10 Tips for Grantseekers
by Jessica High

Dr. Joel Orosz, an author on many grantwriting books, recently spoke to an audience on how to approach foundations and write good proposals. As an expert, his suggestions are well worth your time to consider.

1)      Get to know the foundation you are pursuing—Request as much information as possible from them not just regarding the application, but get to know their officers. Orosz writes, “[N]obody gives grants to organizations. You give grants to people because you believe in them, think they can handle that money and do a great job with it.”

2)      Investigating fields of interest is still important—Foundations often will list certain fields but their actual granting history does not resemble that list at all. Look at 990s or sample grants provided in order to get an accurate picture of the foundation.

3)      Read the limitations carefully—Orosz says that if they listed specific things they did not give to and if any of those words were mentioned in a proposal, it was automatically rejected.

4)      Have someone read your proposal—It is frustrating to reviewers to have to read acronyms and other terms they do not understand. Have someone not as familiar with your organization read the proposal so they can check for any unclear sections.

5)      Remember that “no” is not always a forever rejection—Sometimes “no” means your proposal was very close to making the cut, but there still were a few things they wanted to see changed or developed. “No” can also mean please do not apply again. Call and find out the reason for the rejection of your proposal! Foundations are more than willing to give advice. They truly do want to help.

6)      Present innovative ideas in your proposal—Whether you are starting something completely new or not, you have the ability to present your ideas as exciting, innovative. Foundations are drawn to this approach, Orosz says.

7)      Utilize your resources and make foundations aware of this—If you can point out similar organizations in the community that you might look at collaborating with, this stands out. Especially in difficult economic times, it is important for foundations to see you will be a wise steward of what they invest in you.

8)      Don’t focus on yourself—Many organizations talk about “me”, “my”, and “I”. Instead the focus should be about the people you are going to help. A big heart with vision is more compelling than a person that only sees themselves and their wants.

9)      Continuation—Does your organization have a clear plan for continuing and growing? A sentence like “We will look for more fundraising” is not sufficient.

10)   Always be polite—Foundations receive so many requests for funding, and there are many desperate organizations. It is important to go above and beyond the call to be respectful and grateful through the entire process, whether it results in a grant or not.

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