46 Grant Writing Tips to Fast-Track Your Grant Writing

Hey, it’s my birthday!

And in celebration of my 46th (woot-woot), I am giving you 46 grant writing tips!

Grab this download of all the 46 tips when you join the FREE Grant Writing & Funding Hub Haven! 

Grant Writing Tip #1: Be Concise in Your Writing

No long, fluffy sentences in your grant writing! Be succinct. Be concise.

Grant Writing Tip #2: Explain the Problem with Simplicity

What is the problem? How will you solve it? When you get that across with clarity it goes a long ways!

Grant Writing Tip #3: Complete Your Budget Before You Write the Entire Narrative

If you work on your entire narrative and then do the budget last a few calamities could happen.

• You realize you don’t have enough money to fulfill all your objectives
• You have to rewrite your narrative because the budget doesn’t make sense any longer. That full-time program director you wanted to hire? Oops, now it’s down no program director. Here goes redoing the org chart and tossing out that job description that took you 20 hours to complete.

Grant Writing Tip #4: Have SMART Objectives

Your grant writing objectives need to be SMART. No, they do not need a PhD, but they do need be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Click here for more information and examples about how to write SMART objectives.

Grant Writing Tip #5: Your Goal Should Change a Behavior or Situation

Your goal can be much more audacious than your objective. But it still needs to improve, increase, or change something! There needs to be a larger impact out there that will change some type of situation or behavior for good!

Click here for more examples on how to write goals.

Grant Writing Tip #6: Write to the Criteria of the Funding Source Grant Application

There is usually a criteria (directions) of what the funding source is wanting you to answer. Make sure you clearly and succinctly answer these questions!

I see a lot of grant writers NOT answer all of the criteria in a grant application. For example, some criteria may have several questions listed in one section and the grant writer only answers the first question. Don’t do that! Answer all the questions!

Grant Writing Tip #7: Make Sure You Have Skittles

Yep, sugar helps your brain. That’s scientific ;)

Grant Writing Tip #8: Make Sure the Grant is Money Your Nonprofit Wants & Can Handle

Too often people in nonprofits get stars in their eyes when seeing dollar signs. But sometimes money (or the amount) isn’t necessarily a place that your nonprofit is set up. One of the smartest executive directors I ever worked with was on a grant winning streak, but instead pulled back a minute and said, “Let’s first ensure that we have the capacity to handle more grants.”

Grant Writing Tip #9: Make Sure the Funding Source is Dating Material

What if the foundation also supports other organizations that conflict with your nonprofit’s values? Or what if they have a bad reputation in reimbursing organizations or paying out? Or what if they ask for just WAY too many reports?

Remember, getting a grant creates a relationship. Make sure it’s one you want to be in and isn’t taking advantage of you.

Grant Writing Tip #10: Ask for Feedback Before You Submit the Grant

Save yourself a ton of time by first contacting the program office at the funding source. Let them know about the project that you will be submitting the grant proposal for and find out if it’s a good fit. Do this before you spend tons of time, money, and opportunity costs by writing the grant.

On paper I have seen a lot of ‘great fit’ funding opportunities, but after talking to the program officer with the funding source I have gotten the most valuable information. Sometimes it is clear that the program isn’t a good fit and they give advice to tweak it so that it’s a perfect fit and other times I find out that even though they are accepting applications they probably won’t be funding new programs. This is gold.

Grant Writing Tip #11: Showcase Your Needs with Data

Oftentimes I see emotional language in grants and absolutely no statistics, reports, or data. This is a HUGE no-no. Writing the need section in grants is not about how many heartstrings you can pull, it’s about how you can demonstrate the need with facts.

Personally, showing facts and statistics actually makes me more emotionally than prose!

Grant Writing Tip #12: Don’t Chase the Money!

I know that those dollar signs can sway many a person into mission drifting! Don’t do it! Just because you might have a great chance at getting $3 million dollars doesn’t mean that you should apply for the grant. If you have to create a program that is entirely outside of your mission and vision, then you are probably mission drifting.

Remember: Most grants do not have unrestricted funding (unfortunately).

Grant Writing Tip #13: Make Sure the Grant is a High Enough Time Investment

What this means is that if the grant is making you jump through hoops and it will take you a 100 hours to apply for $5,000, it might not be the best use of your time!

Remember, time = money.

Grant Writing Tip #14: Make Sure Your Beneficiaries Want the Program

If you have beneficiaries receiving support, make sure that they will use, implement, or be active in the program! You might think of (what you think is) the greatest idea, and then to find out that the nonprofit’s beneficiaries don’t even want the program!

What can help with this is by doing a Needs & Strengths Assessment! By doing this Assessment, you can also include the results of the data into your grant application!

Grant Writing Tip #15: Make Sure the Program Aligns with Your Mission Statement

This aligns with tip #12, but it’s important. Before you develop a program make sure that you chant your mission statement ;) It all needs to align otherwise you will be mission drifting!

Grant Writing Tip #16: Make Sure You Keep to Word and Page Limitations

Trying to write more pages then required won’t get you brownie points. In fact, it may get you disqualified at worst or pages redacted at best. Don’t do this.

Grant Writing Tip #17: Don’t Use Ambiguous Language

Ambiguous words and phrases can detour your grant points real quick. These include: “Lack Of,” “Rarely,” “Very High,” “Very Low,” “Not Enough,” etc. What all these phrases have in common are that they are not specific.

For more information about words not to use in grant writing, click here.

Grant Writing Tip #18: Realize You Are Developing a Business Plan

You may not get the grant awarded. But the process of writing a grant is so much more than just writing a letter and asking for money. You are developing a business plan and this can be used for so many things, including:

• Applying for other grants
• Pulling out your statistics and putting on social media and your website
• Turning it into a corporate solicitation letter
• Turning it into fundraising copy
• So much more…

Grant Writing Tip #19: Reach Out to Other Nonprofits Who Have Received the Same Grant

When you are applying to a funding source sometimes you can see who else has been awarded in the past. Or you just might know a nonprofit organization who received that grant.

Reach out to them and ask them how their experience with the funding source has been. This can be hugely valuable for you when considering to apply for a certain grants. I’ve even seen nonprofits give their funded application to other nonprofits so that they can have a guidepost on what was awarded!

Grant Writing Tip #20: Find Out if You Have Partner to Go In On a Grant

Collaboration is key to a healthy nonprofit. Grants are set up to make nonprofits feel like they are in competition with every other nonprofit in their geographic area or sector. But be sure to flip the script and see who you could collaborate with. How can you leverage their strengths and vice versa? This can be hugely powerful in securing larger grants and having support to manage grants.

Grant Writing Tip #21: Make Sure the Program Can Continue After the Grant Ends

Remember, you are building a business plan. Grant monies often act like seed or start-up money. That’s it. But once those funds end, it is like an investor wondering how your program will continue. Always, always, always consider this when writing the grant and put your sustainability plan into the grant application!

If your program can’t continue, do you really need it?

Grant Writing Tip #22: If You Had to Tap Your Other Streams of Funding to a Continue a Program, it’s Probably a Good Program

Ask yourself, would you tap into your other streams of funding to fund your program after the grant has ended? I’m not saying you should or need to, but if you get a ‘Heck NO!’ then it might be clear that you are mission drifting.

This can also help your brain start thinking of other solutions and a sustainability plan.

Grant Writing Tip #23: Make Sure Your Budget Fits Your Program

If you have to shave off entire categories in your budget just to meet the ceiling threshold of the grant, then it’s either not a good fit, or you need to narrow down your program.

I’ve seen people way underbid a grant budget proposal thinking that they will score points for being super frugal. Nope! Remember, grants are not a bid where the lowest price wins. If anything, as a federal grant reviewer, if I see this peanut pricing I think the project won’t be sustainable and deduct major points.

Grant Writing Tip #24: Make Sure You Have Enough (Wo)Man Power to Write the Grant

Do you have someone on your board of directors, a grant writing committee, an in-house grant writer, or a freelance grant writer to write the grant?

Grant Writing Tip #25: Make Sure You Have Enough Time to Write the Grant

If there are holidays coming up, other fundraisers, etc. you may not have time to actually write the grant. Even if you have a full-time grant writer, are they writing other grants? Be sure to know what your capacity limits are.

Grant Writing Tip #26: Consider Becoming a Grant Reviewer

This is a golden key. Becoming a grant reviewer let’s you know exactly how grants are scored and gives you an insight into a variety of grant writing. I can’t stress how important this step is! Become a grant reviewer NOW.

Grant Writing Tip #27: Make Sure You Include Sources for Your Statistics

When you state a certain percentage, number, or fact, then make sure you include where you got that information. Sometimes you can just put it as a footnote, parenthesis, or a bibliography. But put your citation somewhere!

Grant Writing Tip #28: Make Sure You can Explain Your Entire Project on One Page

If you program is succinct enough, you will be able to explain the basis of your program in one page. For more information about what information to include, be sure to watch my short GRANTS Formula video series for free.

Grant Writing Tip #29: Make Sure You Don’t Inflate Your Grant Budget

We discussed about not pinching pennies, but be sure you don’t go to the other side and inflate all the prices. I mean, I get it. We are in an inflation right now (circa 2022), but funding sources may still ask for quotations and receipts.

Be realistic with how much you are asking for and include everything!

Grant Writing Tip #30: Make Sure You Include Quotations When Needed

If you request more than $5,000 for any one unit, be sure to include at least three quotations. This is actually a federal criteria! This isn’t for 10 computers at $1,000 each. Yes, I know that equals more than $5,000 but that is for 10 units. What I mean by one unit is a food truck that will cost $25,000. Get three quotations for that puppy!

Grant Writing Tip #31: Make Sure You Have Potato Chips

Yep, this goes with the skittles. Sometimes a nice little stock of sugar and salt really helps that brain! :)

Grant Writing Tip #32: Make Sure to Meet Weekly With Your Grant Writing Team

Yep, everyone needs to be on board! Your grant writing team is essential but if you are not meeting consistently you can forget getting everything turned in on time. Be sure to have a standing meeting set up and committed folks!

Grant Writing Tip #33: Make Sure You Have a Grant Writing Team

Do you actually have a grant writing team? Sometimes it might be small or multiple people may have various roles, but here is the ideal team:

• Executive Director
• Grant Writer
• Accountant
• Grant Coordinator (helps get letters of support, etc.)
• Any Subject Matter Needed

Grant Writing Tip #34: Make Sure You Have a Copy of the IRS Tax-Exemption Letter

I know you have this already since you are an official nonprofit, right? (If you need help on how to get set up, click here for the Nonprofit Start-Up Academy).

This letter can get lost and you need it for every grant application. Be sure you know where it is and have a copy in a Google Drive!

Grant Writing Tip #35: Make Sure You Have an Up-To-Date List of All Funding Received

Winning grants and getting funding for your nonprofit is amazing! But do you actually keep an up-to-date list of all the grants, what year you won them, what they were for, and how much?

Believe you me, you will forget all these details. Keep a list somewhere handy where you can pull this information into your grant applications to showcase your credibility!

Grant Writing Tip #36: Make Sure You Have Copies of Grants That Weren’t Awarded

This can help you write future grants. If you also have feedback from those unawarded grants, make sure to read that! This

Grant Writing Tip #37: Find Grants That Were Awarded

See if you can find other grants that were awarded in the past. See how much was actually awarded and for what programs. Federal agencies often keep this information on their websites, but you do need to dig around. Foundations will have this information in their 990s.

Grant Writing Tip #38: Make Sure You Meet the Technical Criteria of the Grant Proposal

Have you checked to see what size margins and font are required for the grant? Do your charts require a certain font size?

I know, I know. The details suck, but you can get your grant denied on these technicalities.

Grant Writing Tip #39: Make Sure a Grant is What is Needed

Is a grant really the lowest hanging fruit to get funding for your nonprofit’s program? Grant funding is never immediate. In fact, the time it takes to get money from a federal grant (from the time you submit a grant) could be six months to a year. Do you have time to wait for that? And that’s if it gets awarded. It could take 3-6 months to even find out if your grant was awarded.

There might be some other ways that are less time-consuming or will get you funding more quickly.

Grant Writing Tip #40: Make Sure You Repurpose Your Grant Application

We already talked about this when your grant is not awarded. But even if your grant is awarded be sure to repurpose your grant application. Pull those stats and put them on your social media, write the main part of the grant on your website, etc.

Grant Writing Tip #41: Make Sure You Keep a Freelance Grant Writer in Mind

You might have a great in-house grant writing team, but it’s always good to know a freelance grant writer that could help out. This could be pulling in a specialist on a certain grant, helping with overload (yes, there is a grant season), or taking on the grants when your in-house grant writing is on vacation, maternity leave, etc.

This will help with the mental health of your in-house grant writer so they don’t feel like they are always on call or working overtime constantly. Believe me!

Grant Writing Tip #42: Make Sure You Look at Your Calendar

When writing grants, you usually get lead time. But what if your nonprofit is doing a huge fundraiser in that same time a grant is due and you are expecting the same person to do both?

What is there is a holiday the Friday before a grant is due? Make sure you schedule out the grant and include all the things during that same time.

Grant Writing Tip #43: Make Sure You are Registered Where You Need to Submit the Grant

For federal grants, you need to make sure you are registered in SAM and grants.gov. For foundation grants, you may need to be registered on their online platform. Don’t wait until the last minute to do this!

This should actually be one of the first things that you!

Grant Writing Tip #44: Make Sure You Identify Someone to Submit the Grant

As a freelance grant writer, I make sure that someone from the nonprofit is responsible for this. I can help and walk them through the process, but this is a huge responsibility.

Make sure to identify someone who will do this!

Grant Writing Tip #45: Make Sure You Select the Grant Deadline

This isn’t the actual grant deadline, this your grant deadline. This should be at the very least a few days before the grant is due (a week is better)! Things will come up. Letters of support will be late. Technical issues will happen.

Preparing to submit early will help you mitigate a lot of these things and will reduce stress.

Grant Writing Tip #46: Make Sure You Have all the Attachments Ready

Many grants require attachments such as:

• Job Descriptions
• IRS Tax-exemption Letter
• Board Resolution
• Resumes
• Bios of Board Members
• Previous Grants Won
• Letters of Support
• Etc.

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