it is the people who live in the area.
Expand the Number and Type of Organizations Represented
Your proposal will be stronger by having multiple organizations involved, even if collaborating with outside organizations isn't a requirement by the funder. Reaching out to other civic and/or health organizations to get involved shows the reviewer that your proposal has the potential for greater community impact. The same argument is used if multiple communities work together on a proposal. If you have two or three organizations for two towns working together, your proposal will likely score higher than a similar, equally well-written proposal from a single source in a single community.
Conduct an Internal Audit
- Know your strengths and weaknesses – Don't be afraid to ask for help. You might understand the problem and solution best, but if you are uncomfortable with budgeting, find someone else in the organization or community to help with this section. Grant writing requires many skills and talents. Learn to target your skills toward your strengths and augment them with the skills of colleagues.
- Know your environment – What is the problem, and how will you solve it? Remember, healthcare is a very complicated subject. It is likely that the reviewer will not have a deep understanding of the issues found in rural hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities, Emergency Medical Service units, or public health units, so take time to explain even the most elementary system or organizational fact in lay terms.
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Know your own programs – You must be able to explain who you are, what you do, and
your organizational mission. Tying your mission to the mission of the funding source can be a good idea
- Who does your organization benefit? Show the breadth of your impact, the variety of benefits that you bring to the community.
- What is your organization's history? How long has your organization been in existence, and what are its accomplishments?
- How does your organization fit in with the local care system?
- How do you communicate with other groups? How do you get the word out in the community and surrounding area about your programs, services, and accomplishments?
Remember Your Audience: The Reviewer
The grant reviewer typically doesn't know much about your situation, your community, or potentially even your state. Be prepared to explain basic facts in simple language.
The central goal in any grant proposal is to convince the reviewers of the legitimacy of your problem, that you have a viable solution, and that you can execute the solution. What a grant proposal essentially does is sell your problem and solution to the funder. You need to persuade them that you can accomplish this worthwhile task.
- Use statistics, program data, state and national information, and documentation to support your argument with as many facts as possible.
- Show how other groups and/or communities are involved.
- Convey that the entire community will benefit from your solution.
- Demonstrate that your solution is practical, legitimate, and applicable to other organizations like yours.
- Establish that your proposal has specific goals and objectives that can be measured.
- Most importantly, convey that you have the ability to carry out your solution and meet the goals/objectives.
When writing your grant application, help the reviewer understand how your proposal:
- Will impact people, not just the agency or organization submitting the application.
- Emphasizes a collaborative process.
- Can be replicated by other communities.
- Can be continued after grant funds are expended.
Get Assistance
Don't be afraid to reach out to people or organizations that can help you in your grant development and writing efforts. Consider discussing your ideas and situation with organizations that can be of assistance, such as the Center for Rural Health, North Dakota Health and Human Services, or various state health associations. What do they advise? Can they critique your proposal?
You can also ask the funding agency if it is willing and/or able to share information on previously funded organizations. Contact your State Office of Rural Health or a healthcare association. If you are able to contact a previously funded organization, ask them for additional tips and information they can provide on the funding source and funding process. They might be willing to share what they would do differently or let you review the proposal they submitted.
Be Detailed
Grant reviewers typically don't know your organization, situation, or working environment. Clearly define terms, limit the use of acronyms and jargon, use statistics and data to elaborate clear points, and explain key concepts of your industry. Don't take it for granted that the reviewers will understand what you may consider common rural health knowledge.
The reviewers, at a national or federal level, may be knowledgeable in rural health, but they may not be an expert in rural health in North Dakota. You are the expert on your situation; you have the knowledge and the skill to articulate your situation and establish your solution.
Be Concise
Provide the reviewer with the detail to understand the concept, but don't overwrite. Review and edit the text to delete redundancy, shorten sentences, and streamline thoughts. If the grant guidance says the maximum length of the document is 50 pages, it is acceptable for it to be less. Reviewers appreciate a shorter, clearly written document.
Identify Key Questions from the Funder
As you write and review your proposal, ask yourself questions the funder may have, such as:
- Why is this important?
- Does the problem and request meet the funding mission? Does the need pertain to the funding agency?
- Does this solution assist a small group of people, or does it have an expansive social mission?
- Does the applicant appear to have the ability, skill, time, and technical knowledge to carry out the program and do so in the stipulated timeline?
- What real difference will this project make in the community?