I’m sure you’ve seen all the ads on the Internet about “Free Government Money,” “Get Grants,” “Free Money You Never Have To Pay Back.” Well, as a grant writer for the past three years, I’m here to tell you that those sites are a joke. Most of them want you to purchase some “top secret” information. You end up forking out a fat wad of cash (remember, the whole point of you even looking into grants is to GET money and not GIVE money) for some useless compilation of websites and federal grant programs that, you as an individual, will not even be eligible for. What’s even more frustrating about the information that they give you is that it’s available for free from Grants.gov and other government websites.

If you are bound and determined to look into writing a grant, then you need to start reading up on the subject of grants. Learn exactly what a grant is all about. There are several types of grants. I have never run across a grant that would allow an individual to pay for groceries, bills, debt, or other related living expenses aside from education. Any site claiming to be able to provide you with this information is most definitely trying to rip you off in some way. Grants are usually only made to non-profit organizations or government agencies. Small business owners and similar organizations can get assistance in the way of low-interest financing but those are not what I would consider a grant.

Once you figure out what grants are all about, then come up with your project. For instance, if you want to fund an after school program for children, you need to figure out how much it is going to cost to start-up and maintain. How many children are you trying to serve with the program? Does your community really need this program?

After you know what project you want funding for, then it’s time to do your research. Researching your project is the most important part of the grant. You need to gather statistics, budget information, and pull together true data as to WHY your community needs the program. Research your potential funders as well. The more you know about the goals and missions of the funder, the more you will be able to relate your proposal to their mission and increase your chances of getting an award. Funders aren’t simply giving away money just because they feel like it. They give money to people to further their cause. It’s a way of extending the outreach of their services.

Justify your need. I can’t say this enough. If you don’t truly need what you are asking for, funders will see right through you and throw your proposal in the garbage. In your proposal you will need to write a needs justification outlining who exactly will benefit from your project, why they need to benefit from the project, why your organization can’t fund it yourself, and what will happen to your community if this project isn’t funded.

Do you have any money set aside for your project? Many grant programs require the applicant provide matching funds. Some might require a 50% match, meaning the funder will match the applicant’s request dollar for dollar, while others might require the applicant provide 20% of the funding. If you do have money set aside for your project, you need to disclose this in your proposal. It will make organization look better in being proactive. Read the grant guidelines carefully though. You don’t want to go ahead and purchase something you are asking for in your proposal before you are awarded. You might get your funding revoked!

You really need to sit down and think about how you are going to evaluate your project. Most funders want periodic evaluations or a final evaluation of the outcome. Was your project successful or unsuccessful? How do you know? How will you tell? Think about ways to document this throughout your project. Do not wait until the evaluation is due and simply say, “The project worked so it was a success.” Funders want facts! It is helpful and very beneficial to provide details in your proposal about how you intend to measure the results of your project. Plus, if you can show your success, you might get even more funding for your project.

Before you submit your proposal, have a few people sit down and read it besides you. Check your document very carefully for grammatical errors and typos. No funder is going to have faith in you running an expensive grant project if you can’t take the time to sit down and proofread your grant application. Spell check is not a sufficient way to check your document either. Read, read, and re-read! (Hope I don’t have any typos in this article! Haha!)

Make sure you read the submission instructions carefully. Sometimes funders require you to submit a specific number of copies along with the original proposal. They may require other documents such as financial statements. Also make sure that you have the appropriate signatures that the funder requires.

Grant writing is no easy task. There is money out there to be had, but it is by no means free. It takes great time and effort to write a quality grant proposal. Good luck on your funding request and do me a favor please? If you ever happen to run across a real grant program that will help pay the bills, please let me know. Happy writing!

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