10 Things I Know About ... Applying for grants
Chris O'Keeffe
Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s annual Community Grants program is soliciting proposals due Sept. 16 and will award $2 million to local nonprofits. After applications are in, GWCF begins a two-month process of due diligence. The dilemma faced is shared by all foundations & funders: The needs exceed capacity. How do they all decide? United Ways, community foundations and other funders all have their own individual requirements and priorities but have common threads.
Cardinal rule: Keep the reader in mind! Real human beings will read your proposal. Yours is one of dozens of applications, and they’re usually not steeped in the work you do. If you confuse or bore the reader, your chances go down.
10) You must be able to identify and understand the need you’re trying to meet. State the need concisely so someone not in your business can understand it.
9) You must identify the outcomes you’re trying to achieve. Say how program participants will be better off.
8) Gather ample evidence indicating your approach will be effective. Your task is to convince a skeptical reader your approach is a good one.
7) Answer, “Why is my project a good bet?” Like venture capitalists, foundations are making a bet you can deliver results. You need potential funders to understand you have the skills, resources, and imagination, etc. to be successful.
6) Identify what is unique or especially powerful about your project. Communicate what distinguishes your project from others.
5) Identify what is important to the funder you’re applying to. Each funder has a unique perspective. Read the instructions carefully. Investigate the funder on the web, talk to people who know them (board members, etc.), or talk to the program officer (or whomever is running the process).
4) Answer the questions you are asked. You might think this is self-evident, but one of the biggest complaints of grant proposal reviewers is answers often don't actually address the questions asked.
3) Be concise. Sometimes, less is more.
2) Get feedback before you submit. A reader who's not steeped in the subject must easily understand what you've written, so be sure to have someone else review your work. Paradoxically, the less they know about the subject matter the better.
1) Pay attention to outcomes. Many applications fall short in articulating the benefits to your clients. You need to clearly describe how people will benefit, and how you will know. More than half of the proposals we see are weak in this, so doing it right will make your application stand out.
Chris O'Keeffe is vice president for Program at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation.
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