Have you ever read a book that you simply couldn’t finish, or couldn’t get into because it was so boring? Or maybe it was just too similar to other stories you’ve read before, and you couldn’t bear to read another page.
Just as well-chosen words are essential to an amazing book, the same goes for crafting award-winning grants. Put yourself in the shoes of a grant reviewer. Many are bound to look the same if you read hundreds of grants, but one will always stand out. Just as we have a favorite book, favorite movie, etc, a grant reviewer is inevitably going to have a favorite proposal!
As a grant writer, your goal should be to get the reader hooked on your mission! In the proposal, you should be answering the funders’ questions in a satisfying, intriguing, and yet easily understood way.
You know how in fiction novels there are always a series of unforgettable characters who really want something, but can’t get it due to certain obstacles or people in the way? When writing a grant, the memorable character will always be the people you serve through your organization. People who are missing things in their life that they deserve. When crafting a proposal, you’ll need to prove to the funder why these people deserve the thing they’re missing, while also using relevant stats and studies.
Maybe in your story (AKA organization), you have a mother who wants to protect herself and her children from a cycle of abuse, but she can’t leave her husband because she isn’t financially stable on her own. Your shelter serves women and children fleeing domestic violence, and a grant from the funder will dissolve that barrier to financial freedom– the thing that was keeping the mother in that abusive situation. Through the award of a grant, this mother could receive counseling, medical, dental, and legal services at no cost, all while looking for a job to get her, and her children back on their feet to a new beginning.
At Grant Yourself Success™, we understand that stating your organizational needs in a concise way that hooks the funder, is no easy feat for every non-profit professional. This is why we’ve created the Story-Based Grants 8-Week Course! If you’d like to learn more about this fresh take on storytelling through grant writing, please visit www.grantyourselfsuccess.com.
Don’t let grants stress you out, check out the helpful grant writing services Ascend NBS has to offer here.