This presentation provides advice in the art of grant writing. This advice represents an accumulation of knowledge from experienced grant writers, development officers, foundations, reviewers, and program managers along the way. Be it for a nonprofit or an academic setting, this information will prove useful.

3. Data
• How do you show your data?
• Is it legible?
• Is it visually appealing?

4. Microscope
• Make sure your information is correct: web, publications, etc.
• Make sure your physical site is well maintained.
• Are you who you say you are? Foundations will check.
• Does everyone at the organization know that you are applying for
funding? Have partners been informed?

5. Think about your message
• Be concise and detailed.
• Be honest.
• Focus on your unique experience as it
pertains to the issue today
• Include the passion.
• Include your call to action.
• Make sure it’s legible.
• Shape your message into a beginning middle
and end.
• Use rhetorical devices: logic, ethics, emotion
• Take a chance.
• Take your time.
• Write like a writer.

6. Storytelling Ingredients
• Passion
• Structure
• Repetition
• Surprise
• Repetition
• Focus
• Humor
• Simplicity
• The rule of three
• Repetition
• Pictures
• Emotion

7. SMART
• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

8. Letters of Support
• Collect recommendation/commendation letters
• Show your appreciation
• Live up to their claims

9. Grant Team
• Editor
• Finance
• Policy Guru
• Program Coordinator
• Researcher
• Writer

11. So you think you want to write a grant
• Are you being specific?
• Are you thinking critically?
• Can you provide measurable outcomes?
• Do you have the proper signatures?
• Do you have community support?
• Does your budget make sense?
• Does your organization have the right status?
• Have you brainstormed?
• Have you thought about how you’re going to
deliver your application?
• Is the foundation a good fit?
• Is your application neat?
• Is your narrative understandable?

12. Align Yourself
• Build in discussion/reflection time
• Build relationships with people in foundations
• Learn company’s priorities
• Research the foundation

13. Showcase Accomplishments
• Be a trendsetting, viral social
media guru
• Different types of people in your
organization make you look
more attractive
• Remember your winning
personality/status
• What do your potential/current
donors like to see?

14. Unbiased Opinion
• Get a 3rd party to review your application
• Let them take off their gloves

15. Pretend
• What if you/your team decided
who received funding? What
would you look for? What would
make you look away? Do certain
words convey an unintended
meaning?

16. Your Rubric
• Create your scoring rubric from the instructions

17. They will review
• The environment for your solution
• The feasibility of your approach
• Your application’s significance
• Your innovative approach to the problem
• Your organization’s track record

19. Hooray you received a grant! Now what?
• Advertise your receipt of the grant.
• Do what you said you were going to do.
• Foundations want follow-up. Generate and deliver those reports in a
timely manner.
• If you cannot perform an aspect of your application, notify the funder
asap!
• Measure what you said you were going to measure.