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Applying For A Grant -- Tips To Improve The Odds |
By:
Ardis Myles |
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Applying For A Grant -- Tips To Improve The Odds
Ardis Myles
The process of applying for a grant program, known as grantsmanship, takes real talent. It takes a lot of skill and hard work, and can cost serious time and money.
There are several things you should consider during grant applications. Below are a few:
* Benefit your community.
That is the purpose of grants after all. Bear this in mind even before you approach that agency and apply for a grant. Be sure that your project is something that is going to help them improve the community. Your grant application should be in harmony with the overall goal of your prospective funding source.
* Learn about the specific goals of your funding source.
The overall goal of your grant is to make a positive difference in your community, but you should really understand the particulars of your grant application. Speak with staff members at the grant agency. They will be eager to share details with you.
Ask if the grant agency provides funding in your area. Some of these agencies provide grants to entrepreneurs who operate in a particular area. If you are one of these entrepreneurs, you may have a better chance of getting a local grant than a national one.
Also, the agencies may also tell you what institutions they grant funds. This type of information would be a great help in your grant application.
* Who will evaluate your proposal?
Does the person providing application approval understand your particular field? Has he or she acquired any experience or background information? If the evaluator is not experienced with your field, avoid including too much technical information that they may not understand. Your grant application should be written in layman's terms, keeping their level of understanding in mind. Technical terms and definitions may be used if the evaluator is familiar with your field. Write clearly, and only use jargon with necessary.
* Be familiar with your fund source.
Know how to frame the information in your proposal. Your statements must be confirmed with facts to show that you have a clear understanding of why the funding is needed.
* Prepare a clear and easy-to-understand budget.
Your proposed budget must be as thorough as possible. Explain in detail everything that will require funding and include any match funding from other organizations. By doing so, you will provide the funding agency with a clear picture of what your proposal entails.
No matter what, never ever throw together a proposal and hope for the best. It never works and they see through the sloppiness right away. In fact, the proposal is half of your grant application, and it is the one half over which you have complete control. Don't muck it up.
* Don't invest a lot of money on an elaborate presentation.
It hardly ever impresses the funding agency. Never forgo the content of your proposal for style of the presentation. If you must spend money, spend it on the amount of planning you need for the project, not solely on presentation.
Ardis Myles is an essayist for several Internet magazines, on http://sowbelly.com/ home business opportunity and http://drivers.biz) computer device drivers issues.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article66990.html |
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