The Multi-Talented Grant Writer

“There is a ton of money out there for you to tap into, and this workshop is designed to help you understand how to get your hands on some of it.” I often begin a workshop on grant writing by making this blunt statement.

But, it’s true. Public charities, private foundations, corporations and government entities make literally billions of dollars available each year. If you aren’t getting your hands on some of this funding, you should be. The corollary truth, though, is that there are far more grants available than there are good grant writers who possess the capability to win such awards.

In many cases, the problem is prioritization. Organizations often include “grant writing” as a job duty that is lumped in a general category of “other duties” for a staffer who has other primary duties. The main job of these individuals is NOT to vie for outside funding. They may be executives, managers, supervisors or administrative staff. They may have inherited the role of grant writer by accident, and are trying to figure out how to fit this task into a seemingly endless list of other jobs that need to get done.

Even if your organization has the ability to designate a person or group of people as your grant writing department, the talents necessary to write compelling proposals and win significant funding are far from trivial. Let’s take a look at some of the competencies that make up the skill set of effective grant writers.

Researcher: Although it is true that there is a ton of funding available, not all opportunities are right for every organization. Grant making organizations tend to have specific causes, or target populations or methods in which they are willing to invest. Your organization needs to match up! Before the first plan is made, the first word is written, a good grant writer has done extensive research. Often, a need is identified and significant research goes into finding funders who might be able to help.

Journalist/Writer/Storyteller: Sounds obvious, of course, but having been on the reviewing end as well as the writing end, I can tell you that there are many proposals made that fail to connect with funders because the writing was faulty, the story poorly told. Good writing skills are a must, and the ability to tell “a tale well told” in support of your request will win you funding!

Editor/Proofreader/ Fact Checker: Similar to the above, good grant writing requires the ability to proofread a document for grammatical, usage, and punctuation errors. If your skill level extends only to the ability to use a spell checker, you might write “hear” when you meant to say “here”, or “peak your interest” when you should have said “pique”. Sensitive radar for finding and eliminating jargon or trite phraseology pays off as well. Distilling 32 pages of double-spaced text into the 20 page requirement limitation without diluting the message is often a major challenge the grant writer faces. And, of course, the ability to check factual information and statements that are included in the proposal can make the difference between success and failure even after a grant is awarded.

Creative Thinker/Problem Solver/ Synthesizer: I have been chided in the past for my belief that a good proposal is “sexy”. By this I mean that your application not only should demonstrate how you will deliver services and solve problems, but how you will do it in a creative, innovative fashion. Many funders have been giving money out for years, what often catches their eye are fresh, new, and (dare I say) exciting ideas addressing how to reach a goal.

Able to meet deadlines/Planner/Project manager: The need to be organized and meet deadlines varies with the complexity of the proposal. I’ve sent in one page applications and small books. One thing most all of these opportunities have in common is a deadline, and even if the requirements are minor, when you miss the deadline it matters little how well written your proposal is, how cleverly you plan to craft your project, nor how deserving your organization may be. Your submission will be relegated to the trash. Complex proposals often require the involvement of many other people to be adequately prepared. The service delivery staff has to describe how they will do the work, the CFO has to prepare the budgets, the compliance officer must insure that promises made will be able to be kept, supporters may need to send in letters of endorsement or support. Bringing the many pieces of the puzzle together in time to meet the submission deadline requires significant project planning skills.

Collaborator/ Communicator/ Translator/ Diplomat: Because there are often many players who play a part in the development of an effective proposal, the successful grant writer fosters teamwork, and resolves conflicts among the team members. This “captain” insures that each person knows what he or she is expected to do, and by when, to bring the project in on time, learns to speak many “languages”, and to facilitate communication among the parties involved. Taking disparate pieces, written by multiple hands, and reworking them so that the proposal speaks in a common voice is both a skill and an art.

Data Analyst/ Statistician:  The ability to analyze data is crucial at all stages of the process, through and including award date and the aftermath. Compelling case statements need to be written to justify requests for funding, available resources cited in the proposal must be adequate to achieving the promised results, and requested funds must cover costs. Once a grant is awarded, the obligation shifts to demonstrating to the funder that the money is being spent well, as promised, and is achieving the expected outcomes. Failure to supply required data at this stage can insure you will never be funded from that source again, and at worst could lead to funder choice to terminate the grant prematurely.

Financial Manager/ Understanding of fiscal reporting: For reasons already cited, the good grant writer has to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of business mathematics, fiscal processes, budgeting, expenditures, and financial reporting to be effective.

Advocate: At the core of everything, the grant writer believes in the organization, the capabilities of the staff, and the people who will be helped. Regardless of all other skills, it is virtually impossible to write a compelling grant proposal if you are indifferent to the cause.

Thus, a grant writer needs to wear eight, or a dozen or even 20 hats! It’s not surprising that many organizations find it sensible to contract with seasoned professionals to write grants on their behalf. Whether your efforts to capture funding are homegrown or contracted, it is important that the skill sets described here are available if you want to create a track record of successful grant awards. The money is there, now go and get your share!