21 Tips on How to Write Grant Proposals

1. Don’t use a committee.

· The fewer writers involved, the better the proposal.

· Preferable, the project innovator should be the author, with editorial assistance by a grant coordinator.

2. Aim your “pitch” at one individual.

· Try to visualize that person.

3. Write in third person.

· It’s easier to brag about “they” than “I”.

4. Select an appropriate (and interesting) title of 10 words or less.

· Don’t be cute or hammy.

5. If the proposal is a long one (of 10 pages or more), prepare a table of contents.

6. Be liberal with spacing, sub-heading and underlines, to make it easy to read and to emphasize important points.

7. Try to limit each sentence to 15 words or less.

8. Try to limit yourself to 2 commas per sentence.

· This keeps you from saying more than one thing at a time.

9. Keep your paragraphs short, and present only one thought per paragraph.

10. Use contractions freely. That’s the way you talk, isn’t it? It’s the key to more effective, personal writing.

11. Use quick openers – like good newspaper openers.

· Catch the reader’s attention early, and keep it.

12. Don’t make a mystery out of your proposal.

· Start right in with the mot important point.

13. Accentuate the positive

· Emphasize “opportunities”, rather than “needs”.

· Donors would rather know “where it’s at” than “where it isn’t”.

14. Beware of “ify” and “hopeful” statements.

· Be positive.

15. Don’t overkill.

· Remember you are dealing with sophisticated customers.

· Too much sugar can sour the wine.

16. Use nickel and dime words, but don’t insult the reader’s intelligence.

17. Beware of professional jargon, abbreviations and vague reference.

18. If you have trouble getting started, begin with the budget.

· Money has a strange way of defining our methods and objectives.

19. Ask for the order.

· There’s no need to be sly with granting agencies.

· Literally “come in the front door”, “make the pitch” and “close the sale”.

20. KISS - - Keep It Short and Simple

21. Break the rules!

· Writing is an individual matter.

· So don’t get hung-up on someone else’s writing rules.

· The main thing is to make yourself clear.