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Grant Writing Tips

February 18, 2021 by in Blog

I’m always on a quest to understand what grant providers are looking for. This includes grant writing tips and feedback from grantors.

Why? There are two reasons:

  • So I’m up to date with the grant industry and can create grant applications that have the best chance of success.
  • So I can share the wisdom with you.

From all the material I’ve gathered from Australia and internationally, I’ll soon be sharing the top 10 tips for grant writing. This will be a summary of all my research, with a sprinkling of my own experience.

In the meantime, I thought I would share some tips from two national funding organisations. They list the following information on their websites, so it’s likely the tips are created to help you improve what a lot of people are getting wrong!

Note: I’ve summarised and edited their information to make it easier to read.

Tips from Honda Foundation

Tip #1

Items generally NOT favoured during the approval process are applications which include:

  • admin costs
  • travel costs
  • wages
  • personal devices.

Tip #2

It can be better for charities to apply for an item which will support a wider community initiative.

For example, we donated new cordless microphones to the Yooralla Strike a Chord choir in Victoria. The choir comprises people who have experienced a stroke with a loss of speech called aphasia. Singing and melody are processed by a different part of the brain to speech, so those living with aphasia can still sing.

The donation had a double effect – supporting a grassroots cause and also empowering choir members to sing and raise their morale.

Tip #3

The Foundation receives 100s of applications each year which range from a few hundred dollars, to thousands of dollars.

Your pitch should be framed around story telling so we understand how a grant would change lives.

Also, the aim should be solution-focused. Identify the challenge and explain the solution and the steps to achieve it.

Here’s the link to the original article.

Grant writing tips from Ian Potter Foundation

Tips for before you start the writing process

  • If you are unsure about anything – call to discuss – don’t guess!
  • Don’t try to fit a square peg into a round hole. Read the funding objectives carefully to ensure your project is in with a chance!
  • It is worth reading case studies and looking at the grants database to get a better understanding of what, how and who is funded.

Writing tips

  • Write in clear simple English – avoid jargon.
  • Avoid acronyms – assume we don’t know what they mean.
  • Write in specific terms rather than generalise – especially regarding track record and outcomes.

Budget tip

  • Ensure that your figures add up – check and check again.

Proofing tip

  • Ask someone who doesn’t know what your project is about to read the application before you submit it. This will make sure it’s clear and easily understood.

Here’s the link to the original article.

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