4 Common Grant Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

As a grant writer and a grant application evaluator for a few local charities, I am often asked, what are the common mistakes that grant writers make?

Common mistakes when completing grant applications include:

1.      Not aligning your project from start to finish

2.      Having unclear project outcomes;

3.      Inflating and misaligning budgets

4.      Not answering the questions well. 

 As the acceptance rate of a grant application is somewhere between 10%-50%, avoiding these four common grant writing mistakes are key to increasing your grant success rate.  

Grant Writing Mistake #1. Not Aligning Your Project from Start to Finish

Grant applications become available, typically for a short period of time, and it is often a scramble to plan and write a solid application. It is easy to lose sight of the details and submit an application that isn’t aligned from start to finish.

To avoid this, I recommend brainstorming your project before you start writing. This takes a little time but is relatively easy to do. 

When you brainstorm your project consider the following:

• Your reason or your ‘why’ for the project.

• Who the project will directly impact.

• The project’s intended result.

• How you will measure your outcomes, so you know you’ve met them.

You can jot down this information on a blank page or use the free downloadable template I created. To make this tool as user friendly as possible, there is both a blank template and a completed example template. Following the example I provide may be helpful as you work through your own project idea. 

Taking the time to think through your project will ensure that your entire project aligns - from your reason for the project to your project’s outcomes and its budget.  When your project becomes clear and each piece relates to one another, it is both easy for you to write, and easy for the reader to understand why your project should be funded. It is well worth the 30-60 minutes it should take you.

Grant Writing Mistake #2. Having Unclear Project Outcomes

When you plan your grant application you need to consider how many people will be positively impacted by your project and how you will know they were positively impacted. Essentially, project outcomes are a target you aim to reach with the funding you receive. This target should be expressed in numbers.

For example, if your project aims to help 5 new start-ups to launch their businesses, then a grantor will know if your project was successful if 5 new businesses were launched with your support.

Project outcomes is often a component of a grant application that is not often answered well.  It is often vague. But by providing a number value of what you aim to reach, it gives you and the grantor an expectation of what will be achieved with the funding received.

Grantors want money to impact people. Outlining how many people your project outcomes makes this clear. It also helps the grantor know if your project and its outcomes is something worth investing in.

Planning out your project before you start writing the application will help you to avoid this mistake.

Grant Writing Mistake #3. Inflating and Misaligning Budget

Another common mistake in grant applications is the project budget. It is often inflated and/or does not clearly relate to the project itself.  

It is understood that people or organizations often apply for a grant because they are hoping to cover a cost in their organization. This could mean paying someone’s wage or keeping a program running. Money is often an issue, especially in the non-profit world. This is an unfair reality.

However, keeping your budget realistic and aligned to your project is essential for grant acceptance.

There can be some wiggle room in your budget to off-set organizational costs, but overinflated budgets or budgets that don’t clearly relate to the project lesson your chance at grant success.

To avoid making this mistake, again I encourage you to use jot your ideas down or use the free downloadable template I provide. In this template I have included a section on budgeting and provided a clear example of how to do this well.

Brainstorming your project’s budget is important and is does not often get the attention it deserves. Especially since inflated and misaligned budgets are a key factor of why grants are not accepted.  

Side note: After brainstorming your project, you may notice that your project idea or the project’s budget does not meet the grant application stipulations very well. For example, you may need $20,000 to run the project but the application is only offering $5,000. Or you recognize that your target audience is the general community, but the grant application is specifically targeting youth.

In times like these, you can try to make minor adjustments, but it is not advisable to simply try to “make it work”.  

Realizing early if a grant does not fit your project will save you a lot of time and disappointment. It may not seem like it, but another grant will come along that will meet your needs better. And in doing so it will increase your chances of application success.

Grant Writing Mistake #4. Not Answering the Questions Well

The final common grant writing mistake is not answering the questions accurately. Sometimes a question on the application is asked and a grant writer either does not follow the instructors or provides an answer that doesn’t actually answer the question.

To ensure that you answer the grant questions accurately, I would suggest slowly reading each question and underlining or highlighting all the key words. I often print off each application to make sure I complete this step thoroughly.

Once I have jotted down my answer to each question, ensuring that I am indeed answering the question, I draft each answer in full sentences.

Most grant applications now are electronic and have a maximum word count per question. If I notice that I go over the word limit, I don’t reduce my points. Instead, I eliminate any extra filler words or ideas that I may have included. Often ideas are repeated. Eliminating repetition is important. Funders read a lot of applications, so being detailed, yet concise, is important.  It can a tricky balance.

Final Thoughts

Grant writing is often very formulaic and once you understand the formula, the chances of success are greater. Aligning your entire project from start to finish, making sure your outcomes and budget are clearly outlined and match the project, and answering the questions well, are important steps to this process.

Paying closer attention to these will successfully set you on your way.

I wish you the best of luck on your grant writing journey!

Lauren 

P.s. If you wish to learn more about successful grant writing, enroll in one of our grant writing workshops or our 8-module grant writing mastery course . This course takes participants through the entire grant-writing process step-by-step. And, as a special bonus, I also provide a 30-minute one-on-one consultation where I give you feedback on the grant you’ve written. By the end of the process you are guaranteed to have a solid grant application ready for submission!