Blogging Grant Secrets
January 2024 - Common Mistakes in Grant Proposals
Discovering common mistakes in grant writing and proposal development stems from conversations, listening to questions on grant webinars, serving as a grant reader and editing grant proposals, led to a few common errors which immediately can disqualify you from a grant award.
Read the ENTIRE RFA (Request for Award).
Sometimes an RFA can be over 100 pages long but it holds all the information to guide you in writing.
Formatting errors!
Font Style and Point Size! If it says 12 pt Arial, don't try and put 12.5 -- yes some might not notice but is it worth the risk.
Margins - most say 1" margins. If it doesn't say and you set with less, i.e. .5" then it might not print correctly. Not all grant reviewers conduct reading online, some like to print the document. Some printers will lose text if .5" or less
Cover Page, Table of Contents don't include unless it specifically states in the RFA.
Page Numbers, Headers, Footers - if the RFA doesn't directly describe, I will always place page numbers at the bottom and a header of the title of the grant and name of entity applying.
Bold, Underline, Bullets, Tables - if listing items or placing a table, do not change the font size unless it specifically says, Tables can be included at 10 pt size. Adding highlights with bold, underline, and bullets can take up "real estate" (meaning taking up space if you are limited on page maximums).
Online application uploading - if your application has an upload portal and they do not accept a .pdf, any enhancements with bold, underline, bullets, or tables will not transfer in the same design or format. Recommendation is that when I upload a grant, I will go back and space over for paragraphs (tabs don't work either), add --- symbol instead of bullets that won't appear.
Write the narrative as if the reader/reviewer knows nothing!
Number One - don't use acronyms from your industry. Always write out and include (xx). Additionally a simple sentence explaining it and its role with your organization is helpful to a reader.
Share your final proposal with someone from outside your industry and see what questions they have as they read through your document. If they have a questions, chances are a reader will and could result in less points for that particular section.
Many times a reader might be from the east and have no specific knowledge of your location or with whom you serve. Sharing key demographics unique or essential to your grant is critical.
Don't use phrases such as "East Valley" or "South Mountain" in describing your location. Use terms of specific to locations or explain, i.e. (The East Valley encompasses ...).
Learn the Rubric
Most State and Federal grants have a rubric. A grant rubric is a specific type of assessment tool used by grant makers or evaluators to systematically evaluate grant proposals. It outlines clear criteria and standards for each aspect of a proposal, such as objectives, budget, and impact, and provides a structured way to rate or score each element.
A rubric often has hidden tips on content and can guide a writer on using certain terms so a reader can easily align to the rubric in terms of assigning points.
Coming Soon:
- Acronyms of Grants
- Grant Writing Trends
- The Role of Research in Grant Writing
- Understanding the Grant Review Process
- Budget Planning for Grants