It really does happen to all of us at one time or another. As grant writers, writing is what we do best. But sometimes we just can’t seem to get the mojo to make the words appear on those very blank sheets of a grant application. To combat these demons, here are 3 tried and true tips to make it over the hurdle on your way to victory.
Often, our lack of concentration or direction hinges on several common factors including a lack of sufficient information or concrete statistics from the nonprofit for who we’re writing the grant, a lack of understanding of what the application is asking for and a lack of a clear sense of purpose for what the end result of the project should be. Once all of these are in place, our writing seems to flow much smoother.
To combat these demons, we must take a radical approach – and step away from the computer! Yep, in order to get that mojo back dig a little more thoroughly on the front end so that your end product will be the result you intended.
Based on extremely scientific research, “they” say that grant writing consists of 80% planning and only 20% writing. I’m not sure who “they” are but I’m pretty sure “they” were wearing white lab coats when “they” made this discovery. In any event, I agree. So, here’s what to do when faced with writer’s block:
First, understand that just like a cake requires all the right ingredients to make it yummy, so does a grant application require all the right elements to engage the grant reviewer. It may be that your application is dry without enough fact-based evidence to prove why this money should be granted to you. Or, it could be that it lacks personality – there’s no face or mental picture to go with all of these facts. Only the nonprofit can provide this type of information. Whether you’re the grant writer for the organization or a consultant, it would be wise to visit with program folks actually engaging with clients one-on-one to get a better understanding of how things work and what client’s needs are. This allows you to get to know more intimately who you’re trying to assist and also gives you the mental picture needed to convey the importance of this project to the funder. Read more…
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