Preparation

When completing a grant application, the name of the game is preparation. For help writing and preparing grant proposals, contact GrantWriterTeam.com where you will be linked with an experienced contract grant writer for hire. Here are some words of wisdom when preparing your grant proposal.

1. Be sure to request all necessary information from the funding source. This may include guidelines, annual reports and other documents. You will have access to this information through GrantWatch.com’s grant details page.
2. Stay local. If you’re a local organization, seek local funding. This is because national foundations are more likely to fund programs that can be replicated nationally.
3. If you are applying for a grant from a local foundation, check to see if your Board is familiar with some of their trustees. Sometimes, they know each other and a single phone call, describing your need, may increase your consideration for the grant.
4. Do not wait until the last minute to write your grant proposal. An application prepared in a hurry, looks like it was prepared last minute.
5. Try to not send more than what the grant application requests or allows. There are some things that may put your application over the top like newspaper clippings of the success of your programs or need in your community, but don’t send what is not allowed. Exceeding page limits can disqualify your application.
6. If you are awarded the grant, KEEP IN TOUCH with the funding source. This will cement a relationship and future funding.
7.  Some grant applications identify required page length, page margins and typeface. Follow the directions.
8. Verify the required submission method (online, mail, FedEx, fax, DVD, thumb drive, etc.).
9. If there is no application format, check if your funding source uses the “Common Grant Application.”
10. Was there a mandatory letter of intent or mandatory attendance at a conference required?  If the dates have passed, do not apply.

For an experienced grant writer, request a writer at GrantWriterTeam.com. He/she will create a thorough grant proposal and follow all these suggested guidelines to ensure a great impression of your nonprofit or small business.

Our grant writers are winning grants for clients every day. Become a winning organization, too!