Grant Writings for Dummies – Your application is your key to get the grant you’ve been searching for. Therefore, a proper and interesting grant application is very important. In today’s post, you will learn several simple tricks for grant writings for dummies.
Opening
A grant writing is usually pre-faced with an opening section that explains everything about your current organization. In your best words, explain the location of your organization, along with the organization’s goals, problems, and efforts. So how do you get the best opening? Below are some tips you can use:
- No begging!
How do you write a grant writing that doesn’t sound like you’re begging for the money? The best way to do it is to show that your organization already has a good base of financial assets. Make sure you list your resources, from funding to buildings. Believe me, many of the grant applicants failed because they expect to use the grant as the starting point of their project. It is also a good thing for the reviewers to know that your organization has assets, and not just expenses and debts. This way, they know that the grant money is not wasted. Remember to include intangible assets too, including trust and reputation.
How to Write a Grant Proposal for Dummies
- Target your readers’ feeling
Although grant application writing has to be based on facts, you can touch with the reader’s heart by using careful presentation of the facts. This kind of writing is good for two reasons. First, it can help you get more attention about your program, which eventually increase your chance of getting the grant. Second, you can escape the common mistake done by many people, which is presenting the facts and numbers in a boring way.
- The Group of Three Tricks
In other words, make a 3 items list. Making a short list made of three items is a good way to engage your reader’s attention. This psychology trick can be used when you are trying to explain the organization’s goals or focuses. The best place to put the group of three list is at the end of the paragraph or alternatively at the earlier section of the paragraph.
- Keep the focus
There are several tricks for dummies you can try to keep your reader’s focus on your application writing. They are:
- The standard font for grant application is Times New Roman, with the size of 12. Therefore, if the grant doesn’t mention what type to use, use the font we’ve mentioned above. You should also keep the consistency by only using one type of font.
- Short paragraph with maximum number of 8 sentences per paragraph is the best.
- Use headings and sub-headings to provide easier navigation across your application.
- Use bulleted (or numbered) lists in some section of your application where it is necessary.
- If needed, you can also use minimum amount of bold letters. However, avoid using all caps on those letters.
We have a good reference for this matter. There’s a book sold in Amazon.com that tells everything you need to know for grant writings. The book’s title is Grant Writings for Dummies, and you can find the link on our reference section below.
References :
- How to Write an Application That Wins Grants – http://www.dummies.com/business/nonprofits/grants/how-to-write-an-application-that-wins-grants/
- Writing Your Application – grants.nih.gov/grants/writing_application.htm
- Grant Writing For Dummies Paperback – https://www.amazon.com/Grant-Writing-Dummies-Beverly-Browning/dp/0470291133
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