Grant Writing – A Reality Check

Many non profit organisations, businesses and individuals somehow think grant writing is an easy process and you just fill out a form and then hey presto funding is given out to basically anyone who applies. The skilled grant writer including our granter writer Melbourne, grant writer Sydney and grant writer Brisbane all understand that this is far far from reality. In this article we will give you some tips on how to be a successful grant writer and to give you that reality check to give your funding submissions a better chance of success.

Most people think Government Departments, Councils and philanthropic trusts, foundations or corporations just want to give their money away to virtually anyone and will feel sorry for an organisation which tugs at the heart strings with a story of woe in their grant submission. This is definitely a myth, winning grant funding now is very very difficult because of the intense competition for that funding from the zillion other organisations that desperately need funding. So just filling out a form, tugging at heart strings or thinking that someone will give you funding and feel sorry for you is just in the realms of the fairies. You need to present a compelling case, you need to identify why you deserve the funding and what you will achieve with it AND you need to prove that your organisation and your project fits perfectly with the grant program goals and objectives.

So how can you present a compelling case? Good question – the skilled grant writer will show that your organisation fills a real need in the community and that you have a history of success in your field of expertise/delivery. You also have to show how your project will assist you greatly in filling this need AND then how the project supports the goals of the funding program. So if you are seeking $12k for new office furniture and you are applying to a program which has a focus on the wider community and how your organisation/project benefits the community. So with your office furniture you would need to show how the new furniture will be better for your staff/visitors, how it is needed (the old furniture is 30 years old or something), how you don’t have the funds to purchase it yourself AND how this new furniture will assist your staff to deliver better services/information to the community. This is a slightly difficult task but if it was one of our grant writers we would be saying things like the new furniture will be more comfortable for our staff and visitors, be better for their health and well being, improve morale and therefore enhance our ability to focus on what we do rather than worry about how uncomfortable say the chairs are. I might also want to identify that the new furniture will portray your organisation in a better, more professional light and therefore you can invite visitors, clients, other non profits more readily to your offices to discuss your services and “sell” your messages. This then will increase the awareness of your organisation and your services and then assist in broadening your reach into the community thus showing real benefits as required by the funding program.

So yes the art of grant writing is alive and well but if you want to be an outstanding grant writer – you need to present a compelling case not just pose a sad story.
Contact us at Red Tape Busters –  should you require more information about this article or if you require specialist grant or tender writing experience to help your organisation or business win grant funding or achieve successes with tenders.

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