Are You Making These 5 Mistakes on Your Grant Application?

During the grant review process, funding sources often see many common mistakes that are easily avoidable. Today, GrantWatch is going to take a deeper look at some of the practices that can lead to your grant application being overlooked or rejected. Make sure you’re not making any of these top five mistakes on your next grant application!

1. You’re not including supporting documents

A crucial part of your grant application is the supporting evidence you include.  A funding source must do its due diligence before awarding any funds. If you are unable to provide the documentation required to confirm and validate your proposal, then more often than not, grant reviewers will not give consideration to your application.

2. You don’t provide enough budget detail in your grant proposal

Unfortunately, many applicants often struggle when it comes to developing a budget. When writing your grant proposal, you need to include the budget for the the project which should provide details including both program costs and invoices/quotes from suppliers. Avoid giving rough estimates or vague amounts. Make sure to explain why every cent is needed and how it will be used.

3. Your grant writing is lacking

Grant reviewers often have to read many applications. Unnecessary details make it harder for them to properly assess an application. When writing, you want to stick to the facts and keep your proposal short and to the point. You also want to answer every question and make sure your written proposal expresses the extent of your passion for the project.

Grant reviewers look for the three C’s. Do you know what they are? Here’s a hint: Clear, Concise and Compelling.

4. You’re re-using the same pitch

Grant writing takes time and effort. It is not a process that should be rushed, nor is it a process where you should take shortcuts. It is unlikely you’ll find success if you’re copying and pasting in the same (reused) pitch for every grant application. Each proposal should be tailored to best meet the unique set of requirements and expectations for each funding source to which you apply for a grant.

5. You’re not eligible for the grant

Just because you check some of the boxes when looking at eligibility criteria, you should not automatically take this to mean you have an open invitation to apply for a particular grant. Before applying, you must read the guidelines thoroughly to make sure you meet ALL of the eligibility requirements. In addition, you want to be ‘Grant Ready.’ For example, if the grant is only open to 501(c)3 organizations, but your status is still ‘pending,’ you need to hold off from applying.

Have you been making any of these mistakes? Being conscious of these potential pitfalls should make it easier to avoid them in the future. That should bring you one step closer to achieving success when writing your next grant application!

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