Tips from a Federal Grantwriter
Willi Glee, from Charleston County Human Services Commission, spoke to the Charleston Association of Grant Professionals Tuesday night about tools and methods to use when writing federal grants. In case you missed it, here are some of the highlights.
Have an Institutional Boilerplate.
You should already have on your computer such information as your Statement of Need, Population Served, Program Name, Project Goals, Current Programs, Initiatives, Key Staff and Annual Budget. This is information you need for any grant you will write and already having it ready will save you an enormous amount of time. We also talked about this in the last Nonprofit Workshop- Developing a Fundraising Plan.
Outline
Use the sections of the Request for Proposal as your outline. Explain each line item.
Good Writing
Write in an active voice and learn to say what you need to say is as few words as possible.
Even though it comes first, write the Executive Summary last.
Have an Institutional Boilerplate.
You should already have on your computer such information as your Statement of Need, Population Served, Program Name, Project Goals, Current Programs, Initiatives, Key Staff and Annual Budget. This is information you need for any grant you will write and already having it ready will save you an enormous amount of time. We also talked about this in the last Nonprofit Workshop- Developing a Fundraising Plan.
Outline
Use the sections of the Request for Proposal as your outline. Explain each line item.
Good Writing
Write in an active voice and learn to say what you need to say is as few words as possible.
Even though it comes first, write the Executive Summary last.
Comments
* Prepare for deadlines, which are endemic to grant writing, as described further here.
* Just having institutional boilerplate isn't enough if the boilerplate isn't right. Every proposal should, like a good news article, answer the questions "who, what, where, when, why, and how."