Grant Proposal Mistakes

It is always amazing to me the stupid mistakes that I find on grant proposals. Little things, like spelling errors and grammatical issues get a proposal tossed in the trash before the grant giver completely reads the proposal. Keep in mind that you want this organization to give you money, just give it to you. All it takes is a little planning to and thought to turn your proposal in to one that gets noticed and the ones that get trashed.

First, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS COMPLETELY! I cannot stress that enough. If you fail to include something that the grant giving organization wants in the proposal, your proposal will be tossed in the trash.

Second, when explaining why you deserve the grant, USE MORE THAN ONE SENTENCE OR PARAGRAPH. There is nothing more that the decision makers in grant giving organizations hate more than going through proposals that have little to no explanation. Most grant proposal reviewers will not even read a proposal if it does not have more than one paragraph. Just by seeing only one line or one paragraph explanations voids the legitimacy of that proposal in the grant reviewers mind. Explain in detail why you need that grant funding and why you are going to use it to help society.

Third, BE REALISTIC. I read one grant proposal where the guy actually asked for 69 Billion Dollars to start a church. If I were going to start a church, I think I could do it a whole lot less than that. That guys proposal didn't get trashed, it got passed around on email lists for people to laugh at. Think about it, that guys credibility went out the door right then and there. No would take him seriously for 69 Million Dollars let alone 69 Billion Dollars. Most of the time to start a business or organization it will take multiple sources of funding.

Last, DON'T GIVE UP. If at first you don't succeed... Try, try again. Learn from your mistakes and try again. But remember not to become annoying to the grant organization you are trying to get funding from. There is a difference between being persistent and being a pest.

Good Luck