Smart Moves for Grant Consulting Success

I guess I'm still in the honeymoon phase of having been a grant writing consultant for a decade this year. When I set out on this journey ten years ago I was nervous about what striking out on my own might mean. Would I secure any clients? Could I keep them? And would I make any kind of decent money?

You might be having the same fears that I had if you're thinking of making a go of consulting. The bright side though is that you have it a little bit easier than I did starting out. Many grant writers have now blazed a trail in consulting and have tips that will make success come easier and faster for you. In celebration of mdo the dew nike sb y tenth year, I'm so happy to share my top ones with you and hope that they'll inspire you to make the leap yourself. I know what lies ahead for you - freedom from a "job," more time with friends and family and the joy of working with nonprofit clients you personally want to see expand and grow in the community. Here's my "starting out" plan just for you:

Tip #1 - Learn and absorb information that is helpful to you and the stage of business that you're currently in.

Can we agree that we can be totally overwhelmed by information overload? It seems that everywhere we turn we're bombarded with tips, tricks,superman nikes for sale how-to's and strategies designed to make our life easier. The real trick to sifting through the information we need is to pay attention to what's needed at just the right time - and ignore the rest. What I mean by this is that if you're interested in a career as a grant writer, but lack the experience of writing grants, then you first want to learn and absorb all you can about writing winning grants. Don't worry about how you'll secure clients yet. Don't worry about the name of your business. Fsuper mario nike dunks sale irst things come first. I'll borrow a policeman's phrase here...proceed in an orderly fashion. Concentrate only on what you need at the time.

Tip #2 - Take what you learn and actually do something with it!

This is where I see some really potentially wonderful grant consultants choke. The books have been read. The training classes have been attended. Extensive notes have been taken. And there the books and notes sit...forlornly on the shelf gathering dust. Education has to be followed by action to make a dream come true, wouldn't you agree? Please don't be a statistic - take what you learn and do something with it. The nonprofit world desperately needs you and your expertise!

Tip #3 - Find someone willing to share with you exactly the next steps in starting your business.

Hey, you have this one covered! As I mentioned, there are so many wonderful grant consultants online that you can learn from and I'd also love to coach you to success. As I have continued to grow my business online, I admit that I too have coaches that I trust and admire and I'm happy to invest in them to show me an easier and quicker way of getting things done the way I want. Pick a grant consulting coach that you believe in and resonate with to groom you for consulting greatness.

Grant Writing: The Bad Boy of Fund Raising

Most of my grant consulting work is done with smaller nonprofits. When I'm contacted by them they're usually at a point of desperation - struggling financially, working with a limited staff and a few scary Board members breathing down their necks challenging why the money isn't coming in. They're scared, frustrated and willing to do just about anything.

Unfortunately, this is a pattern repeated on a regular basis because many nonprofits aren't willing to do everything that it takes to get their organization out of that rut.

lebron 8 v2 christmas edition sale Let me pose this question to you: how important is the work that your nonprofit does? Does your organization deserve the very best from you and your supporters so that it can continue to flourish serving all who need your help? Allow me to be bold here. When you don't even consider grants as a possibility for funding you're doing a disservice to your organization and the clients you serve. Yep, I said it.

I can make this statement because I've been exactly where you are. Seeing much more expense than income, scrambling to put on yet another special event to bring in a couple of thousalebron 8 ps finals edition for sale nd dollars and herding cats, I mean chasing after volunteers, to hound them to do what they promised. It's a rinse and repeat cycle. But it doesn't have to be.

Grant writing, from the outside, appears to be the "bad boy" of fund raising. You know, like that guy from high school we were supposed to stay away from? Grant writing is mysterious yet attractive. You want to know more, you know it could be a wonderful experience yet you're still hesitant. Well, thankfully you have me to help you get rid of your fears.

Dear reader, allow me you to introduce you to that "bad boy" and you'll see he's not so bad after all.

All Grant Applications Are Not Created Equal - No, for your sake and the sake of others, don't start with a federal grant application! My word, anyone would be discouraged if that was a first attempt. They don't have all the money. Last year, privair griffey max 1 freshwater 2011 ate foundations and corporations gave away $56 billion dollars. And how did the nonprofits that got this money get it? Right! You're catching on - they filled out an application! And it didn't end up looking like a rival to War and Peace. Many applications are only 2-4 pages.

No Ph.D. is Required in Writing Grants - Like any other method of fund raising, grant writing is simply a series of steps. You know those special events that your organization is so fond of? Just like you have a checklist of to-do items for those, grant writing also follows a logical sequence. Sure, writing grants is a learned art and technique but practice makes perfect and anyone can succeed when dedicated.

Writing Grants Takes No More Time Than Any Other Method of Fund Raising - Invariably, I always get the "I don't have time to write grants." Really? You don't have time to invest in the future good of your organization? This perception always breaks my heart because I'd love to know exactly what is being done with that time. My bet is that it isn't being spent counting a lot of money. Sure, there's an initial investment in time in preparing your grant application but so much can be turned into boilerplate material that can easily be inserted into multiple applications resulting in tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars. You don't have time for that?

If you're not so scared of the bad boy now, learn more about winning grant writing techniques here: http://www.yourgrantauthority.com/ga/products/newsletters/sign-up-for-my-e-newsletter.html. You'll get 60! of my best grant writing tips that will have you writing like a pro in no time.

Avoid These Common Grant Writing Mistakes

"The economy is down."

"I am too busy to finish writing this grant by the deadline."

"I don't know where to start on writing grants, and I don't have the staff or money."

"The funding agency has never heard of me!"

Does this sound like you? They are common excuses made by leaders of nonprofit organizations to justify the reason for not receiving grant funds. It is very easy to make excmoncler eric jackets men uses; however, if you don't try, you will never know what will happen. Your programs deserve grant funding.

The real reason why your program is not awarded grant funding is because of simple, amateur mistakes in your grant proposal submission. The mistakes stem from the lack of experience with grant writing and the lack of time management and research skills. One of the biggest mistakes found in most grant applications is the lack of familiarity with the funding agency. Before you make another mistake in your grant proposal, take a look at the most commonly known mistakes made in the grant proposal process.

STAGE ONE: MISTAKES IN UNDERSTANDING THE PROPOSAL PROCESS

Submitting Gmoncler handbags balenciaga eneric Proposals

First-time grant seekers are unfamiliar with the general process: common grant proposal elements and how proposal writing works. There is this belief that submitting a canned grant proposal from an online template or book will do the job in receiving the grant. The canned proposal submission reveals a laziness of the applicant and disconnection from the goals and mission of the granting agency.

Not following instructions or reading the Request for Proposals (RFP)

When you do not follow instructions, you have a poor chance of receiving the grmoncler himalaya doudoune brillante ant. Foundations, corporations, and government agencies receive thousands of grant proposals, and determine your ability to follow instructions by the way the proposal is presented to the agency.

Solutions: Take time to understand the proposal process by enrolling in an online grant writing workshop or conference that teaches the basics of grant writing, or go to your local library and check out grant writing books to learn the process. Knowing your grantor is key to developing a relationship with a funding agency. Take time to learn their mission, granting purposes, and results or outcomes expected from your program.

Grant program officers look at whether or not you followed the RFP instructions. If a funding agency requests a three-year operating budget, then create one. If they request paper clips rather than staples, then use paper clips. If they only accept applications from pre-selected organizations, then don't apply.

STAGE TWO: MISTAKES IN CREATING PROPOSAL TIMETABLES

Submitting the Proposal Late

Proposals are often received after the deadline, which is presented as a rushed and incomplete application. Applicants are known to request an extension to complete the application.

Contacting the Foundation with Last-Minute Questions

Applicants contact program officers at the most busiest times of the day. They call or e-mail with last-minute questions. Funding agencies will not answer or return your calls and/or e-mails in a timely manner.

Solutions: Create a timetable with deadlines from the start and end of writing your proposal. Timetables always change your research progresses. Visit their website first to see if a FAQ section answers any frequently asked questions. Schedule a time in advance to speak with a agency representative for additional assistance to compile all of the information you need before writing the proposal.

STAGE THREE: MISTAKES IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH

Failure to thoroughly research the funding agency's interests

Proposals do not succeed because of its superficial research. It is not enough information to know that the foundation makes grants for education. Do they support K-12? Higher education? Adult education? Do they specialize in organizations with high poverty schools?

Focusing on the needs that your program does NOT plan to address

Applicants go overboard with information about the need of the organization rather than the needs that the project will address.

Asking for the wrong amount

Grant applicants request substantially less or more than the typical grant size of a funding agency. If you ask for less, then you have underestimated your program's need and the agency's giving. If you ask for more, then you have not done the sufficient research about the funding agency's grant size.

Solutions: Identify and locate all of the information you need to develop a solid proposal. Identify the perceived need that your program addresses, the solution that your organization proposes, and the nature, mission, and methods of funding sources you hope to approach. Research past grant making history of your potential funding sources. Determine the grant size awarded to similar organizations, which is the amount that you want to request in your application.

Your research questions are thoroughly answered in the foundation's guidelines, online research databases, the agency's website, and the IRS 990 form. Outline how your program will deliver the services to the people who need it. Include what your organization can do for more people in receiving the grant in a general operating support request.

STAGE FOUR: MISTAKES IN BUILDING YOUR PROPOSAL'S FOUNDATION

Too much emphasis on the "why", not enough on the "how"

When a poorly written proposal is submitted to a funding agency, reviewers have little patience for bad writing. Many novice grant writers present an overly sentimental story about the problems of their target population, and why the program should be funded rather than how the program will address the need.

Solutions: Recognize how each potential source will make a good match for your proposal. You should be equipped with the information to address the perceived problem and the proposed solution. Present a step-by-step guide for the reader on how your program will meet the need by including measurable goals and objectives and an explicit, actionable plan. Include how you will record, collect and measure information on your program's successes and outcomes.

STAGE FIVE: MISTAKES IN PREPARING YOUR APPROACH TO FUNDING AGENCIES

Not participating in informational calls/seminars

Proposals are denied because of detailed information missed in an informational session conducted by the funding agency. Not all of the details can be found in the RFP. Many organizations have experienced cases where their proposal did not comply with a restriction explained in a meeting, disqualifying their proposal.

Preaching to the choir

Organizations assume that funding agencies know everything about the applicant's organization, especially when describing the capacity to carry out projects, using industry jargon, and other catch phrases.

Solutions: Attend the informational seminars and calls and collect additional information and material you may need to know about the funding agency. Use simple language throughout your proposal and present a clear case about your program's need.

STAGE SIX: MISTAKES IN WRITING THE BODY OF YOUR PROPOSAL

Not enough detail

Nonprofit executives become absorbed in day-to-day business of fulfilling the agency's mission that certain details about the programs, organization, and mission statement often get left out of the proposal.

Too much detail

Sometimes, proposals have too much information that embellishes the problem or ideas about the project.

Submitting sloppy budgets

Program offers detect over hundreds, if not, thousands of sloppy budgets every year. They will know if you left out a major item or padded the salaries.

Inadequate/Unrealistic cost analysis

Proposals have unrealistic cost estimates that make nonprofits appears fiscally inexperienced and incompetent. Also,proposals miss the mark in including income projections, making your organization appear too dependent.

Lack of Quantitative Data

Nonprofit grants are too light on hard data, with no quantifiable objectives and results.

Not Asking for the Money

Many proposals forget to include the amount of the grant they seek in the proposal.

Solutions: Structure each section of the project. Grant reviewers are learning about your project for the first time so provide specific information. Each section of your narrative shows how the funds will be used responsibly and effectively by your organization. Prepare the budget with same care as the narrative and match each section point for point.

STAGE SEVEN: MISTAKES IN REVIEWING AND REVISING YOUR PROPOSAL

Careless Editing and Proofreading

Program officers have to read over 600 grant proposals on the same topic. The problem with some proposals is that they find themselves re-reading sentences in your proposals due to typographical and grammatical errors.

Not using the checklist provided in the RFP

Many nonprofits don't look at the checklist provided by the funding agency. Lots of applicants leave out required pieces of the proposal, disqualifying the candidate from the start.

Solutions: After finishing your proposal, review the proposal carefully. Refer to the funder's proposal guide and verify all of the essential information is included in the proposal. Proofread for grammar, spelling and syntax errors, and have a friend or colleague read it for you. The checklist is usually found in the guidelines; and it is important for a funding agency to know that you followed their directions and did not miss any required pieces of the application.

PHASE EIGHT: MISTAKES IN SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

Simply not asking for the grant you need, or not submitting the grant at all

Grantseekers love to make excuses such as: "It's not the right time to apply for the grant" or "The economy is down" or "I am too busy to finish the proposal before the deadline" or "Grantors don't know who we are".

Solutions: Submit the proposal according to the RFP guidelines in a timely manner whether or not it is the right time to apply. The economy will always have its ebbs and flows, but does not excuse your organization from asking for a grant from a funding agency. If your organization is too busy to ask for funds for a deserving program, then your organization should not even exist. Make time to ask for support for your programs, and also take time to develop a rapport with a prospective funder. Excuses are easy to come by, but you will continue to make these mistakes and never get any funding if you just don't try.