A lot of people want to learn how to write grants, but don’t have the time, or the necessary interest, to take actual classes, or even read a whole book. A faster, more convenient way to learn is to watch YouTube videos, but most of these videos are simply interviews with experienced grant writers, who answer questions about the process.
What’s missing are the specific practical lessons that someone, or some company, can take advantage of. To fill that void, our team at GuideToGrantZ[*], a company that provides online grants for non-profit organizations and individuals, decided to create this short-guide, which will teach you everything you need to know about writing grants. Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re already an experienced writer, this guide will help you along the way.
Choose A Specialty
Deciding what type of grants you’ll apply for is something you’ll have to consider. Do you want to write a grant for a museum, which needs funds for exhibits, or would you rather write a small business grant, which may need you to spend some time analyzing the company’s sales and projections?
The answer will depend on your own personal interests and the type of non-profit you consider yourself affiliated with. Museums and cultural institutions are a great example of a specialized area that you can master in just a few short months, if you follow the steps in this guide, and may even find application in your own backyard.
Business grants are great for any type of non-profit, as you’ll be writing a proposal for an investor, who will then decide whether or not to fund your project. This option can be a bit more time consuming, but if you’re passionate about your cause, and committed to getting the job done, then it may be worth it.
Start Building Your Knowledge Base
The first step in learning how to write grants is to start building your knowledge base. If you haven’t written any grants before, then it would be a good idea to read online articles, or even buy a specialized book, which will introduce you to the basics of grant writing. You can also contact NGOs, or other organizations, which may be experienced in providing funding for your type of non-profit, to see if they can provide any advice or guidance.
Once you have established your knowledge base, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Create Your Strategy
After establishing your knowledge base, you’ll need to create your strategy. This is something which will depend on you, and your own personal preferences, but it’s a good idea to create a list of all the different types of grants you’re interested in, along with the ones you hope to apply for, and when. Reviewing the types of grants offered by different organizations can help you decide what’s the best fit for your own personal interests, as well as the ones you hope to apply for.
After creating your strategy, you can move on to the next step.
Set Goals And Objectives
The next step will be to set goals and objectives. Just like with any other type of learning, you’ll have to define exactly what you hope to achieve from this process. For example, maybe you’d like to be able to write a winning business plan, or if your dream is to become a freelance writer, you could set a goal to write and submit a few articles. Setting specific, measurable goals and objectives, will help you determine, as you go along, if you’re actually making any progress.
The only thing left to do now, is to review the information you’ve gathered, and create a draft of the proposal. Once you have a complete draft, it’s time to present it to your supervisor, or to other colleagues, for review. They can offer feedback, and help you make the necessary adjustments, before you send it off to the judge. Remember, there’s no rush to complete this draft, as you can always come back and refine it further, before submitting it. Once you do send it off, you’ll have to wait for the judge’s decision, to find out if you won the grant, or lost out to the other applicants. In some cases, you may have to revise your proposal, and start over from scratch, if the judge feels that your original plan was not viable, or complete enough.
That’s it. Now that you’re equipped with the basics of learning how to write grants, it’s time to dive into the details. The more you know, the more you’ll be able to contribute to the success of your nonprofit, or small business. Good luck out there.