10 Important Steps when Applying for Grants

The Road Ahead


Part 2 of 2, see also Part 1 of How to Apply for Funding

Everyone knows Kickstarter and IndieGoGo in the meantime. But there are other sources to fund writing projects, workshops, prints, publicizing efforts or lectures. Writers and small publishers are offered quite a number of grants and funding money.

Most are geared towards projects, rather than core funding. Think writing projects for sample instead of business/office supply or salaries. Grant categories by private and government organizations could also include:

  • Planning grants
  • Seed money or start-up grants
  • Technical assistance grants
  • Endowment grants

How to apply for GRANTS
Successful proposals are not done in an afternoon. They require strategic planning, research, preparing the proposal, building an evaluation plan, and follow-up. But once you are over the learning curve, all your following proposals will be a breeze.
.

1. Study the organization and successful grants. Some of them make samples of grant proposels they have funded online available. You can see the “language” they prefer and get an idea what type of projects were successful. Learn and understand the meanings of the vocabulary being used in grant guidelines. It’s important how well your written presentation answers their questions.
.

2. Show an interest in the Funders’ organization, call them for further information and find out the name of the person you should address the proposal if it is not stated specifically.

.
3. Create your proposal in a way for the funder organization to conclude it will fulfill their philanthropic mission. Offer a concise plan to fill a need or solve a problem.

.
3. Adhere strict to their guidelines, help them to evaluate your proposal easily. Your reader (decision maker) will evaluate your plan according to what you are proposing. And how your project can benefit others.

.
4. Provide a detailed budget and outline how the funds will be used.

.
5. Show them what you can do and how your past experience will help you achieve your objectives with this grant. Write it in a positive language.

.
6. Explain in detail what you or your organization does and why the grantor can trust you or your organization to handle the project and money appropriately.

.
7. Add an executive summary written in non-technical language, or include your own glossary of terms, explaining technical language used in the proposal.

.
8. Convince the grantor that your project is vitally important, that you can accomplish it, that it can be done within the budget parameters, and that no one else is meeting that need.

.
9. Break your plan down into specific steps that are tied to a specific, well-designed timeline.

.
10. State exactly how you will evaluate your success and how you will follow up. Show your long-term vision and that the project is “sustainable.”

.
Last but not least some links to grants & funding: Grants for Writers listingNational Endowment for the ArtsArts WritersFulbright Intl. foundation and Grant Seekers Cafe, just to name a few.

Good luck!

More blogs regarding Grants
http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/grants-for-writers-1-in-3-proposals-funded/
http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/grants-and-awards-for-writers-get-the-money-apply/

<><><><><>

 

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to check out all previous posts (there are almost 500 of them : ) if you haven’t already. Why not sign up to receive them regularly by email? Just click on “Follow” in the upper line on each page – and then on “Like” next to it.

Follow on Twitter: @111publishing

And don’t orget to spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Tumblr or StumbleUpon – or other social networking sites of your choice) – other writers might also enjoy this blog and find it useful.

.

.
Hyper Smash

Pingates

Social tagging: > > > > > > >