There is almost a completely new language for the grant writer to learn when they first begin grant writing. There is a shorthand of a whole range of acronyms that are frequently used across the grant writing procedure.

It helps if the grant writer knows and uses these acronyms as it simplifies the application and award process if everyone involved is familiar with the industry jargon. (more…)

As a business owner and potential employer, I used to receive 2-3 unsolicited resumes every week from people seeking employment and each time I advertised a position I would receive 20-30 responses.

I always took the time to peruse every resume submitted as I believe in giving the resume writer a fair opportunity to sell themselves as a potential employee; but having said that I have to admit there were a great many resumes that I would dismiss from consideration immediately. (more…)

While it is sometimes tempting for a NFP organisation to randomly apply for any and all grant funding simply because they have become aware of it and let’s face it they can all use a funding injection it is important to actually have completed significant groundwork first and to be clear in what they want to fund if they intend to actually be successful in their application. (more…)

As a grant writer it can be tempting to try to write the ‘perfect’ grant as soon as you commence the project.

Reality is that when grant writing it is often more effective to let creativity flow for the first draft of the application. As you read the grant invitation start writing what comes into your head in note form, bullet points or sentences. The important part of this process is to simply let your thoughts and ideas flow. They can be organised later.

As you write the first rough draft, add notes about facts or research you want to include or information you need to find out, documentation you have to read or include. It can be useful to use different coloured fonts to highlight these in your draft.

If the grant writer finds themselves struggling during this process and unable to get the sentences to form or the paragraph to be complete simply highlight them to look at later and continue moving on. This first draft – the free-range draft if you will – is all about brainstorming and following the flow of thoughts that are prompted by the grant invitation. This is your rough diamond; the cutting and polishing can come later.

On this first draft don’t try and stick to word counts or word limits. It is actually better to have too many words and be able to refine and edit than to have to add more words later. Our grant writer in Sydney can edit the free-range draft to be more specific and focused after all their ideas and thoughts are committed to either paper or screen.

When the grant writer starts editing, they can highlight the key words from the grant invitation in order to demonstrate that they have addressed each criterion in focused and specific detail.
The most effective time to write the introductory summary that will be in the grant submission is after everything else is written, edited, polished and finalised. Having written all the more detailed requirements of the grant submission such as the work plan, the benefits, the needs statement for the grant application writing the summary should be relatively easy and straight forward.

The grant writer will demonstrate clearly why the project or program funding is being sought for is important. They will provide an outline of what the need is and how it can be addressed as well as why the applicant organisation is best qualified to provide a solution for the need. This is where the grant writer is persuading and motivating the selection committee to select the organisation and their project or program to receive the funding so be persuasive and convincing.

When the free-range draft is complete the grant writer can then begin their polishing process. As part of their editing and polishing the grant writer pays attention to formatting –

• Using short sentences; short paragraphs; and bullet points rather than large blocks of information.
• Using bold headings to clearly identify each section of the grant application.
• Selecting a professional and legible font and appropriate font size for clarity and ease of reading.
• Checking word counts

The grant writer also ensures the free-range brainstorming draft has now become a professionally written grant application that is simple and concise to read. Avoid the use of jargon instead choose concise and clear language. The grant writer attaches all the requested documentation and supplies detailed information about the applying organisation or company and the core personnel who will be associated with putting the grant project into place.

When submitting a resume one of the most important facts to keep in mind is that you have 7-10 seconds to grab the attention of the reader before they put it aside for the next applicant. If the resume writer grabs their attention, they will then read the entire resume carefully, looking for confirmation that the job application writer has the skills and capabilities to match the position. (more…)

Given how exhaustive preparing a tender bid is the tender writer tends to follow a well organised pattern in preparing a bid to ensure maximum potential for success. (more…)

We all know the job market is a competitive situation with potentially dozens of people all applying for the same position you are. So how do we grab attention and not in a bad way? How do we stand out from the crowd and gain an interview with our potential employer?
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